We were asked to plan a dinner party around the theme “Dinner in the Tropics,” with a request to create a beach atmosphere and for the guests to come in beach outfits.  It was a challenge because the party was to be at a 4^th floor apartment with marble floors in the middle of the city.

The menu was not a problem because we have a good neighborhood store that gets fresh seafood daily, an Asian store with a wide variety of rice and spice choices and the butcher is a friend.

Even the décor was not a problem because we had potted palms, fishing nets, and flickering electric bamboo torches.  We also had a cd of mild surf sounds.

The challenge was the marble floor.  Guest would leave their footwear at the door and circulate barefoot.  We had to plan ahead with flooring ideas.  A green grass-carpet?  Parquet boards?

It was a good thing I ran into a friend at the Asian store who had just imported pressed-bamboo laminate boards from the Philippines and was willing for us to use them as a showcase for possible orders.  With shells scattered about, the flooring (and the party) was perfect.

We’ve been asked to plan another party again, soon.

My fiancé and I have been mulling over designs for our future house and we have agreed on most of the features. It won’t be ready very soon after our wedding but, with careful saving and planning, we should be able to move in six months later.

There is only one thing that we have disagreed about – I would like stone flooring for our modest kitchen cum mini breakfast patio but he has vetoed the idea because of the cost. I insisted that stone flooring can still be had on a budget. Impossible, he said, but with that “I wish” look in his eyes that I know so well. My man seems gruff but he is a romantic.

He asked me what kind of stone I had in mind, hypothetically of course. I immediately said slate or granite. Bright area rugs on dark stone would set the tone for our kitchen area. He kept silent for a while then excused himself to make a call on his cell. When he came back he had a brighter look and reached over to muss my hair. I asked him if he would tell me who he had called and he said the name of a contractor friend of a friend.

This time I kept silent. My budget-conscious husband-to-be had managed a deal. I knew without a doubt that we would have our romantic, durable and affordable stone flooring for our kitchen.

Regardless of the type of flooring you prefer, it is important to bear in mind that you do not have to rush shopping for flooring materials. Careful planning is necessary to select the right type of flooring for your home and at the same time find budget home decor choices as well.

When you are on a tight budget, laminate flooring is an excellent choice. This type of flooring is made in a process that combines multiple layers of materials. Laminates can look like wood, stone, tiles and other surfaces.

For durability at a less expense, resilient flooring is a favorite among homeowners. This type of flooring is made of rubber, cork, vinyl and linoleum. For a classic look, carpet floors never cease to amaze homeowners who are looking for luxury on a budget. These days, carpet manufacturers now produce fabrics that already have stain protection with wide range of colors to choose from. Now, homeowners are given a lot of choices when it comes to patterns, styles, colors, and textures.

When it comes to home decorating, most homeowners are budget conscious that they find alternative ways to get most of what they spend. Fortunately, when it comes to floor décor, there are now a lot of varieties of laminate flooring in which any decorator would love to get when thinking of a budget home decor to incorporate into your interior.

Laminate floorings are one of the most popular flooring options when it comes to affordability.  However, do not be mistaken that these cheap floor options are of less quality. What makes laminate flooring good is that aside from being less expensive, it is stunning and durable at the same time.

These days, there are a lot of laminate floor variations to choose from. It won’t be that difficult to look for a laminate floor design that would go in your overall decoration.

At first it seems so easy to look for area rugs by selecting one that you like most for your own interior decoration. The idea seems just right until you start to notice the different area rugs on the market. After a few days of researching what rug to choose, you have decided for an oval rug, but still, how on earth will you choose one or two among the many possibilities there are in stores? Obviously, buying an oval rug for your home without doing your homework can be overwhelming.

The good news is that there are no rules or any unlocking secrets to using oval area rugs in interior design. Just like for example, you can very well use an oval rug in any room in the house as much as you can also place oval rugs outside your home.

You should also go online and try to find out what type of material is right for your use. For example, if the area rug is getting a lot of foot traffic, you want something that will last long. Oval rugs placed under a table require something that is easy to clean.

If you are looking for slightly different materials for your flooring at home, one of your options is the specialty flooring. “Specialty flooring” means that this is the type of material that is not generally used or is a little different as compared to most flooring and carpets designs widely used these days.

Let us take a look at some of the “specialty flooring” that are available:

1. Rubber floor- this has an anti-slip rubber base, which is very important for certain vulnerable people. It also absorbs sound, so the space becomes an intimate place. This type of flooring is often used in hospitals, offices and shops.

2. Bamboo floor- this can look like wood floor, but in reality is made of very hard kind of material. This is very fitting to homeowners who would like to go green living.

3. Cork floor- These are very nice to look at and at the same time is very soft and natural. The key benefits of cork flooring are that it protects the environment, isolate heat and noise, and is resistant to mold and toxic gases in case of fire.

4. Resinous floor- the manufacturers of this kind of flooring claim they this is water-resistant, slip resistant and very durable.

