Marquis sat down with Janet Stuckey from Destin Flooring America and discussed everything about flooring for your unique project!
Even though we are a custom cabinetry manufacturer, we work very closely with other trades to make sure your kitchen or bathroom design comes together perfectly. Flooring being one of those trades. Over the years we have built a great working relationship with Destin Flooring America who uses our showroom to display their flooring and tile backsplashes. They provide a wide selection of options to match your style and floor shopping needs.
We decided to sit down with owner and design consultant, Janet Stuckey, to see what to look for when deciding on flooring, when to install, and what’s new and popular this year. Read below to learn more about flooring for your upcoming project.
Floor Shopping: What’s the first step to consider when starting off?
Go through the questions below to find out:
What are you using the space for?
The purpose of the space determines what type of material you should use. Whether that’s tile, hardwood, or LVP planks. If you have a bathroom, you’re definitely going to want to use tile. However, what about an entry way? Every house is different. Some rarely use their front door so there isn’t a lot of traffic. It is rather, the back of the house near the garage door entrance instead. It is important to keep in mind you household and how you use particular spaces.
How active is your household?
Do you have a lot of traffic go through your house? If so, you’ll want to go with a tougher material that can be cleaned often and is scratch resistant. Also, if you have children or pets, durability and water-resistant is crucial. However, if you have a very small household without a lot of traffic, you can choose more of the delicate materials. You also have to think of your schedule and maintenance that you want to put into your flooring. True hardwood flooring is beautiful but the upkeep on it can be a lot for some people with busy schedules. Tile offers a very durable option, however, you can’t forget about the grout. Are you going to have it sealed every year to keep it clean? Once you’ve narrowed down the material you wish to use with the two questions above, you can move onto finishes, patterns, and color.
What are you designing around?
Janet mentions how helpful it is to “bring samples of key elements that you are designing around.” The samples can range from your cabinetry color, wall color, countertops or even bed spreads. This will help you eliminate the hundreds of options. Also, coming prepared with photos of your design concept will also help a lot. The design consultant will have a better idea of which direction you are wanting to go and can advise you from there.
What’s your budget?
It is important to think ahead of time for what you’re wanting to spend. Your floor shopping budget will determine which types of material to use depending on the size of the project too. Thankfully with today’s technology there are multiple cost-effective options that look similar to the luxe products. Your design consultant can help steer you in the best direction.
When should the flooring go in?
“This question has many variables,” Janet says. Sometimes it depends on the material used as cabinetry either needs to go in before or after. It is always best to consult with your builder or contractor. Destin Flooring will coordinate an install date with your builder or contractor. If you’re doing everything on your own, then Destin Flooring’s expert would be happy to assist you.
What is the most popular flooring currently?
Luxury vinyl planking, LVP!
LVP has been on the upward trend due to how it imitates the look of hardwood flooring, without the upkeep. Since we live in Florida, our homes (even though air conditioned) have a higher humidity rate than other part of the world. This can cause warping in natural hardwood panels and the longevity won’t be there. However, with LVP, it is easy to install and will last a lot longer, without all the upkeep!
What have you noticed with design trends?
White & Grey
White and grey isn’t a new concept. Janet has a feeling this won’t be going away any time soon. Grey and white is neutral enough that it may be the new traditional. We have especially noticed this with a lot of the coastal builds down here. Even with our kitchen and bath design, Marquis’ Classico Collection, shaker style, cabinetry line is still very popular. The most popular finishes are designer white and fashion grey. Our project managers don’t foresee this going anywhere soon either.
Clean Lines
Clean lines go back to the white and grey color concepts because overall, it makes the appearance cleaner. Simpler lines, simpler colors, simpler stains. Whether you do with a modern design concept or shaker-traditional, majority of the lines in that design will be clean. When starting floor shopping keep in mind your design and whether yours will allow for an accent tile feature. The experts at Destin Flooring can help you find one to fit your space. By having everything very simple, it allows to add a great accent piece with the tile work and pattern chosen. We have noticed a large increase of clients choosing to go with our modern line, Milano Collection, for their cabinetry selection.
Accent Color: Navy
Navy has been a very popular accent color lately. The contrast with the white and grey offers a very luxe feel. There are many different shades of Navy, so don’t forget to bring in a paint sample when floor shopping! Navy also looks beautiful with either gold or chrome finished hardware. Janet has noticed an increase in demand for patterned navy tile designs too.
