When Robert J. Benjamin left northwestern Persia for the United States as a teenager, he had his sights set on the American dream. Born in 1896 in a city now known as Urmia, a trading center with ancient roots that reach back to the 9th century, he was determined to reinvent himself as a...
If you've always dreamt of a home with spaces designed just for the expression of your creativity, now may be the time to make those plans a reality. Whether you want to remodel your current home or build a new residence that includes a special-purpose room, pay special attention to the flooring you choose....
Supply-chain shortages have increased delays in fulfilling orders for new flooring. Does that mean you should forget about renovating your home? Of course not, but it does mean that your order make take a bit longer to fulfill than it would have a year ago. A long list of factors has combined to produce...
Whether your sunroom really is a sunroom, or whether it's actually a three-season room or enclosed porch, you want to outfit it with an attractive floor that's as functional as it is enjoyable. The differences among these three distinct room types actually determine what makes practical sense underfoot. Types of sunny spaces True sunrooms are regular...
New flooring can transform your home and make it all the more enjoyable as a living space. Obviously, this isn't an overnight project, like adding plants to your deck or buying new doormats. You'll achieve your best results if you plan ahead – and you'll enhance your plan if you make sure to include...
Among the stylish looks you can add to a room – or to your entire home, for that matter – hardwood or laminate flooring in varied plank widths and lengths can help you make a statement. From rustic hardwoods that reveal all the knots and character of natural wood to not-so-faux floors...
Step into an older home and you're likely to see lovingly restored original narrow-plank hardwood floors, often made from oak boards. That older 2.25"-3" width standard dominated home designs for decades, but in recent years, homeowners have opted for many alternative widths, as two trends have enhanced the available options for new flooring,...
Rather than chase trends when it's time to renew your flooring, look to traditional choices for lasting designs that never fall out of favor, including checkerboard patterning, terracotta tiles and poured or tiled concrete. If your notion of these options hearkens back to mid-20th-century implementations, freshen up your expectations and prepare to get excited...
"Waterproof" and "water resistant" may sound almost the same, but the two terms define very different capabilities. Water can't penetrate waterproof flooring, period. From outer surface through the core of the material, waterproof flooring won't buckle, swell or warp in response to liquid or humidity. It's a more-expensive option than water-resistant flooring,...
If you've lived with forced-air heat, you know that even in a home with an efficient system, your rooms can develop hot and cold spots. Parents with small children worry about little feet near hot registers in the floor – and no one wants to step into a cold bathroom floor while barefoot....
