Design tip for Sylish hardwood in Westchester - Diagonal Layout Installing hardwood on a diagonal can have a big impact on the room's look.   First, diagonal makes the space look larger.  That's because your eye follows the longest length of the room, and if you remember geometry, the hypotenuse is always the longest length of the triangle.     Second, a diagonal layout adds visual intrigue to the room - it just looks much more visually intriguing than the standard straight lay.       Third, usually, the diagonal draws you in from the entrance to the focal point of the room. I especially love installing hardwood flooring on a diagonal in square rooms.       Diagonal works beautifully, and it has the largest and most dramatic impact in these types of rooms.  This is one of my favorite d... 05/11/2013

2013 Flooring Trends - The Top 6 trends - Westchester County NY 1. Hardwood Flooring is the preferred flooring surface. There's no contest - hardwood is in baby! It is by far the preferred flooring surface in Westchester County, especially for the main living areas of the home (i.e. living room, dining room, family room and even hardwood in the kitchen! Many also prefer hardwood for the bedrooms,too. Hardwood looks great, lasts long and is easy to clean and maintain. And, of course, hardwood improves your home's value. By having hardwood in all/most areas, it makes your space larger, more continuous and integrated. It is the preferred choice for decorators and homeowners alike.         2. Flooring that looks like hardwood is the next best thing Because hardwood is so in style, anything ... 04/24/2013

I met a really sweet couple today.  They just closed on a new home in Chappaqua, my home town (they are moving from The City).  The new house is literally 2 minutes from my parent's house, so I was happy to tell them what a wonderful choice they made and how great the schools are (and their kids will be going to the best elementary school..IMO).  I told them about the pool clubs and the best pizza restaurant (and the one to avoid).   They are doing some renovations  - painting and floors, and I'm hoping that we get to refinish the hardwood floors.  As it turns out, I also know their real estate agent (and I met her thanks to Active Rain).  I will give her a call on Monday.   Anyway, they told me how my advice was very helpful and that believe it or not, the seller invited them over to w... 04/13/2013

If you have hardwood flooring underneath your carpet, you may have just discovered gold!  Many customers ask whether it is better to refinish the hardwood or to recarpet? Which is less expensive?    Most homeowners (and most home buyers) in Westchester strongly prefer hardwood flooring - it looks nicer, it improves your home's value, it lasts longer, and it's easier to clean. Any realestate agent will tell you that homes with hardwood floors sell faster and at a higher price.     And, it's often a pleasant surprise that it usually costs LESS to refinish hardwood floors than to recarpet them. Refinishing hardwood has a huge impact on your home's decor, and it is often less expensive than most people think.  When you replace the carpeting...you need to buy new materials plus pay for the l... 03/26/2013

Are you a new mommy in Chappaqua NY?  If you have a newborn (between 0 and 6 months), you can meet other new mommies who live near you.  This seems like a great place to play for your new born and a wonderful way to make some new friends at a similar stage in their life.   Every day, between 11:30 and 12:15, you can bring your newborn to the World Cup Nursery School Romperee Indoor Playground.  What a perfect way to meet new friends for you and your baby.   The location is very convenient, too. World Cup Nursery School Romperee 160 Hunts Ln (right in town, off of Saw Mill Parkway) Chappaqua, NY 10514 914-238-9267   Here's their official website: http://worldcupnurseryschool.com This event is FREE (but I believe there is a minimal charge if you bring older kids) This event is daily until... 11/27/2012

It was great seeing my parents yesterday for Thanksgiving.  I hadn't been home for a few weeks...I had been there the week before the hurricane and then they lost power for 2 weeks.     Life started to get back to normal for them after they cleared out everything out of the refrigerator and called someone out to clear 3 of the trees that got knocked over.   When I pulled in the driveway, my jaw dropped.  You know how it is, when you are used to things a certain way (because that's how it's always been) and when something is different or missing you notice it right away.  I knew the big oak fell down, but couldn't beleive this big blob on the lawn.  Yes, the tree was completely uprooted and the earth and roots were 7 feet high, way taller than I am.   It's amazing how powerful mother nat... 11/22/2012

