styles

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Mexican hand painted tile mural

Posted by admin on 17 Dec 2008 1:48 pm. Filed under styles , tiles.

A tile mural can be exquisite work of art. More than just decorating a wall, it can turn it into the focal point of an entire room or patio.

Here’s a wonderful example of a tile mural designed by Mexican artist Dolores Hidalgo.  Note the unique frame, as well as the detailed scenic image at the center. If you order this from Amazon, only then does the artist begin to produce your own unique hand painted copy – your own one-of-a-kind work of art.

Painted in its entirety on 63 tiles, each measuring 10×10 cm (or 4″ x 4″), it’s the kind of mural that will turn any wall into a magnificent and inspirational display area. The fact that it’s painted on tiles adds to the artistic quality, with the clear grid of squares breaking the country scene it, creating quite an extraordinary effect.

So, now you have a way to get your own original wall mural by a well-known artist. Instead of inviting an artist over and spending thousands of dollars, you can own this piece of art, by ordering the tiles and having them sent to you after the picture is painted.

If you want to own one of these tiled murals, click here to read more about how to contact the artist via Amazon – a brand name you can trust.

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mezzanine floor flooring

Posted by admin on 22 Sep 2008 11:03 am. Filed under construction , general , styles.

In architectural terms, a mezzanine is essentially a floor protruding from a wall and share a ceiling with the floor beneath it. Mezzanines are walkways or lobbies overlooking a ground floor for example, suspended between floors as another layer. Typically, what this means in terms of flooring then is also that mezzanines are most often places of traffic.

Typical mezzanine flooring is anything but. Like all structures without a solid cement base, mezzanines are structured to support a prescribed weight load of flooring. We have all seen mezzanine flooring with tiles, marble, carpet and wood, so the aesthetic choices typically are pretty wide open. Bearing in mind the traffic load, some durability is generally referred to.

Typically, mezzanine floor flooring refers to the less intimate and detailed flooring we might find in such things as mosaics or hand-painted tiles, which are more along the lines of that tiling you might find in a bathroom, living room or kitchen in a home. There is often a reference to some ease of cleanup as well, inasmuch as typical mezzanine flooring requires the attention which public traffic inspires, like dust, grease, chewing gum and the like. Thus mezzanine flooring can even include metals and more functional items which are thinner, require less structural support and are easier to assemble.

Depending on the use, even carpeting could apply as mezzanine flooring but, in general, the term refers to durable flooring compositions of lightweight, yet durable composition.

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natural marble light floor tiles

Posted by admin on 9 Sep 2008 10:57 am. Filed under styles , tiles.
Natural marble light floor tiles have all those charateristics we look for in a marble product:   a veiny, multicolored look, speckled with granite-like inbedded splashes of color and a semi-tranluscent sheen. Marble has been used for centuries as a flooring product for the very most elegant places.  The glamor and sheer beauty of marble override some of its detriments and offer a strikingly gorgeous flooring solution that pleases absolutely everyone with its breathtaking charm.
However, as mentioned marble has a detriment or two.  It is not nearly as hard a material as Travertine, for example, and many other natural stone flooring tiles.  There is a reason outside of it’s gorgeous color that is has served well as a scupltor’s medium: it very simply cuts easier than many other materials.  Marble also has issues with standing water and anything possessing a level of acidity which often weakens it. It is pourous enough to collect the acidic waters and chemicals and certainly soft enough to break down over time.
Nevertheless, marble remains the “summa cum laude” of flooring beauty, simply because of its sheer beauty.  And it does indeed have that.  Tightly-veined, impressively colored, seemingly semi-transparent, marble can be an absolutely breath-taking material to use on flooring in a residence where constant traffic is less than in a commerical application and where the upkeep on it can be safely assumed. Marble light floor tiles are very easy to install as well, something I certainly care about.  The materials on the slick, clear surface wipe up perfectly and owing to the expense, they typically get cut to exactly the specificiations and installer wants most.  By residential, not commerical standards, marble holds up as well as any flooring tile.
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wall to wall bathroom carpet

Posted by admin on 18 Aug 2008 12:55 am. Filed under styles.

Carpet doesn’t have to come in the form of tiles.

