Jumping On the Bandwagon

As you may already know,

marketing is the center of product inception.

Companies wouldn't know what to produce without knowledge of the current market demand.

Beaulieu/Coronet, one of our long-time partnerships in the carpet manufacturing business, decided it was about time they did the same.

While conducting research pertaining to their specific market share,

Beaulieu realized that 94% of consumers feel overwhelmed when confronted by too much diversity in flooring.

Multiple samples, colors, grades, etc. causes a longer buying-decision process.

Their results also showed that there was a high demand for carpet, but manufacturers were not meeting the demands of the consumers.

In 2007, Beaulieu/Coronet released Bliss Carpets.

Bliss is the first eco-friendly carpet line that Beaulieu/Coronet has ever released.

To simplify the buying-decision process, Bliss sample racks come with easy to follow instructions.

Step 1 is to pick one of their 50 colors.

Step 2 is to pick one the grade and style.

There are 2 grades: Premium and Best.

The styles are essentially the same, but named differently due to the difference in grade.

For example, Breathe Easy is a Premium.

You can get the same style in Best, but it is called Live Fresh.

The 3 style names in Premium are Breathe Easy, Fresh Air, and Relax.

The 3 style names in Best are Live Free, Clean Living, and Restore.

Bliss carpets also contain silver release technology.

This fiber technology prevents fungi/mildew/germs.

Providing your home with fresh and clean carpeting year round.

It is made from 100% recycled polyester.

It also contains Magic Fresh, a self-renewable odor prevention treatment.

Bliss comes with a 60 day "No Questions Asked" warranty.

Besides being a very useful type of carpeting, Bliss also claims it's share of popularity.

Upon its release in winter of 2007, it won the Floor Covering Weekly's Dealer's Choice Award.

Bliss also received the National Floor Trends Styling Excellence Award in 2008.

A Natural Palette

Photo Courtesy of http://www.yolocolorhouse.com/colors_earth.php

As mentioned in an earlier blog,

Marina Flooring has decided to include Yolo Paint in their product selection.

What is Yolo Paint?

Yolo Paint is a no VOC paint that comes in a variety of bases that can be mixed into various

hues.

They became an eco-friendly company in 2005.

Yolo is focused on environmentally-friendly practices and the enrichment of the arts in their

community.

This attitude is displayed in their mission statement:

"We are connected to our community as artists, teachers, environmentalists and a woman-owned business.
Our products are designed to inspire confidence and creativity.
We bring environmental and social values to the workplace.
We are passionate about and committed to what we do every day."

Yolo's eco-conscious approach inspired them to entitle their recent collection:

"Earth's Colors"

The colors that can be mixed our put into several categories

Air

Grain

Water

Leaf

Stone

Petal

Clay

Yolo provides paints for indoor and outdoor needs.

They also provide poster size swatches of the featured colors.

Their recent experiments include Little Yolo.

A non-toxic, washable, interior paint.

These colors come in one group: Sprout

But contain pastel pink, light blue, beige, and yellow.

For more information check out their website:

http://www.yolocolorhouse.com/littleyolo/colors.php

Or come visit our showroom.

Our warehouse contains the color books, various bases and paints, as well as the paint mixer

that creates the hues of your choice.

We also have the sample books for this paint, as well as the sample swatches.

Defining Green [[Terms to Remember]]

Many consumers who have just jumped onto the eco-friendly bandwagon,

have very little knowledge or don't quite comprehend the "green lingo".

I found an interesting article in "Floor Coverings Weekly" that outlines some of the major terms you should know while exploring eco-friendly interior design.

I chose a few that pertain to our particular industry.

Certified Wood- Wood or wood based materials that comply with sustainable forestry practices.

Closed-Loop Process- A manufacturing process that recycles 100% of raw materials and wastes back into the production cycle.

Composite Wood- A product consisting of wood or plant particles or fibers bonded together by a synthetic resin or a binder.

Greenwashing- The practice of making an unsubstantiated or misleading claim about the environmental benefits of a product, service, technology, or company practice.

Post-Consumer Recycled Content- Material used and then recycled by consumers.

Pre-Consumer Content- Material diverted from the waste stream during manufacturing process. It is also knowns as post-industrial material.

Reclaimed Material- Building components that have been recovered from a demolition site and are reused in their original state.

Recycled Content- The weight of recycled material in a product--including post-consumer and pre-consumer material-- divided by the overall weight of the product.

Recycling- The collection, reprocessing, marketing and use of materials that were diverted or recovered from a solid waste stream.

Reuse- The return of salvaged materials to use in the same or related capacity.

Solvent- a component in many adhesive and sealant formulations. Many solvents are identified chemically as volatile organic compounds.

