If being at home more this past year has left you feeling bored and blah, maybe a bold backsplash or a beautiful bathroom is just what you need to spice things up for 2021! Shaped tile like hexagons, fans, circles, and diamonds are huge, as are bold colors like black! Add interest to your design by laying classic tile in patterns like chevron or herringbone. Gray tile remains a staple of design, and wood looks continue to gain steam. Take a look at some of our favorite trends for 2021.

Home trends this fall are all about building something spectacular from a natural, neutral base. Lighter floors and neutral furnishings create a clean palette to showcase the season’s trends. Start by incorporating lots of color with pillows, rugs, and fabrics. This fall’s favorite colors range from jewel tones like ochre, magenta, and emerald, to earthy tones like rust, robin’s egg blue, and evergreen. Navy and peacock blue are showing up everywhere, and even plaids and buffalo checks are back. While we’re mostly done with “Millennial Pink,” blush tones aren’t going anywhere. Although blush is mostly thought of as a soft neutral, it packs quite a punch on pillows, walls, and accent furniture pieces. Add additional color to your walls by choosing a colorful, graphic-art piece that really pops.

​While choosing colors for your fall décor, don’t forget about textures. Velvet is coming in hot right now, whether it’s on a pillow, throw, or an entire sofa. Faux fur and boucle fabrics will also add warmth and depth to your space. Another way to add texture is with natural wood accessories, anything from basekts to chandeliers. Items of visual interest that invoke nature like dried branches and flowers, a sisal rug, wood accent wall, or reclaimed wood table add a sense of calm and coziness.

​With fall often comes a multitude of family gatherings, so we can’t overlook the “heart of the home.” This fall kitchens are giving themselves over to the dark side. Light gray and white cabinets are shedding their layers for rich blacks and greens. If dark cabinets everywhere are too much for you, install dark uppers and lighter lowers or an island made of natural or reclaimed wood. White marble, granite, or quartz countertops help brighten the space along with metallic fixtures in gold, rose gold, or brass. The kitchen is also a great place to showcase wood accents like butcher block cutting boards, wooden utensils and bowls. Throw in a few plants too. When all these elements combine, you’ve got a sophisticated, pulled together look that is still warm, comfortable, and inviting. 

As for bathrooms, matte black fixtures paired with gray cabinets, wooden vanities, and/or vessel sinks with marble countertops are big this season. Add some splash with statement art and decorative tile. As the weather gets colder, you no longer have to venture outside your home for the spa treatment. Many people are opting for large soaking tubs, spa shower systems, and even saunas in their homes. Afraid of getting cold feet? Radiant heating (like the Ditra-Heat System) in the bathroom is the ultimate luxurty and alternative to cold tile floors!

Whether you're installing a backsplash, shower, accent wall, or even refacing a fireplace, mosaic tile is the secret to adding that punch of pizzazz and personal style to your tile design. Don't limit yourself to just subway tile and travertine. Mosaics come in glass, metal, stone, porcelain, ceramic, and are available in all shapes and sizes from squares and circles to hexagons and arabesques. There's something to suit any decor theme from rustic to modern. Today we're featuring a gallery of mosaics to get your creative juices flowing. These are just a few of the marvelous mosaics available from MSI Surfaces.

What would you say are the most heavily-trafficked rooms in your home? The majority of you would probably agree that it’s the kitchen, bathroom, and laundry room. These rooms are the troopers. They handle the dirty work, so it’s important that they have a flooring that can stand up to spilled food, overflowing bath tubs, pet messes, and dirt and grime. Today, we’re going to take a look at the best flooring choices for these rooms. 

​Tile

Both porcelain and ceramic tile are resilient and long-lasting when they’re installed and cleaned properly. Tile won’t expand and contract with changing temperatures, and it’s impervious to moisture and stains when properly sealed. Food, dirt, water, and pet messes clean up easily, and many grouts are now stain-resistant. Tile is also green and promotes good air quality because it contains no volatile organic compounds (VOCs). And yet another reason to love tile is that design innovations allow tile to mimic just about any surface, whether it’s wood, marble, or slate. So, you can create whatever look you desire. There are also plenty of decorative tiles with patterns and shapes ranging from retro to modern to help you really personalize your space.