Wall to wall bathroom carpets are a warm and splendid way to curl one’s toes into something soft and dry following a bath or shower.  Padding onto a tile floor in the dead of night for some “constitutional” also cries loudly for some sort of alleviating floor, to relieve the cold damp tile feeling from freezing one’s feet in place. Wall to wall carpeting would seem to be a marvelous solution to this problem.
But, naturally, there are drawbacks.  What one trades for true foot comfort one pays for in upkeep and the constant need to maintain a hygienic environment.  The nooks and crannies of the fabric of carpeting is a virtual medium for bacterial growth.  While it is possible to maintain hygiene, it requires a much oftener cleaning and with more stringent cleaners, specifically those dealing with bacteria in general.
But all things considered, if one is willing to go this extra mile in the care and cleaning of a wall to wall bathroom carpet, then the option can be absolutely delightful.  It looks good, of course, it feels great and is a soft and warming surface onto which to alight from one’s bathing.  For those people who have a minimum of traffic through their bathrooms, for example childless couples or singles, this feature might just be an awesome and far less tiring up keeping proposition.  More traffic, however, will always mean more work and more cleaning. All in all, I love the idea but would shudder at the maintenance, when all is said and done.
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carpet tiles

Posted by admin on 10 Aug 2008 12:54 am. Filed under styles , tiles.
Carpet tiles re squares or sections of carpeting that have a few advantages over almost any flooring.  For one thing, they are virtually modular. What this means is that they are lighter and less bulky than the typical carpeting which comes in humongous rolls requiring literal cutting in the street or driveways outside. Furthermore, most carpet tiles don’t require adhering to any floor surface being somewhat stable by the nature of their size and underlying surface qualities. The other compelling attribute in their favor is the ability to lift out and replace worn or damaged tiles.
But carpet tiles are not the most durable solution, for obvious reasons. They do, in time, move around from constant use and like any fabric, they can change color and texture over a longer period of use. Truly, in the end the real benefit of carpet tiles is in their lower expense and lower labor requirement in the installation. As a long-term solution to flooring needs, carpet tiles have not yet net the stiff criterion called for there.
Just the same, if one wanted to damped the sound of footsteps on some well-travelled surface, or to soften the landings of children involved in a playroom, carpet tiles can be a quick and easily-assembled benefit.  The fact that they look as good as carpet while being temporary is also a nice boost for their utility.
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oak flooring super

Posted by admin on 28 Jul 2008 12:52 am. Filed under styles , tiles.
Oak flooring offers a super hard wood of fabulously tight grain and texture which enlivens any room or hallway.  Durable and pretty, oak wood is pretty much the North American standard for wood flooring. Oak is considered the locally superior wood product in the US owing partly to it’s prevalence as a native tree in the US’s bountiful natural forests.  It’s other excellent qualities, however, are simply legion.  Durable and extremely hard, oak flooring lasts longer, simply put.
It’s hardness is directly related to the tighter grained look which also gives oak is fascinating beauty.  Long admired for this durability, oak is also the primary choice of many cabinetry solutions, as well as being used in furniture, wall panelling,  and even cutting boards and counter tops.
Oak, naturally, like any hardwood, grows and matures slowly.  It is a renewable resource by virtue of its naturalness, but ever more rare in Nature owing to its predominant position as North America and Europe’s most excellent wood choice for construction and for general usage. Harvesting oak is more of a selective process than is the case with, say Douglas Fir.  Where Douglas Firs grow tightly enmeshed in huge and abundant Northwest forests, oak tends to grow in concert with very many other species of trees, necessitating a more expensive logging process.  Selective cutting is time consuming and expensive, resulting in a growing upward movement in pricing.
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interlocking foam flooring

Posted by admin on 2 Jul 2008 4:48 am. Filed under DIY , styles , tiles.

With the kids at home for the summer, let’s take a look at some relevant flooring options.

Interlocking foam flooring is a marvelously durable and safe product with an incredibly wide array of possible uses. For children’s playrooms, this soft product is easy on the feet and definitely superior for those nasty and repetitive crashes kids make onto floors all over the world. It’s their job, after all! But these interlocking foam flooring items also can come in riots of colorful and kid-pleasing sections, whether put together like some interesting puzzle that attracts the eye or simply in the simplicity of an arrangement of primary colors.
But interlocking foam flooring has many other uses of interest to a homeowner as well. Their easy cleaning and easy replacement makes it an ideal “mud room” flooring, easily washable and, if damaged, simple to replace entirely. As a flooring surface for an exercise room, it aids in sensations of quiet and warmth for walking barefoot and for softening the crashing oif weights or the irritating noises concomitant with repetitive exercise in general. It’s noise suppression equals its quality as an absorbant surface, much more resistant to damage at the surface.
These floorings install in literal minutes and are stain-resistant, fireproof, noise suppressive, lightweight and waterproof. They also come in some surprising tones and colors, some even resembling wood.
Ironically, or maybe not so much, they also make a fabulous outdoor product, once again as durable as they can be and colorful. Interlocking foam flooring systems are easy on the feet and helpful, once again, with those tendencies of children to “crash and burn” while having fun.
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