Interior Design & Architecture
3 min read
Hot Dog! Planning for Pet Traffic On Floors And Decks
July 03 | 3 min read | BuildDirect
Summer is the perfect time to spend long, hot days outdoors with your favorite canines. From splashing around in the pool to running down the beach to sniffing about in the backyard, dogs love the sunshine. At the same... read more3 min read
Black Friday, Black Décor: Black Floors
November 27 | 3 min read | BuildDirect
Black (or very dark) floors can dramatically improve the design quality of your home–if you use them well. However, using black flooring can quickly turn into a black hole if you do so carelessly. So how can you successfully... read more3 min read
August 05 | 3 min read | BuildDirect
Looking at home decor magazines, you may have noticed that floors are going back to light colors: beachy whites and pale birch golds, even greys and beiges. The pale floors are here for a while, so if you’re looking... read more2 min read
Transform a Room with Painted Floors
December 20 | 2 min read | BuildDirect
You paint your walls and your ceilings. You paint your furniture, too. But somewhere along the way, the idea of painting the floor has gotten lost under all those layers of carpeting and hardwood varnish. If you’re looking for... read more3 min read
Energy Efficiency & Radiant Floor Heating
November 07 | 3 min read | BuildDirect
Heating season is upon us. In my 1964 ranch house, I have a cast iron wood stove, two small cast iron gas heaters in the bedrooms, south facing windows and an attached solar greenhouse. I don’t have radiant floor... read moreInterior Design & Architecture
2 min read
Wood Floors To Rafters: Style From Top To Bottom
February 17 | 2 min read | BuildDirect
Rafters in residences are standard inclusions in construction, at one time almost always visible in interiors as a matter of course. As trends changed, the visible rafter has come and gone, and come back again. Here in our current... read more2 min read
Harlequin Patterned Wood Flooring
February 02 | 2 min read | BuildDirect
Wood flooring is timeless, playing a part in great design and home decor over the decades and centuries. Often, wood flooring is looked upon as a rustic, down-home texture. At other times, wood floors are refined and tailored surfaces,... read more3 min read
Flooring for the Children’s Play Room
December 28 | 3 min read | BuildDirect
I admit it, I am a bit of a fanatic when it comes to child safety. I worry about bumps and bruises, agonize over tumbles and falls, and am the very picture of the “hover mother.” So, it came... read more3 min read
5 Options For Mudroom Flooring
December 21 | 3 min read | BuildDirect
What are your options for the best flooring for mudroom installations? Here are 5 mudroom flooring options to help to get you started. *** The mudroom series continues… Over the past two weeks, I’ve shared ideas and inspirational images... read more3 min read
Flooring That Keeps Allergies At Bay
November 07 | 3 min read | BuildDirect
During the fall and winter seasons, we spend a lot more time indoors, often with less interior airflow due to closed windows and doors. Therefore, air quality can become an issue, especially for those who suffer from dust allergies,... read more3 min read
Choosing Flooring for Kitchens
October 25 | 3 min read | BuildDirect
The Thanksgiving and Christmas seasons are a few weeks and months away. There may be a few out there who are looking to give their kitchens a facelift before things get crazy. And one area that is often on... read more2 min read
Decking That Is Right for You: Composite & Wood
July 15 | 2 min read | BuildDirect
The perfect deck will blend form with function. It’s a relaxing extension of your home, blending the comforts of the indoors with the pleasure of being outdoors. Whether you use yours for barbequing, suntanning, or reading, it’s a mini-escape literally just outside your doorstep. However, it... read more3 min read
Hiring Home Improvement Contractors: Performance Bonds
June 17 | 3 min read | BuildDirect
Hiring a contractor, especially during a time when the market is flooded perhaps with the less-than-experienced and possibly less-competent, is a tricky business. But, one factor that can separate the wheat from the chaff is the bonded contractor, and... read more