Dabbieri Blog

Floors for Pets

Every pet owner knows just how difficult it is to keep their floors clean, especially if your cat sheds or your dog runs in with muddy paws. These days, it’s essential to have a floor that’s not only durable enough to withstand your daily household messes but also looks great. We have the inside scoop on the best performance floors for pets —and the best part? They’re stylish and practical, blending seamlessly into your existing home design themes.  

Stain-Resistant Luxury Vinyl

Luxury vinyl floors are the perfect choice for homeowners looking to create a natural look throughout their home but needing that extra layer of protection. With upgrades in floor engineering, luxury vinyl floors are more durable than ever before, and their scratch, stain, and water resistance make them the ideal option for pets. Providing a significant level of traction for pets, luxury vinyl floors are not too slippery and can reduce the risk level of your pet slipping and sustaining an injury. Since luxury vinyl mimics the look and feel of natural hardwood or stone down to the grain variation and texturing, you’ll never even notice the difference between natural hardwood and luxury vinyl.

Full-Proof Laminate

Laminate flooring is another pet-owner favorite known for its incredible stain resistance and scratch resistance from dog and cat nails. Laminate flooring can have a fresh, modern feel as it now comes in many styles and designs, from grain details that are characteristic of natural wood to stunning stone tile patterns. Look for laminate with an embossed or textured finish, as smooth glossed laminate can be too slippery for pet paws.

Authentic Engineered Hardwood

Le Havre Collection by Dabbieri Hardwood in Maple Cardamom

For those homeowners set on having authentic hardwood floors, we’re here to tell you that this look can be achieved with practical engineered planks. Our line of Louis A. Dabbieri hardwood products offers the highest-quality protection from water, scratches, and stains. With textures such as hand-scraping and herringbone designs, the Dabbieri hardwood brand offers exotic new woods species in an incredible range of natural colors and graining patterns. Some suitable, durable hardwood species that perform well with pets include cherry, maple, oak, hickory, mahogany, and elm.

Naturally Resilient Cork Floors

Cork is a warm and comfy flooring solution. It performs exceptionally well in resisting scratches and other forms of damage from pets. Since cork produces very little noise and is a softer surface to walk on, it makes for a comfortable flooring alternative to hardwood floors. While cork is moisture-resistant to fluids like pet urine, it is recommended that you clean up quickly to prevent further damage. Many of our International Design Guild consultants carry cork floors in their showroom, ranging in design styles and aesthetics. 

Show us how you’ve incorporated pet-proof flooring into your home design!

Infusing Color with Area Rugs

As we emerge from a winter of trending neutrals and muted tones, spring is the perfect time to refresh your home with bright colors. There are a number of simple ways to infuse color throughout your home without having to do a complete overhaul on home renovation. For instance, throw pillows, art pieces, plants and decor items are just a few ways to bring bright hues indoors. But perhaps one of the most affordable and fun approaches to incorporate color is through the addition of area rugs. Rugs are an easy way to liven up a space with texture and this season, there are a number of gorgeous —and colorful —throw rugs that are trending.

Art-Inspired Prints

Celestial Multicolor by Nourison

Are you looking for a new living room rug to complement your exiting art decor? In a nod to contemporary artistry, this Celestial collection from Nourison brings color to any room through abstract strokes of blue, grey, ivory, yellow and pink. These colors hint at the bright world that’s springing to life outdoors, giving us a glimpse into the beauty of the natural world. The blend of tones creates a cool and calming effect through a watercolor-insired print that can lend a eclectic vibe to any space. 

Timelessly Traditional Palettes

Calinda Marlowe Steel Blue-Ivory by Couristan

Create a timeless appeal by adding a vintage-inspired rug to your room, whether an heirloom Persian rug or a hand-knotted Oriental. Insert a modern twist with a hint of blue. In a time of trending blue tones, area rugs infused with blue have become a must-have. With this area rug from Couristan, you can achieve a lasting global look through traditional motifs and classic blue hues. The Calinda Marlowe in steel blue ivory has a balanced textured appearance with a lustrous high-low weave. In a soft palette of metallic tones, this traditional blue rug creates a beautiful focal point with its distinctive hues and intriguing patterns.

Patchwork Patterns

Epiphany Eloi Dim Gray by Karastan

Sometimes bringing in color through a bit of dimension is achievable with a simple geometric pattern. The Epiphany Eloi Dim Gray rug from Karastan resembles a patchwork quilt with its timelessly elegant style and earthy tones. Using an abstract design in your rug choice gives your room an elevated appeal through playful textures that are guaranteed focal points. This modern rug uses a distressed color palette to highlight a contemporary geometric pattern in cool gray and ties together the neutral colors of the living room.

Boho-Chic Designs

Odessa in Ivory Multicolor by Nourison

Create a boho-chic vibe with an area rug featuring natural colors and relaxed patterns. This space-dyed patina in an ivory mutli-color is from Nourison’s Odessa Collection and creates a harmonious balance through yellow, gold and muted blue hues. Its distinctive pattern gives any room a vintage touch. Hand-knotted in New Zealand, this wool rug is versatile and can complement many design themes, including bohemian through its diverse mix of natural elements and textures.

To find area rugs in the styles above, contact your local Dabbieri showroom.

Dabbieri’s Exclusive Emily Morrow Collection

Here at the International Design Guild, we believe that your flooring solutions should be a balanced blend of timelessly elegant and practical in style. That’s why we’ve partnered with designer Emily Morrow to create a new collection of beautiful hardwood floors that are both on trend and are protected against your everyday household messes. 

