I have never been a fan of the carpeting in our home. I knew I would have to live with it for a while, and truly didn't mind because our children are young. It isn't as devastating when they make a mess on an old floor. Little Man can make a mess like no other! Is it the Y chromosome that is responsible? His sister didn't make these messes. So, yes, I have been thankful we have held off on purchasing new flooring.
I have dreamed of having new flooring. We have talked about new flooring. We have looked endlessly at different flooring options. All in preparation to one day purchase flooring for our home. Now the day has come to make a decision, because our new flooring dream is coming true!
Panic has set in, for this is a big decision! I must live with my choice for a very, very long time. My wants of durability (aka: can withstand Little Man and the pets), easy to care for (unlike the white linoleum that shows everything!), and timeless (no more green carpet in the living area and pink in the bedrooms!). Oh, how hard it is to pick out the floors I want!
We had previously thought about laminate flooring. Several friends and family had put this in their homes and liked it. However, we wondered would it really stand the test of Little Man and the dogs?
Hardwood was too expensive and the dogs would probably scratch it.
Carpet was definitely out for the living areas. I clean carpets every one to two months in our living room (sometimes more!). However, I think I am going to put carpet in the bedrooms.
What was left? I definitely did not want linoleum.
We were then introduced to luxury vinyl planks. They are extremely durable, easy to care for, looked like wood or slate or anything you could imagine, and cost effective. Could this be our answer? I did my research.
We agreed that the luxury vinyl would be for us. I have waited for Hubby to say we are ready to pick out flooring and the news came last week. Friday, I went to pick out what I wanted.
Oh, so much to choose from that it made my head swirl. I spent an hour trying to find the right color for the hardwood look and the stone look to match and make a nice transition. Not to mention all the help I received from the children.
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| This will go in the living room and hallway. Doesn't it look just like hardwood? |
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| My pick for the kitchen, dining, entry, and bathrooms. |
I finally decided on the vinyl flooring and then transitioned to the carpeting section. We had decided that carpet would be best for the bedrooms. The children wanted to customize their carpet. Egee wanted a purple or orange color for her room (uh, no!) and Little Man wanted fire truck red for his (yeah, right!). They both then decided they wanted a thick plush. There was a beige sample rug on the floor and they 'drew pictures and letters' on the plush with their fingers. They were quite entertained.
I wanted carpet that was soft underfoot and could easily hide any uh-ohs that come with children and pets. I like natural colors and patterns. Again, so many choices and one that I must live with for a long time!
Finally, I narrowed my selection and then compared it with the vinyl planks. I think it will look good.
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| Plush carpet in natural tones that picks up the color from the wood and slate. |
Not only are we putting in new floors, but we are painting the interior of the house. Living room, all the crown molding, hallway, master bedroom, hall bathroom, finishing the dining area, and touching up paint in other rooms as needed. So, I must also select paint colors!
I like natural colors. The dining area and kitchen are done in a soft, light brown (beige) color. I want to tie in the light color and transition into a little more color in the living area. Our house is open concept, so I've got to get this right!
I also want color in our bedroom! I am so ready to get rid of the white walls. Hubby wasn't sure about the green I picked at Lowe's.
The kids were excited about painting their bathroom yellow. It doesn't have any windows and is dark, so I hope yellow will brighten the room.
This morning, after Hubby left for Aikido, I started painting samples on the walls. It is amazing how the same color can look so different on several walls!
When Hubby returned, he was surprised. He is actually starting to like the green in the bedroom. He is not too sure about the brown in the living room. I think I am going to paint a bigger sample section of brown and see if he starts to come around.
The real fun of painting begins next weekend. Stay tuned!
