Month: July 2020

Capturing the Perfect Pictures of Your Home

From uploading photos to help sell your space or just sharing pictures of your latest home improvement project over the internet, there are hundreds of reasons you may want to capture pictures of your home. Residential photography may not be professional photography; however, mastering some pro tips can help take your photos to the next level. Since a picture can say a thousand words, taking a poor picture can give a negative impression on a truly beautiful project or home. To help, here is everything you need to consider when photographing your home:

Lighting

Lighting has a very dramatic effect on the quality of your pictures. It is essential to have a well-lit room whenever taking your pictures. Make sure all your light fixtures are turned on while also allowing natural outdoor lighting to have an effect on the photos. You do not want one or the other to overpower one another, so you may need to find the perfect time of the day. Some photographers will refer to this time as the Golden Hour. This time is when the sun is just rising or just setting. Also, you should make sure to take outdoor photos during this time as well.

Composition

The composition of the photograph is what you initially capture. Try capturing the main focal point of the room directly in the center of the shot. Accenting architecture and decor can allow our eyes to wander and explore the picture. However, the demand for attention should be directly in the center of each picture!

Angles

Lights may create a glare. Taking a photograph at “eye-level” is rarely the best angle to capture a picture. Angles can portray a room to be much smaller or much larger. Make sure you are capturing your photographs at the most optimal angels. This could be from an elevated corner of the room or from outside a doorway. Mastering angles on your photography is one of the most effective ways to dramatically change a shot.

Try to adopt some of these techniques in your own photography. They can help make your photographs more than just social media worthy, but truly awe-inspiring. Just remember when posting that your photographs should truly capture the beauty of your estate.

Pros and Cons of Carpet

Carpet is a timeless flooring option that businesses and homeowners continue to love. It comes in many diverse styles with added benefits. That is why it is no surprise that the popularity continues today as we see advancements in fiber technology and resistance to staining. However, like any flooring option, carpet has its own set of pros and cons. Let us explore both to see if carpet is right for your home.

PROS

Comfort

Carpet is one of the most comfortable flooring options on the market. When paired with a heavy 8 oz pad, it is unrivaled by any flooring option for comfort. This feature can make the coziness from your ground spread to other areas of the room, creating a comfortable oasis.

Options

Carpet also comes in a wide variety of colors, patterns, and textures. The endless options make finding the perfect carpet to complement your house easy. Plus, with so many diverse styles, carpet is versatile enough to work with any design theme.

Warmth

Carpet is also a very cozy and warm flooring option. Rest assured that you can wake up and walk around your home barefoot without getting cold feet. It is an excellent insulator and stays warm all year round.

CONS

Stains

Technology improvements are making carpets better at being stain resistant. From solution-dyed fibers to stain guards, carpets have come a very long way. However, carpet fibers can still stain. This feature may be a concern depending on the environment that you are looking to have it installed.

Seams

Carpet is typically manufactured in twelve-foot-wide rolls. This feature means any room that is over twelve feet in width or length is going to need a seam. It is also directional, which means your carpet will have cross seams as well. No seam is 100% invisible, so you may need to consider this depending on the application.

Traffic Patterns

Some carpet can wear down and matte. The resilience is much better in nylon carpet than polyester, yet you may begin to see traffic patterns. Note that all carpets are made different, and some can help prevent this better than others.

Water

We are beginning to see waterproof carpets, just starting to enter the market. However, many carpets are not waterproof and can be ideal for bacteria to form. It is best to keep carpet away from wet areas.

All and all, carpet is an excellent flooring choice. It is incredibly versatile and adaptable for many environments. Keep in mind that different qualities of carpets can handle situations differently. Be sure to talk to your sales representative about the right carpet for your lifestyle.

Top Flooring Trends for 2020

With the new year, new trends are making their way into the market. Throughout time, many flooring trends come and go. We have seen plenty of them in the last decade as technological advancements in flooring have changed the market. Since buying flooring is not something that you do every year, it is easy to get outdated information on what are the latest trends in the industry. Lucky for you, we are here to help keep your head in the game. Here are some of the most trending floors as we make our way into 2020:

Waterproof Flooring

Flooring advancements in technology have really answered the demand for waterproof flooring. Many different flooring options come with their own sets of pros and cons; however, a considerable drawback for many flooring options is not being able to withstand wet environments. That being said, we are seeing flooring like vinyl planks and even carpet coming as waterproof options. This feature can allow you a significant variance of flooring selections in your home in 2020.

High Variation Hardwood

A newer trend in the flooring industry is a high variation of colors and sizes in planks in hardwood. Hardwood is already desirable for its wide variety in character. Now, homeowners and businesses are allowing hardwood to be even more expressive with high variations of colors and sized planks being mixed together in a single room installation.

Greige Flooring

We saw grey rule the market for some time over the last decade. It came in as the neutral color choice that pushed out beige tones as the highest demand choice. However, now we are witnessing an exciting turn in tides. Greige is the mixed color of grey and beige together. It is becoming quite popular in the flooring industry, showing both interest in the colors beige and grey.

Encaustic Cement Tile

Encaustic tiles are typical handmade tiles with colorful patterns on designs. They are becoming very trending in bathrooms and kitchens lately. These designs can be incredibly unique and help create a stunning design pattern in any home.

These are just a few of the great flooring trends that we see staying around for some time. What are some flooring trends that interest you? Let us know your thoughts below in the comment section!