Dabbieri Blog

10 Durable Flooring Options for Families

After what felt like a long winter, many of us are eager to get out of our quarantined homes and explore outside. Sandy beaches, mountain trails, and lazy pool days are calling your name. Chances are you’ll need a durable floor to hold up to your dirty shoes and wet suits this season, so check out our list of the ten best durable floors from our Dabbieri showroom! These flooring solutions all have stunning features, from waterproof sealants to wear-resistant and stain-resistant materials that will last a lifetime.

Baroque’s Bavarian Hardwood

When it comes to hardwood, the more waterproof, the better. Baroque’s Bavarian line showcases a beveled, hand-scraped maple designed with moderate grain. This medium-toned hardwood look is currently trending, and now you can install it anywhere above, on, or below grade.

Atocha Hardwood

Dabbieri x Emily Morrow Collection in Atocha

This white oak plank from the Emily Morrow Collection features a prominent grain pattern and can also be installed anywhere in the home, thanks to its waterproof capabilities. With an “OMG Protection,” this hardwood is ideal for homes with furry friends and can stand up to muddy paws or spills.

Belgo Hickory Hardwood in Black

From Dabbieri’s very own collection of Belgo Hickory, this hand-scraped plank possesses a singular beauty, richness, and depth that is unmatched. Featuring wider planking, the Belgo Hickory in black obtains a sense of natural authenticity and showcases a gorgeous range of coloring in its grain patterns. Engineered to be waterproof and durable, the Belgo Hickory plank is suitable for even moisture-prone environments. 

Artisan Plank

Baroque also offers a line of luxury vinyl planks. Their Artisan Plank comes with a top layer designed to visually mimic natural hardwood in American Pecan coloring. This waterproof plank displays stunning knotted and graining details that are sure to amaze in kitchens and living rooms alike.

Spirit Hill

Our Dabbieri Collection of luxury vinyl planks boast beautiful wood visuals and have the added assurance of a durable wear layer that can weather the demands of everyday living. This product blends across all design elements from modern to traditional, and thanks to its waterproof properties, you can install it in any room throughout the house.

Wythfield Plank

Known for its incomparable beauty and unsurpassed performance, the Wythfield Plank has the striking appeal of weathered pine combined with the strength of luxury vinyl. This solid-core vinyl plank is waterproof, pet-proof, and kid-proof, with features that include a thick wear layer to withstand the most demanding conditions. 

Natural Slate Tile

Slate Attache in Meta White by Daltile

A natural slate tile can do wonders in the high-traffic areas of your house. Give your space a rugged and classic look with stone tiles in natural patterns that show rich color variations. This Slate Attache has all of the benefits of durable porcelain and is easy to clean. 

Large Format Marble Flooring

Structure Gray 3D Ledger Marble by Emser Tile

A beautiful gray marble tile by Emser is the perfect tile for summer activities. Not only is it strong enough to protect against scratches, but it’s long-lasting, making for a gorgeous permanent fixture in your home.

Core Elements’ Carpet Tile

For those looking for a softer feeling underfoot but demanding the performance of high-quality fibers, check out our Core Elements collection of carpet tiles. These carpet tiles are built for commercial spaces so they can handle the tough stains and messes of your home. Durable and easy to install, you can mix-and-match color schemes to suit your space and design theme.

Parsons Haze Wool Blend

Dabbieri Naturals Parsons Collection in Haze

Made with action backing material, Parsons carpet is composed of a wool blend that shows off a beautiful pattern that can easily hide dirt or stains that might accrue. Try installing this carpet in your living room, family room, or four seasons room, so you don’t have to worry about large gatherings and messy foods, and you can make the most of your high-traffic spaces.

This Season’s Best Beach House Bathroom Floors

Let’s face it —summer is a busy season, and you don’t want to waste time inside cleaning off your vacation rental floors. Your beach house bathroom floors are essential to creating a welcoming and functional home for your lifestyle this summer. With kids and dogs coming and going, bathing suits, and drippy towels askew, your bathroom floors probably need to be performance-ready and waterproof. Fortunately, we’ve compiled a list of the best flooring solutions for a beach house bathroom. These floors stand the test of time and elevate your design style with their gorgeous materials and beautiful wood and stone visuals.

