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Lifestyles

Most of us live our lives in the fast forward mode. Our lifestyles are so different from those of previous generations...

The obligations take us away from our homes and so often we have little time for our families. When we are at home, we face cleaning and other chores. To make life easier for us and our families, we need to seriously consider the way you live, before we make our decorating choices.

Among other surfaces that take a lot of abuse in our homes is flooring. When choosing your hardwood flooring, consider your lifestyle very seriously.

Families with little children, dogs and even cats, should choose more durable species with high hardness indexes. Ash, although stunning, will not withstand the sharp, needle-like nails of your pet cat, not to mention the tires of your son's Tonka truck.

Been there, done that...

If you don't mind the scratches and dents and feel that such, will only add to the beauty and character of your floor, by all means, go for it! If your style preference leans toward "relaxed country", you will be amazed by the possibilities that rustic pine or tavern grade ash will offer. Even contemporary spaces can benefit from the added character of the aged, rustic oak flooring, marked with little imperfections.

Lifestyles

For those with more sophisticated taste, who follow the latest trends, I'm pleased to say that we are still very much "into" dark chocolate colors, with slight change of direction into added soft, warm grays. Beautiful!

And the finishes that the designers seem to go for those days are usually mat or satin. Let me tell you, I'm for one very happy about that. No more footprints visible in the sun and dust staring you in the eye right after you vacuumed!

If you however absolutely have to have a mirror-like surfaces throughout your home, including your floors, please consider maintenance involved in the upkeep of such floor before finalizing your decisions. If your heart is set on shiny, smooth finish, you should consider the high gloss varnish on species with a highest hardness index like Brazilian Cherry.

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