Linoleum's Bad Rap

Poor Linoleum. It's name has been misused and it's been incorrectly categorized for so long. Very often people say "linoleum" when really they are referring to "vinyl". Today I'd like to talk about the differences and show you that proper linoleum is actually a very cool product.

 “Linoleum flooring is made from natural materials like linseed oil, recycled wood flour, cork dust and limestone. Linoleum is naturally anti-bacterial and biodegradable. It is a perfect choice for a “green” floor in one’s home.” (Armstrong)

Vinyl

Vinyl flooring is the sheet material that is often imprinted with a pattern to mimic tile. It comes in 6' and 12' widths on a roll. It is the most economical flooring available and therefore is often viewed as a negative. I don't know why, but every time someone refers to linoleum in a negative, they are actually visualizing or referring to vinyl. So let's talk about the positives of linoleum.

Linoleum

Quick Facts About Linoleum

• Linoleum is one of the oldest ‘natural’ floor types still in use which dates back one and a half centuries to its creation in England.
• Linoleum floors were very popular until just after World War II when the cheaper priced synthetic, flexible vinyl was the new thing
• Today, with the emphasis on eco–friendly, green flooring products, linoleum is staging a comeback.
• Linoleum is made entirely from natural raw materials and is comprised of things like linseed oil, rosin, and wood with jute backing.
• Linoleum is available in a rainbow of colors, patterns and beautiful designs and is even available as a “do it yourself” installation project.
• As flooring, linoleum is durable with an expected lifespan of 40 years.
• Since it is made of natural and renewable materials, it is entirely biodegradable when discarded.

In addition to the above list, linoleum is a fully customizable product. There is no end to the creative designs that can be achieved through linoleum.
 

Elle Decor

Armstrong Flooring

House Beautiful

 

 

Armstrong Flooring

Linoleum (lĬnō´lēəm), resilient floor or wall covering made of burlap, canvas, or felt, surfaced with a composition of wood flour, oxidized linseed oil, gums or other ingredients, and coloring matter. In the manufacture of linoleum, linseed oil is exposed to the air in a succession of thin films until it is of a rubbery consistency, or it is thickened by heating until it becomes a spongy mass, after which it is ground, mixed with pulverized wood and other ingredients, and then applied to the foundation and rolled smooth. The final process is a thorough seasoning in drying rooms. In inlaid linoleum the pattern is built up from the base in the colors of the design and is therefore permanent. Linoleum is made in several thicknesses and in the form of tiles. It is sometimes surfaced with a durable pyroxylin lacquer. Although large amounts of linoleum are still produced, other materials such as vinyl are now more widely used as floor coverings (Linoleum, 2012) "linoleum." The Columbia Encyclopedia, 6th ed.. 2012. Encyclopedia.com. 2 May. 2013<http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

Love it or Leave it | One Pattern Everywhere

Some argue that using one pattern on multiple surfaces in a room creates an optical illusion of spaciousness. But I want to know, would you Love it or Leave it? Do you have a tiny room? Would you try this to create spaciousness?

All Photos via Pinterest

What are your thoughts: Love it or Leave it?

Check out other Love or Leave it Ideas and Posts

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

Happy Colors | Yellow

It's hard to dispute yellow as a Happy Color. Yellow is associated with joy, sunshine, warmth and freshness. Just look at any child's drawing and you're likely to see a bright yellow sun or a yellow happy face. I love yellow and have used it in both my own, and client's homes. And this is certainly not the first time I've mentioned yellow in the Beautiful Habitat blog.

Yellow is a big bold happy color, so let's start with the boldest of yellow rooms.

Whole Lotta Yellow

 

 via tumblr

 

 via The Style Files

 

via Canadian House & Home

 

via Eddie Ross

Even when not used as an overall color or on walls, yellow still makes a big impact in rooms and interiors.

 

via Day Design & Decor

 

via Pattern Hound

 

via Coastal Living

Yellow wallpaper makes a great statment on it's own

 

via High Street Market

or as a backdrop to other artwork

 

via Belle Maison

And if that's too much yellow for you, remember that it does make a great accent color in more neutral decor.