​Waterproof Flooring (WPC)

The WPC (wood-plastic composite) flooring category is the hottest thing in the market today. WPC is luxury vinyl tile (LVT) taken to the next level. WPC flooring has all the beautiful looks, durability, and ease of installation of LVT, but with a secret weapon: a waterproof core. YES, it’s completely waterproof! It will not buckle, bow, mold, or split from water damage. The layers of WPC are what make it so effective. In addition to its waterproof core, WPC has a “printed layer.” This is the pretty part. WPC is known for its realistic wood, tile, and stone looks. All of these layers are protected by a wear layer that prevents scratches, dents, and beatings. WPC is also very low-maintenance. 

​Sheet Vinyl

​Sheet vinyl is also low-maintenance and water-resistant. If installed correctly, vinyl is one of the most durable flooring materials. It is scratch and stain resistant due to a clear wear layer. This wear layer allows vinyl to be more flexible and softer underfoot. Keep in mind not all vinyl is created equal and some brands will be more susceptible to scratches and stains than others. Vinyl has almost every style in wood, tile, and stone you can think of. Vinyl is also easy on the wallet, generally costing considerably less than other options.

So many designs, looks, and patterns are at your fingertips to make your home your own. Come by our showroom or visit online at shopfloorstogo.com. 

​2018 was quite a year! From hardwood and tile; to carpet, laminate, and vinyl; and all the way to waterproof flooring and countertops, we installed it all! Bathrooms, living rooms, kitchens, hallways, laundry rooms, and bedrooms galore! Here’s a look back at some of our projects from 2018. 
If 2019 is the year to get your project going, give us a call at 256.231.5600 for a free estimate, or check out more projects and products online at shopfloorstogo.com.

In today’s home buying market, the biggest selling points are often kitchens and bathrooms! Whether you’re buying a home or looking to upgrade your own, installing granite countertops in these spaces is one of the best ways to add beauty and long-term value to your investment. Let’s look at what makes granite so desirable.

Granite is a natural stone available in an extremely wide variety of patterns, shapes, and tones. Each slab of granite is unique, ranging from soft and neutral to dark and dramatic. Some slabs feature subtle flecks of color. Others features large, dramatic veins or designs throughout the slab. Variation can also occur in the same slab, such as one end may have more color, pattern, or design than the other. Some people prefer uniformity in the countertops, but others like a statement piece. With granite, there’s something for everyone!

Granite is also extremely tough. Typically, the only thing that can scratch it is another piece of granite or rock. It’s so tough, in fact, that using a cutting board in the kitchen is recommended to protect your knives. If you slice food directly on the surface, you run the risk of dulling your knives. Granite is also tough against heat. It won’t bubble or blister if a hot pan or pot is placed on it.

To take care of your granite, first and foremost, make sure it’s professionally sealed when installed. Granite is porous, so it must be sealed to keep liquids from seeping in and staining or harboring bacteria. Once sealed, granite can be easily cleaned with warm, soapy water. Glass cleaners, bleach, and abrasive pads and cleaners are not recommended as they may cause the sealant to weaken. It’s also a good idea to have your countertops professionally sealed every two to four years to keep them in top shape.

​So, are you ready to get going with granite? At Floors to Go, we offer a wide selection. Don’t see what you want in our store? We can even take you to our supplier to help you pick out your own slab. Stop by our showroom today, and let’s get started! shopfloorstogo.com

Slate is a natural stone made by the compression of certain minerals and has been making its way into home for centuries. Slates has been used for roof tiles, fireplaces, walls, showers and floors. Let's look at were slate comes from and some of its qualities as flooring.
 
Like mentioned above, slate is a natural stone made from the crust of the earth. As is the case with most natural products, not all slate is created equal; the deeper the slate is in the ground, the better the quality. This is due to how our earth makes slate. The earth’s natural elements compact and compress the minerals that make slate, so the deeper the slate, the denser and more compact the slate will be. Higher quality slate is more expensive than slate mined closer to the surface because of the cost to harvest it. Slate in general is a high-quality stone with good durability.
 
Since slate is a natural product, its colors will vary, and no tile will be exactly the same. Slate does not come in as wide of variety as manmade products like porcelain and ceramic tile. Cleaning and maintenance for slate is pretty easy. It requires general sweeping and mopping (*note do not use harsh cleaners or vinegar to clean natural stone) and periodic sealing with a stone sealer.