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Wednesday, 03 April, 2013
Get the latest in soft touch carpet
Cavalier Bremworth’s latest release of soft touch yarns has taken the market by storm.
For more than 50 years, Cavalier Bremworth has earned a reputation for making high quality carpet aimed at the mid to premium end of the market. With the trend in recent years to more man-made fibres as the price of wool has increased and the quality of synthetic yarn has improved, Cavalier Bremworth has entered the market with the latest in soft touch solution-dyed-nylon fibre.
Initial customer feedback from Flooring Xtra stores is that the new carpets have the best feel of any ranges available. The new products are low-lustre and combine a soft and plush feel for underfoot comfort with the worry-free performance you’d expect from two of the most trusted names in the carpet business – Cavalier Bremworth and yarn producer STAINMASTER® carpet. The carpets carry STAINMASTER’S® limited 25 year fade and lifetime stain and soil resistance warranties.
Flooring Xtra is the sole major retail brand stockist of these ranges so you can be sure to get your hands on and toes curled into this carpet at all of our 50+ stores.
Wednesday, 12 December, 2012
On the First Day of Christmas
We all have those hard to buy for males in our lives but on the First Day of Flooring Xtra Christmas, we have an idea that will help you make your mans day without breaking the bank.
To create your own RAINBEER all you need is:
- Carry pack of any drink providing the tops of the bottles are shown. 6 packs are most effictive and it can be Beer, Cider, Lemon Lime Bitters even Coke!
- Pack of Brown coloured pipecleaners (approx 8).
- Pack of Googley Eyes (approx 12).
- Little Red Pompoms (approx 6).
- PVA glue or a Hot Glue Gun
All of these little craft items listed are available at $2 shops and craft isles.
1. Bend the brown pipecleaners around the bottlecap at the top of the bottle and shape into antlers.
2. Cut a second piece of pipecleaner and bend around the main pipecleaner antlers you have created to give your Rainbeer more points on its antlers.
2. Use PVA Glue or a Hot Glue Gun to stick two googley eyes on the lower neck of the bottle.
3. Use PVA Glue or a Hot Glue Gun to stick a red pomom nose below the googley eyes to make a nose.
4. Gift to a very lucky gent in your life!
Tuesday, 04 December, 2012
It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
We are in the Christmas season fa la la la la la la la la laa...
The time for getting flooring installed before Christmas at your local Flooring Xtra store will be getting very slim now but it is a great time to go instore and have a browse at what you might like to do to freshen up your home in 2013, after all it is only weeks away.
Time for thoughts to turn to family and friends, both near and far.
Here are my top 10 tips for a Cool Kiwi Christmas:
1. Forget the diet and the gym, rather go diet tonic and gin!
2. Christmas is a season, not just one day, spread the love
3. Make a family time out of decorating the Christmas tree, remember to ‘fluff your Christmas tree (if its artificial) from the bottom layer up, bend the branches alternately up and down so the tree will look thick and branches will cover the centre stem
4. Dont tighten the screws on the bottom of your tree to the stand, so when you are decorating the tree, you can stand in one place and turn the tree to decorate it
5. Test your lights before you put them on the tree, then the easiest way to put your lights on your tree is to go up and down the tree
6. Start decorating with plain balls which in mass set the colour theme for your tree
7. I give a Christmas decoration every year to my granddaughter, so when she leaves home she will have her own set of Christmas decorations.
8. Ask for help, offer help and share the load. Its not just mums job to man the kitchen
9. Take time out as well as time off, allow some time just for you
10. Make time to relax with those you love
From everyone at Flooring Xtra, we wish you a happy Christmas season. Stay tuned for our 12 Day of Christmas coming soon packed with Craft Ideas, Decorating Genious and Devine Recipes.
Cheers
Mike
Thursday, 15 November, 2012
Like a kid in a candy store
Just arrived into Flooring Xtra stores is an exciting colourful vinyl flooring range, reminiscent of that perennial favourite ‘the stripped lollie on a stick’. The Bubblegum range from Irvines comes in four fun multi stripes with four co-ordinating plain spots and we have absolutely fallen in love. It is ideal for creating a bright summery look you can enjoy all year round.