Yellow Accents

Starting with a lovely yellow banquette. I love banquettes and you can read more about them here: An Ode to Banquettes

 

via Palmer-Weiss

 

Lovely Bedrooms, both via SAS Interiors

 

via CB2

 

A wonderful room for a girl, via Douglas Friedman

 

ia Shelter Interior Design

 

An easy DIY accent via Brooklyn Limestone.

Have you used yellow in your home? Or maybe you've been too intimidated to try this bold hue? Share with us here, or on Facebook!

For more on the Happy Color Series:

• Orange
• Lime and Apple Green
• Purple

 Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

Favorite Things | Rubber Vase

I recently came across this great product for homes with smaller children - the rubber vase. Created by designer Henriette Melchiorsen, these family-friendly vases are available through Emmohome.com. They prove that kids and beautiful interior design can and should live harmoniously together.


From Emmo Home: "The rubber vase is both fun and unusual: in the right setting it is amazingly stylish – with its black, red and brown colors, close up the material can give the impression of fragile ceramics. But the dazzling lime and pink colors leave no doubt that this is a funky product made from a unique material – cutting-edge design for those seeking something completely different and modern, or just an extremely practical vase to have where there are small children around."


The rubber vase is available in two sizes. The small vase is quite small, with a 4.33" diameter and height of 5.12".


The large vase has a diameter of 7" and is 8" high.





The rubber vase comes in several colors to match both modern and more traditional or transitional interior decorating schemes.


A great option to decorate lower surfaces, including coffee and end tables in your home without fear that it will be broken by rambunctious or curious kids.

Have you seen other family-friendly, yet attractive products for the home? Share with us.
Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

A New Use for Legos

By now you should know that I love unusual things and using everyday items or materials in unique ways. So it is absolutely no surprise that I LOVE the Lego Kitchen Island by Simon Pillard and Phillippe Rossetti.That's right - a Lego (as in little plastic blocks) kitchen island.The island is constructed of 20,000 Lego blocks surrounding an IKEA kitchen island.

I loved building with Legos as a kid, so here are some Fun facts about the worlds favorite building blocks, courtesy of Wikipedia:

• Legos come in 2,350 different pieces in 52 colors for a nearly infinite number of combinations.
• Billund, Denmark is the home of the Lego and also the prefab capital of the world
• Originally designed in the 1940's
• There are four Legoland amusement parks - Billund, Denmark, Windsor, England, Gunzburg, Germany, and Carlsbad, California USA.
• Lego was coined from the Danish phrase leg godt, which means "play well".

Stock up on Legos and encourage your kid's creativity and you could have your very own Lego furniture soon!

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com

Before & After: Window Treatments 3

Window Treatment week post #3 will focus on children's rooms. Often when I am called in for children's rooms, my clients want something that has a young and fun feel, but that will also continue to grow with the child. They do not want to redecorate the room with every phase of the child's life, but just to change out a few pieces. This room is no exception. But today, I'll be focusing on the window treatments.

Before:
This room was a fairly boring guest room in a new home. When I got there, the window treatments were the disposable temporary paper shades from Home Depot.

After:
We livened up the whole room and windows with color. The child was just under 3 years old at the time we created this room. A primary consideration with the window treatments for kids is safety. It is best to have shorter treatments the cannot be grabbed and pulled down, and nothing long, in which a child may get caught.Safety first!

We opted for valance treatments and wood blinds.The valances were created in a faux London blind style. They are meant to look like the fabric could cover the whole window and is lowered and raised by the ribbons.It gives a gathered look at the bottom.

We chose a colorful striped fabric. Other elements of the room can easily be changed out as she grows, while still coordinating with the window treatments because of the many colors within the fabric.

Have you seen great window treatments in a kid's room? Email me and I'll post them here!

Beautiful Habitat: Interior Design & Decoration www.beautifulhabitat.com