Arizona Wholesale Supply

Are you in the middle of making design decisions for your new or newly-renovated home and finding the process overwhelming? The wealth of choices available to us today creates challenges as well as opportunities. Let’s look at a couple of techniques to help you determine what you really want, whether you’re talking about flooring, countertops, or any other option.

It helps to make some decisions before you walk into our showroom. When you go to buy clothes, it’s easier to start when you know you need a sweater and you can head right to your size. Have you decided on the type of flooring? Consider your family’s needs and your budget, and if possible make this choice before you start shopping. Then, you have more definition and purpose when you start your selection process. You can start the process by browsing out product catalogs, here. (there’s a product catalog for each category)

Don’t allow yourself to get distracted from your goals. Flooring displays are inviting, and you may find yourself wavering from your decision. At that point, ask yourself whether this is a reasonable opportunity to consider another option. If so, talk to your salesperson about your choice, and whether the other option is a viable one for you. Draw on our expertise to help you narrow your choices.

Remember, no matter how much you love everything in our showroom, you can’t take it all home! Make your broad choices and stay focused. Your decision process will become fun rather than frustrating.

We are here to help, all you have to do is ask!

Have you ever seen the HGTV program “Design Star?” The home improvement and decorating channel has its own reality show, and 12 designers compete for their own program on the network. The first challenge faced by the new batch of contestants last week involved decorating a bedroom to match the style of another designer in the group. Some variation of this “white box” challenge occurs in every season of the program.

After watching, it made sense that a white box approach could make flooring decisions so much easier. This doesn’t mean that you should paint your room white, but removing distractions and other style elements may make the basics of the room clearer.

Grab a box and pull the accessories out of the room. Without those smaller elements, the space will be easier to read. Now grab the light chairs and tables and remove them. Finally, if there is any furniture or window treatments that you plan to replace, cover the furniture with white sheets and remove or cover the drapes.

Step back and take a look. This is your room pulled back to your own white box. Pull out your samples and lay them in the middle of the room. Do you have any magazine photos of floors you’ve been considering? Cover the furniture in the photo with your hand and hold the page up to look at as you walk around the room. If you don’t have flooring samples or pictures at home, take a number of photos of the space to bring with you when you look at flooring.

You’ve brought your room down to its bones, and the right flooring should be a much easier decision. And here’s the good news, your room is now half ready for the installation!

Understanding Color: Warm vs. Cool Colors

Often decorators will mention that a particular color is warm or cool. This can be confusing, particularly for those of us who haven’t taken art since primary school. Understanding the difference and meaning of warm vs. cool colors can be a helpful addition to your bag of tools when you are making decorating decisions. The good news is that this concept is easy to learn and apply.

Warm colors are called that because they are the colors of a sunny day. Yellows and oranges, as well as affiliated colors such as orange-reds, yellow-greens, and browns, constitute the easiest to spot warm colors. Cool colors reflect a rainy or foggy day. Blues, purples, turquoises, and some blue-toned reds and pinks make up the cool collection. Colors can vary in their warmth and coolness, so don’t expect to recognize every color as warm or cool right away. If you’re not sure, compare it with others in the space.

Warm and cool colors from a decorating sense behave very differently. Warm colors seem to approach you. They are inviting and energizing. Cool colors are distant, and create a sense of serenity. Because of their characteristics, warm colors work well in dining rooms or areas where conversation and energy are valued. Cool colors are effective in bedrooms, where the goal is to relax and fall asleep.

Most rooms have both warm and cool colors in various combinations. Rooms that are all one or another can be uncomfortable, although you may not be able to determine why. Cool colors keep a warm room more under control, and even a few warm color elements, with their relatively strong visual impact; help a cool room seem more welcoming.

If you’re planning to make some color changes, factor the balance of cool vs. warm colors you want in each room. Experiment by removing a number of warm or cool pieces from a room, to see how it affects the feeling of the space. By factoring in the level of warm and cool color elements in your home, you may be surprised to discover how much more effectively you can capture the feeling you want in each room.