Tomato Red, Azure Blue, Canary Yellow to Bubblegum Pink are the main colours of this range plus touches of Blue, Green, Mustard Yellow and Heathery Lavender. The odd one out, although still fitting with the candy theme is a very sophisticated multi stripe of Liquorice and White Chocolate with touches of Grey and Silver, this stand alone colour way would be perfect for a contemporary home, townhouse or apartment with the current trend for dark floors and light walls.
The rooms in our homes we don’t spend alot of time in, i.e.laundry’s, bathrooms, toilets and even your home office or studio, you can afford to go mad at the brighter end of the spectrum with these funky spots and stripe combinations.
Designers Decorating Idea:
Imagine this, the pink, yellow, green stripe vinyl on the floor of your laundry, crisp white walls and appliances with the pink or the yellow spot vinyl used as a splashback above the laundry tub. Lets finish this vintage look off with a simple pink and white gingham curtain or roman blind on the window and a collection of basketware hung on the wall as art, even a shelf of cleaning products would not look out of place in this scheme (you could even leave your yellow rubber gloves hanging over the tub).
Its worth making a trip to your local Flooring Xtra store to be inspired for the summer ahead.
Cheers
Mike
Tuesday, 18 September, 2012
Homeshow Fever
Flooring Xtra stores around the country seem to have caught the Homeshow Bug. Hitting the road, setting up stands and handing out samples and advice galore, the Flooring Xtra roadshow seems to be in full force.
Our resident in house cuddle buddy Soft•e, has been the star of the show featuring first up at The Auckland Homeshow. With thousands of visitors swinging by to see the luxurious, soft and huggable Soft•e carpet that is just as loveable as your favourite teddy bear, our staff were kept plenty busy! But no rest for the wicked, Soft•e then hit the road and travelled to Te Awamutu for the weekend, appearing at their local Homeshow.
With summer creeping up on our backdoor there isn't a better time to start planning those renovation and revamps to our homes than now. Get in quick enough and you could have it all ready just in time for Christmas. Keep an eye out at your local Homeshow for Soft•e and Flooring Xtra as you never know where we could be next. Better yet, pop into your nearest store to see what the fuss is about with the cute little Soft•e, we are always close at hand and ready to help!
Wednesday, 12 September, 2012
Hot Off The Block!
Wow! Congratulations Ben & Libby! If you were glued to The Block just as I was, then you will know exactly who I am talking about.
Although all the The Block team were awesome, these two really had the edge. A well deserved win. Ben and Libby obviously understand the basic principles of design and certainly get the big picture when it comes to putting a home together from a design perspective.
They had an overall plan of what they wanted to achieve and laid down their basic colour pallet right at the beginning. So before even lifting a hammer they knew that they would use shades of grey spiced with yellow, black and timber.
Their use of washed timber floors mixed with plush grey carpet was the perfect foil for the recycled timer wall which is a feature of the home. More natural timber on the floor could have overdone it, but with the washed look everything had it's place. I loved their clever use of citrus yellow for accessories throughout, and this colour can be replaced by almost any other as fashion and tastes change. With the couples sophisticated mix of grey, you could change all the yellow to turquoise or lime for a completely different feel. Once again Ben & libby, Congratulations!
If you want to check out the latest in grey based flooring options, why not call into your nearest Flooring Xtra store to see their great range of carpets and the many options of timber looks from the real thing through to the most amazing imitations.
Cheers,
Mike
Monday, 30 July, 2012
Strike me Pink! Or orange or yellow or green or....
Colour is all the rage and for those of us that who are unafraid or have limitless funds there are many ways to throw bold colour into our homes. Many of the brilliant solution dyed nylon carpets come in vibrant colours like the Sweet Gum Tree range or the good old wool axminsters of yester year, everything old is new again. Cork tiles have re-emerged as a popular choice for today, and rather than the sombre gold’s of the 70’s and 80’s, these can now be coloured to any Resene colour. They can be used in checks, stripes; your imagination is the only limit. Coloured Cork samples can be found at any Flooring Xtra store.
