Wood Archives - Kelley Astore Interiors

Flooring: The Benefits of Faux Wood Vinyl

Everyone seems to dream of hardwood floors – and it’s easy to see why! They are so classy, chic, homely, and warm. However, the reality of hardwood floors is that they can be fairly expensive to install and can wear and tear quickly enough to make one question whether they’re worth it. That’s why vinyl flooring is a great option to consider when designing or remodeling any room! Keep reading to learn more about faux wood vinyl flooring and why it might be the best option for you.

What is Faux Wood Vinyl Flooring?

There are two main types of vinyl flooring – the type that comes as sheets and the type that comes as tiles. I always recommend tile vinyl flooring, especially if you’re looking to mimic hardwood floors. Tile vinyl flooring is much harder than sheet vinyl flooring, so will look and feel more like wood. It is made of Polyvinyl chloride which is a synthetic material. You can buy vinyl flooring tiles from most hardware stores, coming in a variety of sizes and colors.

Why Choose Faux Wood Vinyl Flooring?

Easier to Maintain

One of the best parts about Faux Wood Vinyl is that it is much more durable and easier to maintain than actual hardwood floors. If a drink spills, you can simply wipe it up with no fear of staining or damage. This is perfect for high-moisture rooms such as kitchens and bathrooms. Additionally, faux wood vinyl flooring doesn’t chip or scratch nearly as easily as hardwood floors do. This makes it a great option if you’re someone with children or if you like to host a lot of gatherings and parties.

Budget-Friendly

Proper hardwood floors can be incredibly expensive to buy and install. The wood needs special treatment, and the simple weight of it can make it difficult and expensive to install. Not to mention that it requires special varnishes and finishes which just adds to the cost. Vinyl Flooring on the other hand is easy to come by and is designed for quick and easy installation – something that you’d be able to do at home. All of this means that faux wood vinyl flooring comes at a fraction of the cost of hardwood floors. And if you’re renovating an entire room, you may find that every penny really does count.

Sleek Look

Faux Vinyl Flooring has the potential to look really amazing when properly installed and incorporated into a design. Most people won’t even think twice about whether or not it’s real wood. The other advantage of vinyl flooring is that it is much easier to find the right color and tone without having to compromise on pricing, thereby giving you more creative control. Additionally, since it’s so easy to come by and is available in so many different shades, you can get really creative and even lay down patterns using a variety of colors. If you are feeling extra creative, you can even use vinyl tiles on the walls, ceilings, or backsplashes!

Interior Design Made Easy

There is no reason to resist something like vinyl flooring because it isn’t “real.” Perhaps you may feel like opting for vinyl flooring is a shortcut or a cheap option you shouldn’t choose. But professionals everywhere, including myself, opt for faux wood vinyl flooring all the time. And we never regret it!

If you are looking to renovate or need some help with your newly designed rooms, we’re here for you! Visit our services page to book your free consultation today.

How to Bring Character to a Room Through Woodwork

Wood is one of the oldest materials known to architects and interior designers. Humans are connected to wood. As Donald Culross Peattie said in American Heartwood, “Wood if you stop to think of it, has been man’s best friend in the world. It held him in his cradle […] was the frame of the bed he came to rejoicing, the log upon his hearth when he was cold and will make him his last long home. It was the murmuring bough above his childhood play, and the roof over the first house he called his own.”

This versatile and hardy material is one that is not going to go out of style. In the United Kingdom, they use the term “joinery” for woodworking, especially aesthetic woodworking. It refers to the way that two pieces of wood are joined together. But the name also demonstrates the way that cleverly used wood can “join” or tie elements in a room together.

The ways you can use wood in interior design are near endless. It’s a practical, often cost-effective, and easily accessible material that looks amazing. Keep reading to find out 3 easy ways to bring character to a room through the woodwork.

Coffered Ceiling

Coffered Ceilings are a great way to add dimension and character to a room, making it appear taller and more interesting. A coffer refers to sunken panels in a ceiling, often in the shape of rectangles, squares, or circles. Coffered Ceilings date back to the ancient Greeks and Romans who used stone to create the coffers. They were a symbol of prestige and formality.

Today, the most common type of coffered ceiling is created with wooden beams crisscrossing to create geometric patterns and shapes, and the results are stunning. Painting the sunken parts of the ceiling the same color as the walls, and then painting the wooden beams the same color as the trim is a quick and easy way to tie a room together into one cohesive design. Alternatively, staining or leaving the naked wood with a simple varnish adds beautiful depth and color.

Built-Ins

Bespoke built-in units are one of our favorite things to create for our clients at Kelley Astore Interiors. We always use wood and often use glass for added texture. Wooden built-in units are such an easy way to add character, storage space, desks, TV stands, and more without taking up too much space. The combination of shelves and cabinetry provides space for decor, books, and clutter that you want to put away. The wood provides a lovely contrast in texture, and once again can be painted or designed to match the wooden trim and coffered ceilings.

This built-in unit will house a TV, books, and family pictures. It transforms the room into a truly wonderful place for the family to come, relax and watch a good movie. As we find ourselves spending more and more time at home, it’s lovely to have your TV and all the components fit nicely into one area.

Floors

Perhaps one of the most common ways to incorporate wood into a design is with wooden floors. Wooden floors are elegant, practical, and look simply amazing. No matter which wood type and color you choose, wooden floors always provide a lovely contrast to the walls. They can be dressed with rugs to section a room off.

Whether you choose to use the same type of wood on your floors as on your coffered ceiling, or you choose two contrasting tones, using wood for multiple elements in your design will automatically bring character to a room and tie a design together. In this entryway, we used the same wood for the floors as we did for the stairs and banister. Do you see how it makes the room look cohesive?

Choosing Wood & Designing

If you are looking to renovate a room and incorporate wood, be sure to check out our article on different types of wood for kitchen cabinets or anywhere in your house where you want bespoke wooden cabinetries and units.

At Kelley Astore Interiors, we work with the best craftsmen and woodworkers to help turn your dream home into a reality. Attempting to install coffered ceilings, built-in units and wooden floors can be difficult and overwhelming without proper experience and training. So let us help you! Head to our services page to book your free consultation today.