Porcelain Tile Flooring

Liverno Ulivo Porcelain Emser Tile

Design a polished space with a bit of porcelain tile. Porcelain is a denser, less porous, and harder option for bathroom floors requiring high-quality performance. Available in a wide variety of stains and water resistance, porcelain is unmatched in design versatility. These days, bright white porcelain tiles and polished marble looks are leading in trendy tile styles. Lighter tiles make small spaces, like bathrooms, look bigger, especially when you use large-format tiles. 

Ceramic Tile Flooring

Colori Blue Gloss Ceramic by Emser Tile

Ceramic tile is another incredible option for beach house bathrooms, as it is impervious to water and holds up to stains quite well. A popular choice for bathrooms with a lot of foot traffic, ceramic tile is trending and comes in various styles and colors and can even mimic hardwood. Visuals that are one with nature are an excellent choice for the beach house, so opt for natural stone ceramics and lighter sandy tones. The wood-look is hotter than ever, too, and our ceramic tiles offer a stunning array of wood species and grain patterns. 

Luxury Vinyl Flooring

Baroque Artisan Collection in Wellington

Luxury vinyl gives you the best of both worlds when it comes to comfort and durability. These floors are dent, stain, and fade-resistant, as well as comfortable underfoot. With luxury vinyl, you have the choice between a traditional hardwood look or a stone look. These floors are practically indistinguishable from their natural counterparts down to their embossed-in-register grain and textured feel. LVT is acoustically equipped to block out sound, making for a quieter environment. And bonus —luxury vinyl is easy to install!

Engineered Hardwood Flooring

Baroque Marine Walk in Oak - Helm

Nail the authentic wood look with genuine hardwood floors that use enhanced engineering techniques to form a robust and waterproof surface. Designed with cross-cut planks fused together with a thin layer of the natural wood species overlaid, engineered hardwood floors perform very well in humid environments as they don’t expand or contract like solid wood does with changes in moisture. Now, there are more engineered hardwood options than ever before and can match your design aspirations whether you’re looking for a contemporary European oak or completing a traditional bathroom with sleek dark mahogany.

Show us what you’ve done with your beach house bathrooms! How have you tied in this season’s trends with your resilient bathroom floors?

Trendy Kitchen Floors

While kitchen trends come and go, and cabinet colors may change depending on the year, your floors should outlast most everything in your kitchen. Finding a floor that’s both sharply modern and resilient enough to endure regular foot-traffic and accidents can be difficult. To make sure you’re protected against spills, water, stains and more, it’s essential to find a floor that’s durable and low-maintenance. So how do you strike that foolproof balance between functionality and timeless appeal? We’re here to tell you that you can nail that perfect kitchen style with a long-lasting flooring solution whether you’re hoping for a sleek contemporary design or leaning towards a traditional rustic look.

Large-Format Tiles

Bee Hive in White, Ivory, Ashgrey, Taupe and Grey by Daltile

As a long-time staple in the kitchen flooring world, tile is known for its strength and low-maintenance style. Available in ceramic, stone and porcelain, tiles have a large appeal because there’s an endless array of options. Plus, tile floors make for an easy clean-up when you make a mess while cooking. We recommend using large porcelain tiles as they are especially popular this season, with a trend towards the hexagon tile. With tiles available in a myriad of colors, materials and designs, they can be used to design unique spaces. Mix and match your larger format pieces or use small decorative tiles to create accent patterns.

Authentic Wood-Look Tile

Theory Gray Porcelain by Emser Tile

If you want the durability of tile but the look of hardwood, then wood-look tile floors are the ideal solution for your kitchen floors. Nowadays, there are thousands of wood-look tile options that are practically indistinguishable from authentic hardwood planks, featuring everything from knotted hickory to gray European oak. Since porcelain tile is the surface with the longest lifespan, you can rest assured knowing that these wood-look floors can withstand the test of time in your kitchen spaces.