But if you like to play it safe you can still have the latest and greatest trends by creating a neutural background and adding well chosen colour accessories. Dont forget neutral does not mean cream on cream on cream, but rather anything on the road from white to black, including every tint and shade inbetween.
For example; imagine a living room with good lighting and plenty of windows. It is quite common for people to use dark colour flooring, charcoal or dark brown carpet, wood or wood look like floors. We could paint the walls in popular colours like, Spanish White, Tea etc then on one wall we splash out and use a bright paint colour or wallpaper, one could even use the colour of the dark carpet to extend up the feature wall. How’s the picture in your imagination so far? Let’s now put your lounge suite or dining suite in the picture, again it’s neutral in colour. Now we bring everything to life by adding colour in a single lounge chair and colourful cushion, a colourful or textured rug, or how about any one of Eunice Taylors ceramic lamp bases which can be coloured to any Dulux or Resene colour. Most good lighting store will have the drum lamp or light shades which can be also coloured to almost any shade imaginable.
So go now and have fun with colour.
Friday, 27 July, 2012
THE LAY DOWN ON LOOSE LAY
You should see the latest in vinyl plank loose lay design flooring. An amazing product from Karndean is Loose Lay luxury vinyl flooring that is acoustically quiet and quick to install available in six warm natural timber tones, ranging from a deep brown to a beautiful grey washed oak.
The planks come in large 1050mm long legnths. Wide-plank flooring is growing in popularity as you get the sophisticated European look and feel and wide planks make a room appear larger.
Recently I have worked with a client who needed some extra insulation but as they were unable to get under the floor we used the loose lay plank over an existing wooden floor requiring virtually no floor preparation resulting in two great outcomes. 1. A warmer quieter floor. 2. A beautiful natural timber look. They were thrilled, comments made to me have been “my new floor is so quiet and warm and we can’t believe how quick and easy the installation was, it didn’t disrupt the whole household.”
The planks can be installed in one day depending on job size or you can even install it yourself. As kiwi’s we are so used to gluing our hard floors down, I was sceptical about how this product would work but after seeing it and walking on it, this flooring is the real deal. After walking, jumping, and trying (unsuccessfully) to make the planks move by kicking and pushing with my foot it is easy to see why this flooring is so great! Another client had a cork floor that she was tired of. Any other product would have meant removing the cork, grinding the subfloor and a lot of extra expense on the job. Putting the Loose Lay Design Floor over the existing cork not only saved on labour and mess but also retained the benefits of insulation and quietness of the cork but also gained the same from the Loose Lay flooring. Double the benefits!
Friday, 20 July, 2012
INVISIONING YOUR NEW LOOK HOME WITH CARPET SAMPLES
"It's much easier for me to make major life, multi-million dollar decisions, than it is to decide on a carpet for my house. That's the truth."- Oprah Winfrey. Well if Oprah and her entourage of interior designers and consultants find it hard to select carpet, then what hope is there for us mere mortals?
To help you make the right selection, here are a few suggestions for viewing your selected carpet samples which will ensure you make the best decision for your lighting and decorating conditions.
- Near an external ranch sliding door where natural light pours into the room.
- Under a leg of a table or chair to check for compatibility with timber finishes.
- Against a skirting board or painted wall where the sample will complement the finish.
- In a hallway that has wall lights, this is the hardest light to cast shadows.
- Up against any existing flooring, do the patterns or textures match?
- Draped over stairs where you can see how the riser shadows the tread.
- Under any full- length curtains, check the impact texture and pattern have on the sample.
- Where a combination of incandescent, halogen and fluorescent lights are in the same room, place your sample directly under the light shaft.
All the best with finding the right fit for your home- remember that your local Flooring Xtra consultant is always a good sounding board to bounce ideas and thoughts around with!
Monday, 09 July, 2012
SOMETHING TO SINK YOUR FEET INTO
There is nothing better than coming home, kicking your shoes off and sinking into soft and sumptuous carpet. Second to that is the peace of mind knowing that nothing other than feet will be sinking into your new carpet, with most spills and messes cleaned away effortlessly. The four new STAINMASTER® carpet with EverSoft™ SDN fibre carpet ranges that have arrived in Flooring Xtra stores nationwide, offer just that.