The Emily Morrow Home Collection uses locally grown North American white oak in rift and quarter sawn hardwoods with pronounced medullary rays that appear lighter among the vertical growth rings. This sawing technique gives way to unique grain-patterns that can add character to any space.

The collection includes twelve exclusive styles available through all of our Louis A. Dabbieri retailers. These stunning styles include Atlas, Atlas Herringbone, Constellation, Constellation Herringbone, Universalis, Universalis Herringbone, Atocha, Celestial, Endeavor, Sojourn, Destination and Far & Away. All of these hardwood flooring styles are OMG Proof™ protected, meaning that any liquids that spill will remain on the surface of the hardwood (important for not seeping into the sub-board) until wiped away.

Below, we’ve highlighted four styles from this gorgeous line to give you better insight into the benefits and features of the hardwood collection. 

Far & Away

This first gorgeous plank from the Emily Morrow Hardwood Collection is designed in a clean, light taupe. Far & Away can brighten a space with its freshly infused alternating gray style that blends a chic mod appearance with the traditional looks of darker woods. Featuring 7-inch wide planks with a five ply core, Far & Away has a signature tailored edge in microbevel. Each plank is protected with an invisible wet finish in a clean matte and can be installed anywhere throughout the home to elevates a sleek and modern appeal.

Universalis Herringbone

This rift and quarter white oak features smaller planks coming in six inches width. Constructed with a thick seven ply core that lends to tougher wear resistance, Universalis Herringbone’s edge profile also features a tailored edge with ultra microbevel. It’s scratch-resistant matte finish makes Universalis Herringbone the perfect pet-friendly flooring for any residential or commercial building. With its light blonde finish, the Universalis Herringbone works well to complement any home design trend no matter how traditional or contemporary.

Constellation

With striations of golden grey hues, Constellation planks can create a stunning visual focal point that will play brilliantly with your existing home decor. Available in six inch planks and featuring a seven ply core, this style of hardwood lends a more modern vibe to a space with its light tones. Constellation’s smooth matte finish brings about a sense of ease and relaxation as its simplicity lets the natural colors of the hardwood material take center stage.

Atlas

Designed in mid-tone browns with subtle copper notes, this Atlas plank will lend a warm, cheery look to any room in your home. With a sixth inch plank and a seven ply core structure, Atlas planks are also available in herringbone style for those looking to create more texture with design in their environment. As we see a trend switch over to medium-toned hardwoods, this Atlas plank is sure to be in high demand. When looking to complement medium-toned hardwoods, keep in mind that these hues marry well with warmer gold and peachy colors.

Creating a Serene Home Environment

You know that feeling you get when you’re in the clawfoot tub with a cup of warm ginger tea and a lit lavender candle? What if stepping into your home could always feel that peaceful? Well perhaps it can with just a few simple design tricks and a bit of re-organization. In today’s crazy world, your home should be your sanctuary —a relaxing safe haven absent of unnecessary clutter. There are a few easy ways to attain a serene home environment from maximizing natural light to incorporating sustainable materials into your home decor. 

Choose a Calming Color Palette

Alluro Silver Castle Polished Mosaic by Emser Tile

First, when designing a tranquil space, you’ll want to choose a calming color palette as the base. The colors on display in your home can have a huge impact on your overall mood as well as the aesthetic of your place. In choosing soothing paint colors such as lighter shades of blue and purple with lilac undertones, you are making a conscious choice to let in more light which can enhance your mood. Create a pleasant atmosphere with natural earth tones such as grays, browns and beiges and bring in spots of color through soft pastels.

Let in Natural Light

Dabbieri x Emily Morrow Hardwood Collection in Destination

Natural light plays a major role in bringing about a peaceful air to an environment. Infuse your home with lots of natural light by having large windows installed throughout your living space and incorporating an open concept style. Hanging mirrors that reflect light can give the room a warmer and brighter feel as well as add the illusion of space. Be sure to install LED lighting, preferably with dimmable switches, as they emit a better quality light and can be adjusted to balance out the room’s natural lighting without overpowering the space with bright bulbs.

Use Sustainable, Organic Materials

Cabin Yosemite Matte/Satin by Emser Tile

When you use sustainable and organic materials throughout your home design, you genuinely feel good about your space. Opt to install a green-certified hardwood floor or a natural fiber rug. When shopping for furniture, instead of shopping at a big box chain, source your items locally and learn how they were made. Not only is this better for the planet, but you’ll also find pieces that are one-of-a-kind and personalized to your taste. Incorporate textures like raw silk, rattan chairs and undyed wool to give your space depth. Find natural statement pieces to complement your existing design like a large piece driftwood you gathered from the beach or a beautiful stone mosaic from your favorite artist. Of course, you can also breathe life into your home by blending in plants and flowers —be it a fresh vase from the farmers market or a sprig of dried echinops globe thistles. 

Showcase Personality

Memoir Petal Black Tile by Daltile

Last but not least, don’t forget to show off a bit of your personality! Choosing to be intentional with your space is key to creating a serene home environment. Declutter your rooms of unnecessary items but keep the small things that make you happy on display. Whether this is a photograph of your favorite family vacation, a fun patterned tile in the kitchen or a piece of artwork that’s been handed down from generations, establishing a space that is uniquely yours is important to create a familiar quality and promote serenity.