Page 1 Page 2 Page 3 Page 4 Page 5 Page 6 Page 7 Page 8 Page 9 Page 10 Page 11 Page 12 Page 13 Page 14 Page 15 Page 16 Page 17 Page 18 Page 19 Page 20 Page 21 Page 22 Page 23 Page 24 Page 25 Page 26 Page 27 Page 28 Page 29 Page 30 Page 31 Page 32 Page 33 Page 34 Page 35 Page 36 Page 37 Page 38 Page 39 Page 40 Page 41 Page 42 Page 43 Page 44 Page 45 Page 46 Page 47 Page 48 Page 49 Page 50 Page 51 Page 52 Page 53 Page 54 Page 55 Page 56 Page 57 Page 58 Page 59 Page 60 Page 61 Page 62 Page 63 Page 64 Page 65 Page 66 Page 67 Page 68 Page 69 Page 70 Page 71 Page 72 Page 73 Page 74 Page 75 Page 76 Page 77 Page 78 Page 79 Page 80 Page 81 Page 82 Page 83 Page 84GoodLifeFamilyMag.com MARCH | APRIL 2017 17 HOME & GARDEN Flooring If you want to breathe some fresh air into your home, be sure to do so from top to bottom. According to Steven Pidgeon, CEO of Dallas- based Star Floors, Inc., your choice of floors is very important. “Carpet was a high percentage of the business 20 years ago, but today everything except the bedrooms calls for hard surfaces,”he says.“This trend is due to hard surface prices decreasing substantially.” While wood and ceramic tiles have been recent favorites, wood requires a lot of maintenance and is plagued by issues with pets, staining and moisture. Ceramic tiles make for a cold floor and as a house settles, tiles may become uneven or crack. Pidgeon says the industry has moved away from wood and ceramic to Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT). Companies, such as Kardean (started by former Armstrong Floors executives), IVC (now owned by Mohawk) and US Floors (now owned by Shaw), offer a variety of LVT flooring options. “LVTisnotalow-endmaterial;itlooksasgoodaswoodorceramicandholds up as well or better,”notes Pidgeon.“Patterns are duplicated impeccably; tiles can be printed with patterns; it can be mopped; it doesn’t scratch; it’s easy to clean; and if a tile goes bad it can be replaced inexpensively, as opposed to replacing the entire floor.” In addition, he says, some vinyl tiles have a waterproof core allowing the floor to actually be submerged in water and still hold up. Pidgeon adds that today’s vinyl enhances the value of a house and is even used in $2 million homes. For bedrooms, Pidgeon says, carpets are the way to go, and colors like gold and beige have given way to gray and taupe. There is also new technology that makes today’s carpet better than in the past.The industry has shifted from nylon to polyester, which doesn’t fuzz or pill, has better stain protection and brighter colorization andisasharperlookingyarn,asthetextureortwistismuchmoredefined.Carpet,suchasMohawkSmartStrand®Silkhasbecomevery,verysoft.“Thesesoftcarpetsaregreat for watchingTV or rolling around with your kids,”Pidgeon adds. Many of today’s carpets are waterproof and some, like Shaw Floors LifeGuard, have built-in pet protection, so spills don’t seep below the floor, and the padding doesn’t absorb odors. Star Floors, a family-owned and operated business since the 1950s, conducts business in 42 states in the US and specializes in residential, commercial, senior living facilities and country clubs. Star Floors works closely with real estate agents, and you can even shop at home with a trained professional. Visit Star Floors at starfloors. com for more information. The flooring industry has shifted from nylon carpet to polyester, which doesn’t fuzz or pill, has better stain protection and brighter colorization and is a sharper looking yarn, as the texture or twist is much more defined. “Luxury Vinyl Tile looks as good as wood or ceramic and holds up as well or better.” - Steven Pidgeon, CEO of Dallas-based Star Floors, Inc. Color is Benjamin Moore's 2017 Color of the Year, "Shadow"