With two textured carpets, one with a crisscross square pattern and another with a high-low geometric pattern you can get really creative and bold with these carpets. And of course there are also two ranges of classic Cut Piles Carpets too. This is your traditional and most popular carpet style, with a very simple and clean look.
As for colours there are neutrals, creams, brown and beiges, through to deep greys and a couple of surprises such as the colour ‘Memory’, which is the softest blend of silver grey and duck egg blue twisted together. I can see this being used in a bedroom with whites and pale grey walls, such as the Wan White colour from the Resene ‘Karen Walker’ range. Pair this with velvet and satin bed wear in warmer blues and beiges with plenty of silver accessories such as bedside lamps, silver chandeliers and sequined cushions. Simple and inexpensive touches such as accessories are what makes a room look like it has the interior designer treatment and it belongs on a cover of a magazine.
But we know that life isn’t as perfect as it is in the magazines, and these spaces still have to be liveable which is why STAINMASTER® carpet with EverSoft™ SDN fibre is so great. Meet Harry Hart here and see why he can spill spaghetti on the carpet and still get away with it. Common household food and drink spills aren’t a problem as the specially formulated stain blocking technology built into the carpet resists liquid and food so it can be dabbed up in no time at all. You can breathe easy having your children’s birthday parties at home on your new carpet.
Finally there is a carpet that not only looks great, but stands up to what the whole family throw at it....literally!
Check it out and get creative.
Cheers Mike
Tuesday, 15 May, 2012
Wallpaper your Splash Back
I hear you saying “that’s not going to work” but you can indeed use wallpaper on your splash back. When I talk about splash backs, I am referring to the wall behind you hob and above your sink. When we are stirring the soup or scrubbing the pots, we are often looking at a boring tiled surface with grungy grout.
At the moment I am into using amazing printed wallpapers behind LEAD FREE toughened glass (the lead free avoids the green tint of normal glass which can distort the colour behind). With only requiring one roll, for most jobs, you can afford to go mad with colour, design and price. Today’s Kitchens are quite sleek and functional, but sometimes they need an extra punch to bring them alive. This option is an easy change a few years down the track, just choose a new paper. If on the other hand you have a painted glass splash back you only get one shot at the colour and will need all new glass if you ever want to change it. I often use Harlequin wallpapers as they have a vast range of colours and designs from super traditional to ultra modern, but any others will do the trick too.
Benches and cabinetry are usually quite plain, so when choosing your splash back wallpaper be sure to take into account the type of flooring you will be using, to get the look right. For instance, an ultra cool foil paper in a retro design is probably not going to work with a rustic timber floor. You will probably have to consider a sleek tile or tile look vinyl floor to make this look work. If you do have a rustic timber floor and you would still like a funky modern feel, you could use a bold colour retro floral.
So get out there and check out the wonderful world of wallpaper.
Cheers Mike
Tuesday, 08 May, 2012
Soft as a Teddy and Tough as Nails
Remember you favourite soft toy? Remember as the years ticked by, through all the “loving” it received, several factors remained constant. It was really snuggly and it was comforting. It took all the knocks and after a quick wash it bounced back.
These are the familiar characteristics you will find in the new Softee carpet called Cinnamon. This amazing product is made from 100% recycled soft drink bottles, yes your Coke and Fanta bottles have gone into this carpet, so it is soft on our planet as well as our feet.
The colours in this carpet will get your taste buds going, as they are as gooey as the carpet is soft in beautiful natural tones of Molasses, Truffle, Cocoa, Coffee and Fudge. Mmmmmmmm.
All of the rich natural tones are super versatile when decorating as our carpet is the canvas we live our lives on. For peace of mind, when shopping for carpet it’s a good idea to remember to take paint chips and fabric cuttings with you as this will take the stress out of trying to carry colours in your head.
