To inspire your decor related new years resolutions, we have rounded up 2015 colour trends from our favourite colour experts. This is the final post in a three part series featuring trends from Pantone, Shaw Floors and Benjamin Moore.

Guilford Green

Since paint companies are always on the pulse of the latest colour trends, we turned to Benjamin Moore to see their recommendations for 2015. The Benjamin Moore team picked a beautiful palette of twenty three blue, green, blush and berry shades for 2015. From that palette they narrowed it down to their colour of the year, Guilford Green. Benjamin Moore Creative Director Ellen O’Neill describes it as “a neutral that’s natural. A silvery green that works with, well, everything.” Guilford Green is part of the Benjamin Moore Historic Collection. The collection is a timeless and elegant set of hues inspired by the documented colours found in 18th and 19th century architecture.

Benjamin Moore

Guilford Green creates a sense of tranquillity in this bathroom when paired with white tiles and elements of nature.

Houzz: Chuck Mills Residential Design & Development

Guilford Green was the perfect choices to pull together the many wood tones in this dining room. The greyish brown undertones complement all wood tones well.

Houzz: Edwina Drummond Interiors

Jazz up this neutral green by pairing it with a bold accent colour like turquoise.

This colour is suited to more than just walls. Painting the cabinets Guilford Green keeps the laundry room from looking dull. Other furniture like a dresser or a bar cart would also look great painted this colour.

View other posts in the 2015 Colour Trends Series

Part one: Pantone’s 2015 Colour of the Year Marsala
Part two: Shaw Floors River Thames Taupe

Proper cleaning and maintenance is the key to keeping any flooring pristine. While laminate flooring is great for standing up to tough household conditions, it needs routine maintenance. To clean any flooring, we always suggest checking the manufacturer recommended cleaning products and methods. We have a few helpful laminate flooring cleaning tips to keep your floors in great shape.

Routine Laminate Floor Cleaning Do’s

• Clean up spills immediately using a cloth or sponge. Liquids should never sit on your laminate floors.
• Only use cleaning products designed for laminate flooring care. For the best cleaning results and to ensure warranty coverage, use the cleaner specified by your manufacturer.
• Sweep or dust the floor regularly to remove dirt and grit that can damage your the laminate’s finish. Vacuum’s with a hard floor attachment can also be used. Vacuum beater bars are for regular use.
• Use a dry microfibre mop for cleaning after sweeping or vacuuming. Spray the recommended laminate floor cleaner on it until the mop is damp. Mop away.
• Put down entry mats to prevent dirt, grit and other unwanted substances from being tracked onto the floor.

Routine Laminate Floor Cleaning Don’ts

• Do not wash or wet mop laminate floors with any liquid cleaner. This includes soap, water, detergents and any strong ammonia or chlorine based cleaners. The moisture can cause swelling, warping or delaminating.
• To maintain your warranty, do not use steam mops. Flooring manufacturers do not want the steam mops used on their laminate flooring. The moisture from the steam mop can be too much for laminate.
• Avoid using steel wool, scouring pads, abrasive cleaners, waxes or polishes.

We are welcoming the upcoming new year by sharing 2015 colour trends forecasts from our favourite colour experts. This is part two of a three part series featuring colour trends from Pantone, Shaw Floors and Benjamin Moore.

River Thames Taupe

For this colour trend, we look to the Shaw Floors 2015 Colour Forecast. As the world’s largest carpet manufacturer, Shaw Floors is at the forefront of of all home decor and colour trends. River Thames Taupe is our favourite of the four colours Shaw predicts will be big for 2015. We love the versatility of this neutral that blends the once trendy beige tones with today’s popular grey shades. We gathered pictures of a few interiors that show off the endless possibilities of River Thames Taupe.

Style Me Pretty: Laura Hollingsworth Home Tour by Cheryl M

Greige and taupe shades are a refreshing change from the ubiquitous plain white cabinets. These neutral hues make the kitchen feel warmer and more elegant.

Houzz: Cardea Building Co

Using taupe on the walls in this master bedroom channels the vibe of a peaceful retreat.

Shaw Floors Luxury Vinyl Tile Newport Beach colour Pier

Neutrals like taupe are popular colour choices for flooring and there are an abundance of taupe options available. This click together 12×24 luxury vinyl tile option would look great in any room in your house.

Shaw Carpet Bling / Shaw Carpet Timeless Charm Loop

Taupe is a classic colour option for any style of carpet. Try a textured multi-tonal frieze as an area rug in the living room or a cushy loop carpet for a neutral wall-to-wall carpet in bedrooms.

Shaw Floors has even more taupe hued inspiration for you on their River Thames Taupe Pinboard.

Follow Shaw Floors’s board “River Thames Taupe” – Shaw Color Forecast 2015 on Pinterest.

