Flooring

Interior design trends come and go, some more quickly than others. From architecture and materials to patterns and colors, many styles come and go more quickly than you can hire a decent contractor. Perhaps you’re not one to place yourself at the mercy of trend-setting sources, but you do like to mix it up a little, and your likes and dislikes tend to flip flop. Or maybe you simply want to keep your options open and don’t want to lose money if you decide to sell your place in the near future. Whatever your reason for wanting flooring that stands the test of time and won’t go out of style as long as it lasts, real hardwood flooring is the perfect starting point for every room of your home, regardless of the design style you (currently) prefer.

How Wood Flooring Transcends Decorating Style

In case you’re not yet convinced, let your eyes roam down the page of this well-illustrated article that gives an overview of 8 popular interior design styles. You’ll notice a variety of color schemes, materials, and effects, but one thing that the observant scanner will realize is the presence of hardwood flooring as the backdrop to many of the rooms — not in just 2 or 3, but in Every. Single. One. If you’re sure you’ll still be into the Industrial look twenty years from now, you may want to go with a cement floor or brick-look tiles. But just in case the fad fades in the decades to come, it’s best to go with wood — perhaps something reclaimed or from our Authentic Hand-Scraped Collection or an Extreme Custom floor in Reclaimed Heart Pine.

Similarly, tumbled tiles can beautifully frame a Shabby Chic design; however, if your home’s next owner prefers a more masculine or traditional style, your investment in high-end tile flooring may end up meaning that you lose money on the sale. If, however, you choose any of the striking species available in Rehmeyer’s Legacy Collection, you or your home’s next owner will be free to change things up, without having to remove your beautiful new floor.

How Wood Flooring Can Stand the Test of Time

In 2016, both extremely dark (almost black) and light (or blonde) wood floors are trendy; however, when it comes to any style trends, extremes can easily become passé. To avoid your wood flooring’s ever being seen as “so last year,” you can stick to mid-range colors. Your floor might not quite have the “wow factor” you’d like, but in return, it will still get “oohs” and “ahs” for years to come.

Another way to make sure your hardwood floor doesn’t become a has-been is to resist the urge to shop for bargain-basement pricing. Why? It’s almost always accompanied by, you guessed it, bargain-basement quality. As the old adage goes, you get what you pay for. When you shop for premium, custom-milled, wide-plank wood floors, you won’t find the lowest prices possible. But your investment in both a quality product and professional installation will pay off, in the long run.

Rehmeyer Wood Floors

Rehmeyer Wood Floors offers a full range of custom milled and stock wide plank hardwood flooring. Rehmeyer’s flooring is all 3/4″ solid hardwood and sold unfinished, prefinished or completely custom finished to suit your project. Call Rehmeyer Wood Floors today toll free at (888) 474-4047 or visit their website at RehmeyerFloors.com to learn more about their custom flooring services. Rehmeyer Wood Floors ships nationwide.

Color trends are important, when it comes to wood floors. Of course, they’re not nearly as important as color trends with other flooring materials, since wood floors can certainly be refinished and stained a different shade, as those trends change. What’s in vogue right now, when it comes to wood flooring colors? It’s all about extremes: dark and light. Many design forecasters predict this trend will continue for many years, and we certainly love the dramatic effects of colors on both ends of the spectrum. Rehmeyer offers plenty of options for both espresso and blonde tones, in a variety of styles to suit your personal taste.

Blondes Have More Fun: Rehmeyer Light Wood Flooring Options

Blonde-toned flooring is perfect to complement the fresh look of Mid-Century Modern décor, provide the sandy backdrop for Nautical design, or as a backdrop against which the cheer bright accents of Farmhouse styles can truly “pop.” The golden tones of clear-grade Ash offer some of the lightest flooring you can find. As part of our Prestige Collection, this knot-free flooring provides a pristine background that blends especially well with crisp Modern lines.

Another blonde-toned wood, Maple flooring is available in either the Prestige Collection or the Pioneer Collection. The Birdseye Maple we select for our Prestige Collection is a creamy color that rivals Ash for lightness. With limited availability, its unique markings capitalize on the sandy tones that are just right for Nautical décor.