Last night, I went to see a customer in Chappaqua NY who is looking for a nice carpet runner for their front steps and 2nd floor hallway.  It was fun to go there because this was my hometown and right across the street from where 2 of my friends lived.  I had been in this house 30 yrs ago.   Anyway, the wife told me that she found me on YouTube.  I was surprised because this was the first time I had heard this.  Yes, she found my carpet runner video (see below).    They were definitely having some challenges finding what they wanted and everything they liked was costing way more than what they were hoping for.  They showed me what they liked and I realized I have a similar runner in my studio - same colors and similar genre and it is significantly less (and still very high quality), so ... 09/26/2012

LOL, that's what my caller said to me yesterday.  I was stunned and didn't know what to say, so I just laughed.  He wanted to make sure he had the actual "Flooring Girl." (I'm still not sure why he thinks that I'm an internet celebrity).   So yesterday, I gave my caller from Manhattan some advice on his hardwood floors (and while I was at it, his kitchen, too).  It seems that his building is paying to redo his floors due to some water damage.  They will give him replacement value, but he can choose to upgrade if he wants and pay the difference.  He asked me a series of questions including engineered vs. solid hardwood, stain vs. natural, prefinished vs. unfinished, tile vs. hardwood flooring for the kitchen, red oak vs. white oak.  For almost every topic, I told him I had a post on that... 09/24/2012

So, a progress photo.  The walls are up and a level plywood subfloor is down.  Although the new wood floor has been already been installed, refinished and stained a special walnut finish, it's currently covered with drop cloths and rosin paper, as my guys install new molding, prime and paint before the cabinets (which are two weeks late, to date) are installed. More current photos to follow.        09/24/2012

Brazilian Cherry Hardwood Flooring is growing in popularity in Westchester NY.  Its brilliant red color and exquisite graining gives is breathtaking.   As the name implies, Brazilian Cherry hardwood grows in Brazil. Due to the climate and growing cycles, Brazilian Cherry is much harder than the typical oak you traditionally see here in the US. On the Janka hardness scale, Red Oak is a 1290 while Brazilian Cherry is 2350 - almost twice as hard.   But, the main reason customers love Brazilian Cherry is its beauty. The redness and depth of color is unparalleled, along with the richness of its smooth graining. Even if you stain oak to be red, you can't get same effect - it's impossible. Take a look.   Brazilian Cherry typically comes in wider planks which is more stylish and makes the space... 07/01/2012

If you live in Westchester and you're looking for a great decorator, let me recommend Joanna Cohlan.  She is the owner of Fresh Eyes for Your home, and that's exactly how she looks at things - with a fresh perspective.   Joanna Cohlan is one of Westchester County's finest decorators.  She was training in decorating at SUNY.   Joanna Cohlan has many talents that give her a flair for design.  First, she is just simply outstanding with color -finding the optimal color to work for the mood an aura you want to create for your space.  Second, she is a master at space - helping you figure out how to set up your room (or your home) and how to create space.  She considers how you want the room to look and how you want it to function (e.g. how do you want to use the room, how will your family mem... 06/25/2012

May has come to a close...which means it's time to look back at my top posts in May.  These are sorted by # of clicks.  The first 4 of these were featured.  I'm thinking I should also evaluate these a few months later and see the results over time.   Black and white hardwood floors   What is a berber carpet?   What is the difference between select grade and No 1 Oak hardwood?   What species of hardwood flooring are there?   I feel naked without my computer...I ought to know...mine just crashed   Is it better to paint or do the floors first?   Have you been analyzing your top posts?  I generally look at my top 10 every 3 months or so.  I think there is a lot we can learn from this over time.  Soon I'm going to share the top ones from TheFlooringGir.co   06/01/2012

Which is better... select grade or Number 1 oak flooring? Most customers don't realize that there are different grades of oak flooring. They just assume all oak flooring is the same.   For oak flooring, there are 3 main grades: select, Number 1 common and Number 2 common. Select grade is generally considered the highest grade as it has the least color variation. It costs more. This is followed by No 1 which has more color variation and some occasional knots, and that is followed by No 2 which has a lot more color variation and knots. Sometimes, this is called character grade or cabin grade wood.     Technically, the quality of the wood (as measured by hardness/durability) is the same across all the grades. The differences between the grades are their appearances. Some people prefer the ... 05/25/2012

