Should Wood Floors Match? Guide to Fabulous Flooring

Hardwood floors are a trending luxury floor option that homeowners are incorporating into their jaw-dropping new homes. With so many breathtaking wood options, it can be a challenge to know which one will match your home. Is a patterned wood floor a necessity? Should your wood floors match throughout the house? Read on to learn all about contrasting hardwood floors and how to choose the right one.

Matching Vs. Coordinating Hardwood Floors

Though matching and coordinating are sometimes used interchangeably, they have quite different meanings when discussing hardwood floors.

If you’re looking for a solid hardwood floor design, matching may be the best choice. Matching hardwood floors means using the exact same hardwood floor throughout the entire house. Your living room floors will flow right into your kitchen floors seamlessly with a matching hardwood floor look.

In contrast, coordinating hardwood floors will create a stunning blend of differing floors. Though your contrasting hardwood floors won’t match exactly, they’ll definitely complement each other. A coordinating hardwood floor gives you the freedom to play around with different colors, textures, or designs.

Whether you choose the solid look or more contrasting hardwood floors, as your interior designer, Alisha Taylor Interiors will work with you to ensure that your hardwood floors meet your design expectations and create a cohesive look for your dream home.

The Do’s and Don’ts of Mixing Hardwood Floors

So, should hardwood floors match in your house? Not necessarily! If mixing hardwood floors is the design you’ve chosen, there are a few key do’s and don’ts that you’ll want to keep in mind.

Do:

Match Undertones. If you’ve chosen a lighter hardwood route, make sure to stay consistent with it. Mixing a lighter tone flooring with a darker tone in the next room can disrupt the harmony of your space. Your contrasting hardwood floors should transition smoothly from room to room.
Consider lighting. The lighting of your home, whether through unique fixtures or beautiful bay windows, can affect the look of your hardwood floors. Before installing your contrasting hardwood floors, make sure the differing colors still work together in any lighting.

Don’t:

Match furniture. We all love a beautiful wood furniture piece, but should the color be an exact match to your floors? This look may work if the furniture is more subtle, such as a smaller side table. However, matching larger pieces of wood furniture to your floor can create a muted monochrome look.
Use Untraditional Patterns. Choosing a more untraditional hardwood floor pattern can make the contrast between the different colors more apparent. If you’re hoping to seamlessly mix hardwood floors, try staying with the traditional plank look for a smoother transition.

Tips for Choosing the Perfect Hardwood Floor

As your interior designer, we’ll assist you through the process of choosing your hardwood floors, but it doesn’t hurt to prepare yourself for this exciting step.

Decide on Tone

Before setting your heart on a certain hardwood floor, decide on a general tone for your space to ensure it matches. For a more open, modern feel, lighter wood finishes are the way to go. To achieve a more comfortable, homey tone in your space, you’ll want to take a look at darker finishes. These different colors of hardwood floors can make or break the tone of your home.

Choose a Pattern

Much like tone, the pattern of your hardwood flooring is an intricate design element that should match the style of your home. As you select your pattern, take into consideration the layout and texture you’ll want in your space. Is a hand-scraped floor the best choice? Would a chevron pattern work best with your home design?

Research Hardwood Floor Types

When it comes to selecting the type of hardwood floor, we will evaluate your lifestyle and provide options that will work best. A pet-friendly hardwood floor may be best if your furry friend enjoys following you around. A sturdier hardwood floor may need to be installed if you tend to have heavy foot traffic move through your home.

Hire a Professional

Hiring a professional will ensure that the installation is done properly. Luckily, when you work with us, we provide all the contacts you’ll need to find the best installation professional. With us, you won’t have to worry about reading hundreds of reviews to find the best flooring professional.

Enjoy Stunning Hardwood Floors with Alisha Taylor

Wow your guests with your beautiful hardwood floors, picked especially for you by your professional interior designer — Alisha Taylor Interiors! For almost 20 years, Alisha Taylor has been working her design magic on luxury homes in Arizona. Her creative mind and knack for technical elements make her one of the best interior designers for your home projects. Check out our team’s previous home designs for inspiration or contact us today to get started with the design process!

Our Podcast Interview with AFT Construction

I had the privilege to sit down with Brad Leavitt, with A Finer Touch Construction, to discuss the behind-the-scenes of designing a New Build Project and creating a Dream Team on the AFT Construction Podcast!

Listen in as I give my thoughts on educating and setting expectations with our clients. I explain why embracing the role of an interior designer as a facilitator is more important today than at any other time due to changes in the industry brought on by the turbulent circumstances of the last year and a half. Brad and I unpack the reality that “there’s nothing more expensive than a cheap bid.”