Carpet has a longer life than almost anything else we use in decorating, so make sure you choose something that will work with changing fashions in decorating and changes in your lifestyle e.g., children, pets, extended family.
Softee carpet has a casual deep twisted pile will take almost anything a family home can throw at it with its comprehensive 15 year warranties for fade resistance, stain resistance and wear. In tests for staining, this carpet was subjected to red dye, coffee and tea which was poured on and left to be cleaned later. Scores for the stain removal were 8 out of a possible 8 so an outstanding result!
You have to see and feel this carpet to believe it so pop into your nearest Flooring Xtra store for a cuddle, I mean…….look.
Cheers
Mike
Monday, 07 May, 2012
Wood It or Wooden It
I recently came across an amazing vinyl wood look plank and I am all in favour of a good fake and it is a great fake.
Not all of us can afford an original Da Vinci, but this really affordable and looks for all the world like a real thing.
What I love about wooden floors is they can be natural and earthy or slick and sophisticated depending on what we add to them.
Right now I am into rich colour with layers of, rugs, lamps, leather sofas, cushions and throws, which gives me my cosy winter feel (don’t forget to light your candles). But for summer I might simplify the whole look by removing the rug and a lot of the other accessories to expose my beautiful and practical wood look floor.
Karndean have a new loose lay vinyl plank which unlike the direct stick method which is glued down, can be installed over many different existing floor surfaces without too much expense spent on floor preparation, eg, over existing ceramic tiles, vinyl and timber floors.
Colours include a gorgeous greyed off Country Oak , a spicy Burnt Ginger, both of which would be great for a rustic country look. They also have in the range Antique Kauri, Copper Gum and Merbau, these three are have warmer richer tone and would carry a look from casual through to quite formal.
Cheers
Mike
Thursday, 08 March, 2012
Wow! Wow! Wow!
Colour has come back to our carpets thanks to two new ranges of so called “white nylon” carpet. All nylon fibre is pure white in its initial state, which when vat dyed will take on the true intensity of any colour.
The first of these carpets is “Sweet Gum Tree” which comes in shades of; palest sky, deepest purple, mustard gold, cinnamon, charcoal and ginger to name a few. This carpet has a short twist pile giving you a luxury look without breaking the bank. And is residential Extra Heavy Duty and Stairs rated. The big sister to “Sweet Gum Tree” is the lush and beautiful “Sycamore Tree” in tones of plum, granny smith, silver, charcoal and hydrangea blue. This carpet has a deep plush twist pile, very luxurious.
The list of warrantees on both these carpets is impressive to say the least, beginning with the SPF 15 year colourfast guarantee (This gives you peace of mind that the carpet will retain its vibrancy), then onto 15 year abrasive wear warrantee, 15 year stain protection warrantee, 15 year soil protection warrantee, Lifetime antistatic warranty.
With the current popularity of all white colour schemes why not be bold and throw in a base of one of these amazing carpets.
You will then be able to use a myriad of other colours in your rooms as art and furnishings. You will find most colours will really pop against a backdrop of pale or white walls and a bold or rich carpet colour.
Don’t be afraid to be daring with your choices. The ‘Artichoke’ Colour from the Sycamore Tree range is a real feature in this hallway and is perfectly offset by the simplicity of the white walls.
Wednesday, 07 March, 2012
Introducing Mike Coley
Interior Designer Mike has been beautifying spaces for 30 years. Specialising in residential projects, from villas and cottages to contemporary homes, Mike is equally at home creating amazing environments within boutique cinemas, hair salons and cafes.
Describing his approach and ethos as 'Your style by design', Mike believes in gaining a thorough understanding of his clients’ personality. "The challenge is then to interpret that within the design concept so the space created reflects who the customer really is, while keeping things functional to suit individual lifestyles" he says. A welcome addition to the Flooring Xtra team, Mike will share his ideas exciting, inspiring and informing you about the world of possibilities available to you when designing your home from scratch, or when redecorating and renovating. Mike will cover the myriad of functional and fashionable flooring options available to you, share tips, tricks and designer know-how on colour, tone and texture so you can achieve the look you are after and a décor to die for!
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