The Marmol Carrara Blanco Tile series from Porcelanosa.
JULY/AUGUST 2010
The Beauty of Wood
Armstrong Hardwood fashions hand-sculpted wood planks into flooring to create an authentically aged look. The flooring comes in a variety of hardwoods, including walnut. A softly textured surface and subtly pillowed edges characterize this hand-stained flooring. www.armstrong.com
Terrazzo Tile
FritzTile is the go-to flooring product for interior designer Kirsten Kaplan of Haus Interior Design. Thin, flexible marble terrazzo tile “is one of the most unique flooring materials I’ve seen,” Kaplan says. “It’s gorgeous, and my client used it in a master bath for a very contemporary look. Soft underfoot, eco-friendly, and no bothersome grout to clean!” Available through Classic Floor Designs in DC. www.classicfloordesigns.info
Making Marble
The Marmol Carrara Blanco tile series offers rectified porcelain tiles (cut after firing for consistency of size), pictured here in 23-inch squares. These tiles replicate the tones of highly prized marble while maintaining the ease of care of floor tile. Available at Porcelanosa in Rockville in both wall and floor tiles and in multiple sizes. www.porcelanosa.com
Broadloom Bonanza
Karastan’s 2010 Broadloom collection includes 20 designs; some are new while others are updates of previous lines. Pictured here, Agave Reflections is a classic Karastan pattern: a sisal wool carpet that recreates the characteristics of a natural sisal weave. With an understated herringbone pattern, it’s at home in a traditional or contemporary environment. www.karastan.com
Colorful Kilims
Designer Sandra Figuerola’s reversible wool kilims impart vibrant colors and contemporary patterns to an age-old textile form. These kilims are available in three lively patterns—Catania, Palermo and Siracusa—and a range of sizes. Designed for Gan Rugs, part of Spanish home-design company Gandia Blasco, Inc. www.gan-rugs.com
Bella Italia
Antolini Luigi’s new Signature Stone Collection includes 12 unique varieties of granite and quartzite from quarries around the world. The stones in the collection are versatile, dramatic and provocative—and perfect for any flooring application. Pictured here, a bedroom in Capolavoro granite. Available through Marva Marble & Granite, Inc., in Beltsville, Maryland, and NSI LLC, in Glen Burnie, Maryland. www.antoliniusa.com
Designer's Pick
On a recent condo project, designer Barbara Hawthorn used a pre-finished, engineered hardwood floor, M Series by Model, from Model Hardwood Inc. “I found that it suited many different applications and design styles,” she says. The floor pictured here is Akoya in a maple finish. Available through Carpet Impressions, McLean, Virginia. www.pgmodel.com
The Durability Factor
Parqcolor Gold is a laminate from Abet Laminati that combines the warmth of wood with extreme wearability. Available in more than 50 various wood species, it makes a no-maintenance, high-resistance flooring option; planks are seven and a half inches wide. www.abetlaminati.com
Beautifully Braided
The Hampton area rug from Capel Rugs offers a crisp, basket-weave look. Part of the Hampton Collection, it’s woven by hand with sturdy wool-blend yarns and crafted with a low pile for maximum comfort and durability. The color palette ranges from tonal neutrals to primary brights, making it easy to coordinate these collections with any décor. www.capelrugs.com/hampton
**Out of the array of interior design magazines, Home and Design magazine stands out as a primary idea source for luxury home design and building/remodeling features. Wonderful visuals of custom homes and eco-friendly resources are combined with expert advice to provide a fundamental reference point for bringing amazing home interior design and remodeling projects to life.