View other posts in the 2015 Colour Trends Series

Part one: Pantone’s 2015 Colour of the Year Marsala
Part three: Benjamin Moore’s Colour of 2015 Guilford Green

To say goodbye to 2014 and welcome in the new year, we are sharing a few 2015 colour trends forecasts from our favourite colour experts. Whether you’re planning a whole home renovation or just looking for a few new accent throw pillows, these colour choices can help inspire your design choices this year. This is part one of a three part series with 2015 colour trends forecasts from Pantone, Benjamin Moore and Shaw Floors.

Pantone colour of the year: Marsala

The Pantone Colour Institute chooses their colour of the year based on a thorough examination of fashion trends, art, film, cars and general culture around the world. The selections over the past few years tended to be bold and best suited for accent colours in interiors (see 2014’s Radiant Orchid and 2013’s Emerald). While we may see Marsala popping up as a trendy colour for clothing and nail polish in 2015, we are less likely to see entire walls painted in this colour or an increased popularity in this hue of broadloom carpet.

Pantone describes the 2015 colour of the year Marsala as a “naturally robust and earthy wine red.”  This reddish-brown hue has an elegant and satisfying warmth that could work well in the colour palette of many interiors. We gathered a few examples of trendsetting homes where Marsala-like hues are already full-force.

Houzz: Ike Kilgerman Barkley Architecture

The Marsala paint colour used on the walls of this book-lined living room adds a touch of warmth. The contrasting white woodwork creates a clean look and keeps Marsala from looking too earthy.

 
Domaine Home

Marsala hues in this artwork create a dramatic and colourful focal point in this dining room.

Apartment Therapy: LA House Tour

Marsala looks best when used with textures like this shaggy rug. Try using the colour of the year for other textures like linens or leather.

For another dose Marsala inspiration, visit our Marsala Colour Trend pinboard.

View other posts in the 2015 Colour Trends Series

Part two: Shaw Floors River Thames Taupe
Part three: Benjamin Moore Guilford Green

Noise is often a contentious issue in multi-unit residences, as any condo dweller can attest to. When owners want to install hardwood or laminate flooring, strata bylaws often require the use of an underlay with acoustic properties to reduce to the sound transmission to the unit below. Here are a few commonly asked questions about the acoustic underlay required.

Which underlay should I buy to use in my building?
Each strata has different rules about the flooring and underlay allowed in their building. Some may require council approval of the materials before installation. Check with your strata before purchasing your flooring. If your strata requires approval before installation, your flooring provider can provide you with product specifications and documented test results to give to your strata council.

My strata requires an underlay with a certain STC and IIC rating. What does this mean?
These are sound-control ratings often used in building codes and strata guidelines. The higher the rating, the better the underlay is at sound reduction. Sound Transmission Class (STC) ratings measure transmission of airborne sounds such as neighbours talking or playing music. Impact Isolation Class (IIC) measures impact sounds transferred from the floor to the unit below. Impact sounds are foot steps, objects falling on the floor etc. Manufacturers have their products tested in a lab according to ASTM International standards to determine the STC and IIC ratings.

Does an acoustic underlay reduce all noises for my neighbours below?
No. An acoustic underlay with good IIC and STC ratings will reduce noise transfer but will not eliminate all noise. The effectiveness of the underlay depends on your lifestyle and the construction of the building. If your lifestyle is noisier, your neighbours will be more likely to hear you. Active kids, walking in heavy shoes or high heels and dropping things may create noise that cannot be entirely quieted by any acoustic underlay.

The settings of the underlay lab tests may be different from the construction of the subfloor and ceiling of your building. Most underlay is tested on concrete slabs. IIC and STC ratings increase when the concrete slab thickness increases or when a drop or suspended ceiling is present in the unit below. Ask your flooring provider for testing results that specify the subfloor and ceiling assembly used during lab testing.

The ratings will be decreased for buildings with wood frames and plywood substrates since these materials are bad at preventing sound transference. If you do not have a concrete subfloor or acoustic concrete topping between floors, it’s highly recommended to look into additional sound barrier options. Your downstairs neighbours will thank you.

Is there anything else I can do reduce noise?

Adding a few area rugs to your decor will help reduce noise in areas where the rugs have been placed.

Can I do a nail down installation with acoustic underlay underneath?

No. The sound travels through the nails and negates the effectiveness of the underlay.

Is there a specific underlay you recommend?

We recommend using Shaw Silent Step Ultra. The 72 dB IIC and STC ratings satisfy most strata council requirements about flooring and acoustic underlay. Full testing data from a reputable third party lab is available upon request.

For more information we recommend reading:
Hardwood Floors – The Magazine of the National Wood Flooring Association. “The Lowdown on Wood Flooring Underlayments”
Master Floor Covering Standards Institute. “Noise Problems and Acoustical Barriers”