Lucy Okunak is the owner of Euro Stone and Tile, located in Wycoff, New Jersey. In the following article, Lucy Okunak discusses six of the most popular flooring designs that will bring warmth, sophistication, and luxury to the home.
The addition of
stone flooring can bring a home from merely nice or even beautiful to opulent, refined, and stunning. Because each piece is unique, no two floors will be quite the same. These natural products cannot be mass-produced or replicated.
Regardless of where in the home the stone floor is being installed, whether in the kitchen, foyer, or bath, both builder and buyer can admire the unique beauty of every slab or tile. Lucy Okunak says that the following six design elements can do wonders for a space that may otherwise not get a second look.
Honed Travertine
Travertine is a naturally porous rock that forms near hot springs. As gasses pass through the body of the rock, they bring with them the various dissolved minerals that make up the delicate patterns. Honed Travertine is sealed and ground to a matte finish which gives the stone a polished look without the high shine.
Lucy Okunak explains that there are two main types of honed Travertine, high hone and dull. High hone is a matte, but the more polished finish creates a bit more shine compared to dull, which is a less shiny matte finish. Both types of travertine are mostly used in areas that tend to bear the brunt of weather conditions such as mud rooms and entrances.
Classic Marble
Marble is a top-tier choice when it comes to flooring due to its timelessness, durability, and wide array of colors. There is almost no limit to the number of designs that can be created - from running board to big, wide slabs, making this material a natural favorite among home buyers.
Just like Travertine, Lucy Okunak explains that marble must also be sealed properly upon installation. Marble is a metamorphic rock composed primarily of calcite that contains a variety of other minerals such as mica, graphite, pyrite, and quartz. This gives the stone its brilliance and uniqueness when cut and polished.
Rustic and Textured
Depending on the architectural style of the home, slate and sandstone are popularly utilized to continue the look established from the outside. Slate especially is often used to create textured surfaces that give the space a rustic, natural look.
Because of the richness of its color, slate is a favorite when the designer is looking for a deep, luxurious gray often replacing the more standard off-white, cream, and lighter gray colors that became so popular years ago according to Lucy Okunak.
Warmth and Durability
Lucy Okunak says that terracotta is a popular choice for potted plants, but its introduction into flooring brings that same familiar warmth to the floor. Compressed and kiln-fired, these rich and beautiful reds and browns can bring the warmth of the sun into any space that needs a touch of nature. Terracotta flooring is a fantastic choice for a sunroom!
Patterns
Lucy Okunak reports that many clients are pattern-seeking individuals, and as a result, patterned flooring is a subconscious relief to the eye. Amazing patterns can be achieved with natural stone – the contrast of light with dark to the zigzag placement of herringbone, stone flooring can achieve any pattern desired.
Dramatic colors and delicate veining add to the vibrance of the patterns chosen and the durability of stone flooring means the pattern will remain stark and resolute for years and years to come. Lucy Okunak says that it’s no small wonder this material is chosen to express such innate livability.
Fusion Looks
There is possibly no better medium with which to express the melding of two thoughts or ideas than stone says Lucy Okunak. The vibrancy of the colors in terracotta and slate or the delicacy of nuance in marble or travertine is only finding what to bring together.
Combining aesthetics can be easily achieved using stone. The permanence of the material can be combined with the transience of style to create amazingly unique looks in an endless array.
Conclusion
Lucy Okunak says that stone is a fabulous product that can be used to create whatever look is desired by either builder or buyer. It has already proven itself against the heat and pressure exerted on it by the twisting and convulsing of the earth.
Given how stone products are manufactured, it certainly has the constitution to withstand whatever pressures can be exerted by the daily travel across its glittering surfaces. The application of stone to structures is time-honored as well as it should be because it will still be here long after the organic structure has gone.