White Oak is more of a golden blonde hue and can be finished in any of the five Rehmeyer Custom Collection styles. Those that use a character-grade version of this domestic favorite find that it offers visual warmth to any room. Farmhouse design blends especially well with any of the three distressed collections.

Go Dark or Go Home: Rehmeyer Dark Wood Flooring Options

Dark tones create a rich, glamorous appearance that many find striking. The favored species for this look is Walnut. Both Industrial design, with its exposed beams and rustic elements, and Bohemian styles, with their rich, warm hues and dramatic statements, blend well with Walnut wood floors. When given a distressed finish, Walnut becomes even more dramatic, hinting at heritage designs. While Rehmeyer offers Walnut wood floors in any of our five Custom Collections, we think it looks best when it’s distressed. Authentic Hand Scraped Collection Walnut with Time-Worn Pegs is definitely a favorite.

For the best of both worlds, you may want to consider one of our Extreme Custom designs, Pin-Striped Walnut with a Hard Maple Feature Strip. Designed for a Nautical themed room, the dramatic statement made by pairing the Walnut with the Maple was truly a work of art. Along with other accessories, feature strips are available in Hickory, Purple Heart, Red Oak, or Walnut, as well.

Rehmeyer Wood Floors

Rehmeyer Wood Floors offers a full range of custom milled and stock wide plank hardwood flooring. Rehmeyer’s flooring is all 3/4″ solid hardwood and sold unfinished, prefinished or completely custom finished to suit your project. Call Rehmeyer Wood Floors today toll free at (888) 474-4047 or visit their website at RehmeyerFloors.com to learn more about their custom flooring services. Rehmeyer Wood Floors ships nationwide.

While compartmentalized floor plans were the norm back in the 1950s and 60s, most of today’s new homes have open concept floor plans. Even older homes are being renovated to match this modern ideal, but it might not be right for everyone. If you’ve lived in an older home, without an open layout, perhaps you yearn for those wide open, airy spaces. But before you take that leap and knock out walls or buy that new home across town, you may want to consider what exactly that shift will mean, and if it’s right for you and your family.

Visual Impressions

Open concept layouts can appear spacious and inviting, evoking a Zen-like aura, especially in the magazines. But in real life, they can also lend toward being cluttered, offering no place for the not-so-fastidious housekeepers among us to hide the piles when unexpected guests appear. That visual disruption of the calm can lead to a stress response that certainly conflicts with the unified, peaceful look and feel you’re after.

An added down side to an open concept layout is that it leaves less wall space for decorations, including family photographs and other artwork. If surrounding yourself with such items is important to you, less wall space will offer you fewer opportunities to display the things you love.

On the flip side, of course, you’ll get to let in more natural light. And for some people, the idea of having fewer places to hide clutter can provide helpful motivation to keep everything neat and get rid of unneeded things, without the dreaded task of going through the catch-all “bonus room” hanging over their head. The task of decorating several rooms with barren walls can also be intimidating for some, so fewer walls can offer a welcome reprieve from more to-do’s.

Sound Considerations

Just as the visual flow of an open concept can be a positive or a negative, auditory movement can also go both ways. Without walls to interrupt and absorb sound, being on the other side of the house can sound like you’re right next to someone. For some, that means more family connectedness and entertaining interaction. For others, it can mean never having respite from the noise of electronics or other family members, leading to either conflict or retreat to bedrooms or other locales.

You can certainly make up for some of these auditory issues by incorporating textiles into your home’s décor. From blankets and pillows to area rugs, you can provide sound-absorbing accent pieces.

You can also eliminate the extremes of visual clutter and auditory overstimulation by using wood floors throughout, instead of using tile or having different flooring in various areas of your home. Whether you decide on an open concept layout or take a more compartmentalized approach, premium wide plank hardwood floors from Rehmeyer can enhance your home’s appearance, spanning all kinds of stylistic trends.

Rehmeyer Wood Floors

Rehmeyer Wood Floors offers a full range of custom milled and stock wide plank hardwood flooring. Rehmeyer’s flooring is all 3/4″ solid hardwood and sold unfinished, prefinished or completely custom finished to suit your project. Call Rehmeyer Wood Floors today toll free at (888) 474-4047 or visit their website at RehmeyerFloors.com to learn more about their custom flooring services. Rehmeyer Wood Floors ships nationwide.