We discuss that our biggest challenge right now is simply educating a client on what to expect from the new build process. The market is absolutely bananas, and prices are always changing. The ideal client understands that there’s no set number when it comes to building their custom home. They understand that they are hiring the right team, not a number or a bid.

We really try to be upfront, honest, and transparent with our clients, whether it’s how we design or how we charge, and what the industry looks like. We design custom luxury homes every day, and the client doesn’t. So, when they’re coming to us looking for that right builder or keep talking about bids, we’re not afraid to pump the brakes on that conversation, educate them about trust and reputation in the industry, and how important it is to choose the right builder, not just the cheapest one.

In this podcast, we dive into much more about our processes and systems, our personal aesthetic, and how we are navigating today’s supply chain and the everchanging industry of interior design. At Alisha Taylor Interiors, our goal is to make each one of our clients feel at home in their living space. Through our personalized design process, we work to create homes that are unique, timeless, and reflective of the people who live in them.

Listen to the Podcast Interview here:

Interior Designer vs. Interior Decorator: Key Differences

When it comes to creating your dream home, the decorative elements of your space can make all the difference. However, you may be wondering whether you should be investing in an interior designer or an interior decorator to add the flourish your space needs to feel complete.

That’s right — despite popular belief that the two are interchangeable, there is a difference between an interior designer vs. interior decorator. This difference stems from the process involved in designing the home of your dreams.

Interior design is the process of understanding and creating a functional space from the start, incorporating both the architecture of the room and the decorative details in the design.

Interior decorating occurs after the architectural structure has been created and works with the existing flow of the room.

We’ll discuss the capabilities of an interior designer vs. interior decorator below to help you distinguish between the two and decide which interior extraordinaire to hire for your home.

Interior Designer vs. Interior Decorator

While an interior decorator has all the industry knowledge to exceed your home design expectations, an interior designer is able to take it one step further. Read on to learn a bit more about the key differences between an interior designer vs. an interior decorator.

Interior Decorator

If you’re looking for a simple room remodel to liven up your space, an interior decorator may be the way to go. But what is an interior decorator? Instead of constructing the architectural design of your space, an interior decorator focuses solely on the room’s existing functionality. Your interior decorator is skilled in the art of choosing the best fabrics for your drapes and essential wall decor that will spruce up your space. They can help you choose the luxury furniture that will fill your home and add a touch of flair to your interior design style. However, an interior decorator is limited in the extent of design they are able to complete since they are not a part of the home building process. Instead, they use their talents to design a home post-build.

Interior Designer

So, what is an interior designer? From the minute you decide to build a brand new home or re-invent your current space, an interior designer is a must-have part of the project. Your interior designer can not only play the role of your decorator, but they also have the knowledge and experience to incorporate the architecture of your space into the design plan.

When your interior designer joins the team, they consider the big picture of your space. They’re taking into account your lifestyle and how your home should function to best fit that. Instead of wondering how the furniture you’ve chosen will fit into a pre-existing room, your interior designer plays a part in designing the architectural layout of the room to increase functionality and match your vision.

Since an interior designer is such an integral part of the entire construction and design process, you’ll want to choose your interior designer right from the start. Working with Alisha Taylor means having access to an interior design guru and her incredible team of architects and builders.

Consider Alisha Taylor for Your Next Interior Designer

Hiring an interior designer opens up a world of opportunities to create the home you’ve been dreaming of. Alisha Taylor has the advanced skills and experience to make your home an absolute masterpiece, from the architectural layout to the very last picture frame on the wall. Check out our portfolio for inspiration before you give us a call to get started turning your designs into reality!

The Interior Design Process to Expect For Custom Homes

Our goal at Alisha Taylor Interiors is to make each one of our clients feel at home in their living space. Through our personalized design process, we work to create homes that are unique, timeless, and reflective of the people who live in them.

We strive to enhance our client’s lives by not only creating beautiful interiors for them but by keeping the design process understandable and efficient through a systematic method that allows them to visualize and be excited about their designs.

Read on to learn more about the interior design process you will experience working with Alisha Taylor Interiors.

The Interior Design Process

For nearly 20 years, we have honed our interior design process for luxury homes. We take your dreams and turn them into a beautiful reality. Our interior design process allows you to be involved every step of the way to ensure you are thrilled with the final results.

Let’s start at the very beginning and take a closer look at the Project Initiation Phase.

Project Initiation Phase

The project initiation includes the new client inquiry form, the initial client meeting, and the design kickoff meeting. This is the time when logistics are discussed, and visions are expressed.