Looking for authentic materials plus classic and durable flooring for your kitchen, bathroom or hallway? Well, look no further, tile and stone are definitely your choices. Today with the modern technology we have, the construction owl flooring industry has greatly improved stone and tile floors. Now there are a large number of designs and colors in the market. The good thing is that you can definitely create your own design and colors. You also have the option of choosing the textures of ceramic tiles whether if you want bright tiles, glazed surface, or matte surface.

Tiled floor is ideal for most traffic areas such as kitchens, dining room, bathroom, decks and porches. But as time goes by, you may find the grout and the joints cracking and are filled with dirt. For this reason, it is a good idea to cover these joints with surface filler.

If you are interested with floor tiles, you may also be interested in a stone floor. One of the most popular natural stone is the marble flooring. However, this kind of stone may easily be scratched, but you can use a good stone sealer to protect it effectively. Choose stone floors with all natural colors. This offers a cool, Mediterranean flavor in your flooring.

Persian rugs are very popular home decorations. These rugs are widely used by many households all around the world. Persian rugs are considered timeless and exceptional when it comes to design and pattern. It expresses the rich culture and eccentricity of ancient handcraftsmanship that remains to be a part of contemporary home decoration.

Back in the old days, Persian rugs are used by religious pacts for worship and devotion. Middle Eastern tribes spread these beautiful Persian rugs inside tents and mosques as floor coverings as they spend a few minutes or their time for prayer and meditation. Today, most ancient Persian rugs can be seen as spectacular reminder of our history and preserved in museums and exhibits anywhere in country.

Persian rugs can also be used as perfect home decorations to bring out the exotic and interesting fashion of our modern day genre. Some even use Persian rugs as unique wall decorations preserved in frames and passed on to kin for many generations. These are great for antique collectors and can be very expensive if handcrafted for more than 40 years.

Many individuals love having Persian rugs inside their very own living room floor. This brings out a natural yet extraordinary character of ancient home interior design. Since buying an antique Persian rug could be costly for an ordinary household owner, manufacturers try to replicate the eccentric character of Persian rugs and create their own synthetic Persian rugs which are cheaper and affordable.

Whether you choose an antique Persian rug or a synthetically made one, Persian rugs will continue to intrigue the minds of many individuals who love the character of history within our contemporary home design. They will always be a part of our history’s culture and a unique treasure for future generations because Persian rugs bring a rich exotic air to home décor.

Of all the many issues on environmental awareness and conservation all around the world, it is very popular these days to include nature’s hands among the many accessories and decorations inside our very own home.

Rugs play a vital role in beautifying our home aside from its sanitary and hygienic purposes. Although rugs are often seen along doorways and stepped on every now and then, they create more personality and style to make your living room or bedroom livelier and attractive. There are variety of rugs emerging in the market according to style, material and purpose.

Due to the benefits of bamboo rugs they are now one of the most popular designs of area rugs for the contemporary home. Aside from being durable and environmentally friendly, bamboo rugs are very stylish and exceptional when it comes to design.

Bamboo rugs are made of bamboo and cotton that is unusually soft. It is also odor resistant which makes it very convenient for many families who have pets at home.  The material is considered all natural and hypoallergenic which is very rare among many home decorating accessories these days.

These bamboo rugs also provide protection from insects and mosquitoes and will surely make your living room or bedroom luxuriously elegant. Bamboo shag rugs can also with stand spills and dirt which makes them easy to clean and maintain. You will surely be awed to see a rug so classy yet high in quality.

So if you are looking for the perfect rug to beautify your home, bamboo rugs should be on top of your list. It will definitely make your home sophisticated yet natural all at the same time.

The days of having area rugs that are a solid color are long gone and the conservative recommendations have been replaced due to the exciting décor options that are available today. Although for many people this seems like a new trend in décor, for those that have had oriental rugs in their homes, choosing a color scheme to match is natural as oriental rugs are made up of various colors.

When deciding to use multicolored area rugs as the main focal point of a room, choose one that has very bold contrasting colors, then pick out one or two of the most dominant colors to create the rest of the rooms décor scheme.  Artwork or frames that compliment the rugs dominant colors against walls painted with neutral shades will tie the color scheme in well.

For rooms that have an intense color scheme, upholstery that has a solid color that picks up the dominant colors of the rug, with some lighter colored pillows will soften the look and it will look fantastic.

If you intend to use multicolored area rugs to tie together furniture buy a rug that compliments the carvings, strong features, shapes or striking colors. Bear in mind that light colored rugs will tend to make the furniture look as though it is “floating” and would be best used in a smaller room to give it a more expansive feel.

Remember when choosing your rug size that all the furniture should sit comfortably on top to create an “island” where you would be sitting.  Make sure that you measure the size of the rug you need with the chairs pulled out as you would not want the dining chairs half way over the rug when you and your guest are seated. Always remember “measure twice, buy once”