How much does flooring cost? Which types cost more? Which cost less? Now, of course, these are loaded questions, but I get this question often. I always hesitate to give per square foot prices because they vary so much and for so many different reasons...as you'll see. Originally posted at Which types of flooring cost less and which types cost more   For example, let's take hardwood floors ... the cost depends on what species and grade of hardwood. It depends on whether it’s solid or engineered. It depends on how wide the planks are. Prices can vary based on installation method (nailed vs. glued vs. floated as well as whether it’s prefinished or unfinished hardwood). The cost depends on whether or not you have plywood subfloor. It depends if we need to do rip up and what surface we are ... 05/13/2012

Selecting carpet for your home in Chappaqua NY has never been easier...now, you can Shop at Home for your carpeting in Westchester NY. Have you ever gone to a carpet store and just felt lost and overwhelmed?  Sometimes, there are so many options that you don't even know where to start.  Sometimes, you may go into a store and find so many choices that you leave more confused than you felt when you entered?  How do you know what's the best type of carpet for your home in Chappaqua NY?  What's the right one for your budget?  And, what's the right color? We make shopping for carpeting fun and easy. Everything starts with the area you are looking to carpet.  Is it for a bedroom or a lviing room or a family room or basement or the step?  Different rooms require different types of carpeting.  ... 03/21/2012

Yes, it's almost Leap Year again, and this February 2012, we are graced with an extra day - February 29.  Sweet - one more day to do whatever you want - whether that is work, play or sleep - you choose. We are usually graced with this extra day to celebrate approximately once every 4 years...but read on to learn about the origins and calculations and trivia about Leap Years.  You'll find, it's not quite as simple as they may have taught us in school. What is a leap year? A leap year consists of 366 days, as opposed to a common year, which has 365 days.  We account for this by making February 29 days (rather than 28 days). Why do we have leap year (or a leap day)? The need for a leap year is help synchronize the calendar with the actual revolution of the earth.  A typical year is 365 cal... 02/23/2012

Radiant heated floors | Chappaqua NY 10514 | Perfect for bathrooms, kitchens, basement and sun rooms Are your feet cold in the winter?  If you have tile floors or rooms that tend to be cold in the winter, radiant heat flooring may be a great option for you.  Heated floors provide a level of comfort and luxury and once you've experienced them, you'll never want to go back!  They are the perfect addition to your home in Chappaqua. If you are installing new floors for your home in Chappaqua NY, consider adding radiant heat.  Whether it's tile flooring (ceramic, porcelain, natural stone), hardwood, laminate and floating floors, cork or even carpet, radiant heated floors are a wonderful option.  The experts at Floor Coverings International can help you find the both ideal flooring for you an... 02/20/2012

Are you looking to sand and refinish hardwood floors in Chappaqua NY?   It's amazing what a difference refinishing your hardwood flooring can make.  Your floors will look brand new and you even have the option to change the color.  You can go light, dark, mid tones, or red tones. It can really give your home (or room) a whole new look.   If you have hardwood underneath your carpets, we can restore the beauty of the hardwood underneath. It's amazing what a big difference this can make in your home.  And, believe it or not, it is usually less expensive to refinish your floors than to recarpet.  Refinishing your wood floors will also improve your home's value and it will be easier to clean and maintain.   At Floor Coverings International, we are a shop at home service.  We will bring the "... 02/12/2012

  I'm Debbie Grieco, one of the owners at Aqueduct Services, Plumbing, Heating & Cooling. Even with the temperatures much higher than usual for this time of year in Chappaqua, NY.  It is still too cold to open our windows to let the fresh air in. The indoor air polution in a persons home may be two to five times higher than the outdoor air per EPA studies. That is because the indoor air is recycled day after day, month after month trapping dust, pollen, pet dander, mold and much, much more. Indoor air pollutants can give you the syptoms like having the flu such as headaches, nausea and respiratory irritation. Indoor air pollutants can also aggravate a child or adult asthma and/or allergies. An indoor air cleaner can remove pollutants that can cause numerous health related problems. Wit... 02/04/2012

For the third time in the past 4 weeks, I have been contacted by a buyer who chose to call me directly instead of having their agent call me because their offer was not accepted. In each case, I have told the agent-and the buyer when they called- that I'd be happy to know what comparable sale they used to justify their price. In each case, I have heard the same thing in lieu of any other fact: It is a buyer's market. This is what I wrote earlier this week on the "buyer's market:"  the "buyer's market" phrase was thrown around as if it were some childhood game wildcard phrase that granted immunity from logic or true market forces. In other words, there were no other sales they could use to justify their price- it was just a speculative pipe dream.  One of the properties we are dealing wi... 01/31/2012