Step 1: New Client Inquiry Form and Initial Client Meeting

The first part of the interior design process is filling out an inquiry form. This form will entail the type of project you are interested in (New Build, Remodel, or Interior Design) and logistics such as square footage and budget. We will review your form and provide you with the project proposal.

At the initial client meeting, we will take measurements of the spaces needed, evaluate the furnishings level, and take “before” photos of the existing home.

Step 2: Proposal/Design Kickoff Meeting

At the design kickoff meeting, we will discuss your lifestyle, style preferences, priorities, vision, and review inspiration photos.

We will use all the information we gather from the kickoff meeting to create a design that incorporates your unique vision and lifestyle.

Interior Design Development Phase

The interior design development phase is likely what you think of when you think about the interior design process. This phase includes interior design renderings and storyboards that are used to visually communicate each room’s design.

Step 3: Interior Design Concepts and Material Selection

Next, we will go room by room and talk about interior design concepts you are imagining.

With this information, we will present a storyboard for each room. An interior design storyboard like the one below showcases the different elements of a room’s design. It is an easy way to get an idea of what the finished room will look like before an interior design rendering is made.

During this step, we will also select quality materials such as quartz for kitchen countertops, high-end flooring, and paint colors to elevate the design.

Step 4: 3D Interior Design Renderings

We will present interior design renderings of each room for you to clearly envision the final product. These renderings are drawn to scale to create a realistic-looking model. All of the small details, including wall hangings, furniture, light fixtures, and more, are included in an interior design rendering.

Below is an example of a realistic 3D rendering we created for a client’s great room design.

Design Documentation Phase

The design documentation phase is an essential part of the interior design process because it’s when all of the plans are compiled into the Design Book.

Step 5: Floor Plans, CAD Elevations, and Ceiling Plans

During this phase, custom floor plans, CAD elevations, and ceiling plans will be carefully drawn to include in the Design Book. CAD elevations are computer-generated drawings of rooms as viewed from standing in the room itself. Ceiling plan drawings will show the interior of your home viewed from above.

Floorplans are like the blueprints to your custom home. They are drawn to scale and designed to show the relationship between different rooms in the house. Larger furniture pieces will be drawn to scale to see the organization of each space. Room sizes and wall lengths are noted and used in the construction process.

Step 6: Showroom Viewings and Material Selection

Next, we will take you to view showrooms and select more materials for the interior design process. We will work with you to decide upon materials that you love and work in your price range.

Step 7: Design Book

All of the design elements, materials selected, floor plan, 3D renderings, storyboards, and more will be compiled into the Design Book. We will spend time reviewing the final selections before the construction phase begins.

Construction Phase

So how does an interior designer fit into the construction process? An interior designer incorporates your lifestyle needs and aesthetic wants into the entire interior design process, including construction. We will share the plans we created with the architect and builder to ensure your needs and desires are met.

Step 8: Builder Reviews Design

After you approve the Design Book, we will review the designs with the builder to ensure they have a perfect understanding of the project. The builder will see what changes you want to make to your home and how the interior design will fit into the process.

Step 9: Site Visits

Throughout the construction process, we will conduct site visits to check in on the builder and the home. This will ensure that construction is on track and that your needs and desires are being met. You can rest assured that we will keep the process running smoothly.

Furniture/Furnishings Development Phase

The furniture development phase is when we source the custom and unique furniture pieces that will fill your new home.

Step 10: Furniture Layouts/Sourcing

We will present final furniture layouts and decide the placement of pieces in your space. This step is where the design begins to feel complete. Through 3D renderings and storyboards, we can communicate what your space will look like at the end of this process.

Furniture/Furnishings Project Management Phase

Step 11: Order Placement, Inspection, and Installation

Once agreed upon, orders will be placed for furniture and decor pieces. The goods will be received and inspected thoroughly to ensure they are in good condition. Then, the furniture and furnishings will be installed in your home. We will stage each room to create a balanced and elevated look.

Step 12: Reveal and Walk-Through

Finally! The time has come for the big reveal of your new home design. The interior design process is complete. You will do a final walk-through of your newly furnished home and see your dreams come to life!

Trust Alisha Taylor Interiors To Design Your Home

Now that you know the interior design process, it’s time to work with a professional interior designer. Our team at Alisha Taylor Interiors is ready to bring your vision to fruition. Our expertise and collaborative process provide our clients with the best possible experience.

Let us work with you to showcase your style and meet your lifestyle needs with our design services. Contact us today for more information!