Beautiful Waterproof Hardwood

Dabbieri Hardwood Collection by Shaw, Exquisite Midnight Pine

Maybe you’re determined to stick to the original hardwood floors of the past, having set your mind to a traditionally natural look in the kitchen. If this is where you’re heart lies, then waste no time installing waterproof hardwood floors. Our Dabbieri collection features various wood species engineered with a special sealant to lock out moisture on the surface. Whether you’re looking for a dark polished pine or wide-plank white oak floors to brighten your space, our waterproof hardwood is perfect for your kitchen design needs.

Sleek Luxury Vinyl 

Hop on the luxury vinyl trend as this surge in low-maintenance flooring is due to it’s waterproof and wear-resistant properties. Mimicking everything from smooth marble to handscraped oak planks, luxury vinyl flooring is perfect for any home design and compliments many themes from modern to traditional. If you’re looking for a more colorful, patterned floor to create an eye-catching surface, check out the latest updates in the world of sheet vinyl. New fiberglass cores and backing have made modern sheet vinyl much more durable than it’s original form. New colors, patterns, textures and materials for sheet vinyl can lend endless options for beautiful flooring solutions in your kitchen space.

Show us how you’ve incorporated long-lasting and stylish flooring into your kitchen design.

Choosing Flooring for That Lake House Lifestyle

It's that time of year again where spring will soon give way to summer. As we begin anticipating the hot summer days, we also plan our escapes —perhaps a relaxing weekend away at the lake house. This, of course, means that it's time to open up the summer home and prepare it for the upcoming season. What better way to hit the reset button than with a floor refresh? We've compiled a list of acceptable lake-house floors that are perfect for the lake lifestyle and can even protect against muddy dogs running around and small kids tracking in sand and lake water.

Long-Lasting Trendy Tile

Flex Fawn Ceramic by Emser Tile

Tile is one of the strongest and most durable flooring solutions on the market. Available in ceramic, porcelain, stone, there's an endless array of stunning tile designs that are sure to suit your home's aesthetic. Those who want to create a natural, luxurious look opt for a natural stone in travertine, marble, granite, or slate. With its natural strength, stone can endure tough household wear and looks great in high-traffic places like the entryway or bathroom. 

Gorgeous Wood-Look Tile

Mokuzai II Shiro Matte/Satin Porcelain by Emser Tile

Are you looking for a wood-look floor but wanting the strength and wear-resistance of tile? Then install a wood-look tile. Indistinguishable from natural hardwood, wood-look tile has the durability to withstand dirty shoes and wet towels. It can mimic various wood species from sleek mahogany to European oak and holds up great to water. Wood-look tile can even be broken up with ceramic tile, like shown here in the foyer, to add texture and create a unique space.

Elegant Luxury Vinyl

Mount Rose Clay by Dabbieri H2O LVT

As dependable as ever, luxury vinyl floors are an excellent choice for the lake house. With their scratch, stain, and wear-resistant features, you can install these waterproof floors in any room of your summer home. Luxury vinyl can imitate natural hardwood or ceramic tile but is typically on the less expensive side. Our line of Dabbieri H2O luxury vinyl boasts stunning visuals from aged wood to sleek stone. With a thick wear layer that protects against water and can weather the demands of everyday living, these luxury vinyl floors make a perfect companion for any design theme from traditional to modern.

Natural Waterproof Hardwood

Constellation Herringbone by Dabbieri x Emily Morrow Hardwood 

If you're set on an authentic hardwood floor, have no fear, as engineered waterproof floors are now available. For instance, our Dabbieri x Emily Morrow Hardwood Collection houses many hardwood styles and is made of genuine North American white oak. Consider bleached and blanched floors, which involve a chemical process to get rid of the wood's colors to stay with a lake-house aesthetic. This gives a softer white-washed look without losing the trend of natural wood beauty.

How have you spruced up your lake home with water-resistant floors? 

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!