Sustainable- A way of life in which the use of natural resources does not destroy them for future use.

Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) - A carbon compound that vaporizes at normal room temperature. They contribute to air pollution directly and through atmospheric photochemical reaction.

[[Reminder: Our Yolo Paint contains no VOCs (See Above Definition)]]

Marmoleum Mania

Marmoleum.

Probably one of the wierdest words in the flooring industry.

(Besides Bullnose and Baseshoe).

Despite it's awkward name,

it is actually quite popular among recent customers.

The most important factors of it's popularity are it's composition, texture, and convenience.

Marmoleum is considered an eco-friendly product.

So, unlike regular linoleum,

Marmoleum is comprised of a variety of ingredients from around the globe:

Linseed oil from Canadian flax

Wood flour from European trees

Rosin from Portuguese pine trees

Jute from India and Bangladesh

As well as finely ground limestone.

Besides increasing global trade (I mean, look at all the ingredients! Forbo must do more global trading than half the country just for the Marmoleum line!),

It is fully biodegradable when you are done with it

The average life expectancy of Marmoleum is 25-40 years

Not only is it a green product,

it is hypoallergenic and comes in over 35 different colors.

Marmoleum also contains a cork backing, allowing for a firm and confident floor.

Oh, the wonders of technology.

Bamboozled

To contribute to our ever-increasing variety of products,
Marina Flooring has acquired an exceptional array of bamboo floors for magnificent prices.
Our recent acquisition is from the Dansk Hardwood's new eco-friendly line entitled Bamboo Fusion.
As well as delivering high quality bamboo flooring,

Dansk provides excellent benefits to achieve higher satisfaction for their customers and distributors.

This particular line comes in eight different colors:

Auburn, Bordeaux, Cedar, Coffee, Gunstock, Natural, Pinot Noir, Tiger.

As well as being a natural strand, the toughest form of bamboo around...

The line is also 100% Moso Bamboo,

scratch-resistant,

hypoallergenic,

indententation resistant,

and is twice as stable as any other hardwood floor (including Red Oak).

This product comes with a 25 year residential warranty

as well as a 5 year commercial warranty.

As far as installation goes,

this product is available in glue-down as well as uniclic.

Two very convenient processes for such a high-demand product.

Bamboo Fusion has also exceeded World Health Organization standards.

So, what are you waiting for?

[Prices start at only $6.99/sq. ft.]

10 Ways To Add Value To your Home

In an economy such as ours, your best investment is your home. While values are declining in some areas, L.A. - especially the westside - has the the advantage in keeping value. These are the top 10 tips to add more value your home.

1. Paint.
The fastest and easiest way to life to old surfaces - inside and out. Marina Flooring now carries the eco friendly YOLO COLORHOUSE paint line in our showroom. Beautiful colors to choose from. Give your home a frsh new personality!

2.New Appliances.
Obviously it's best to go with the top brands if you can sfford it. Try Craigslist for gently used luxury brands like Viking if you can't afford to buy them off the showroom floor. There are lots of great deals to be found in gently used appliances.

3. Update Light Fixtures.
Thankfully this tip doesn't have to be costly. Go to Restoration Hardware and IKEA for a great selection on a budget.

4. Gut The Bathroom.
This doesn't have to costly either, but necessary if your bathroom is showing age. A new toilet can be purchased at a reasonable price and can make a huge difference. Install low cost vinyl flooring and subway tile. Marina Flooring has a large selection of affordable options!

5.Re-roof.
A really important part of extending the life of your home.

6. Update Your Systems
The flow of your home is depending on your systems like electrical, plumbing and gas. Make sure you have the appropriate professionals come to check your line and make sure their healthy.

7.Install New Flooring.
This is our forte of course. Hardwood is always the best selection and we have what you need no matter what your budget is!

8.Re-Stain your Deck
If you don't have a deck, tend to your landscaping. Even minor upgrades like iceplant, small perrenial or annual borders and container gardens make a large impact and of course add curb appeal!

9. Get New Doors.
A great way to update your look and enhance circulation. Home Depot has a good selection you can buy right off the rack.

10. Paint Your Foundation.
This makes a huge difference. Match the color to the exterior of your home.

Malibu Modern

Malibu is the poster child for green living is southern California, and this house owned by Green Consultant Eric Cadora and his wife Collette Brooks does not disappoint. Excellent choices in design and construction is what makes this Malibu Modern home the greatest "green" example.



Concrete floors, recycled wood crate lanterns, reclaimed barn wood table, block walls



River stone mosaics walls in the shower, and the rest of the bathroom floors ( not shown ) is an azure colored mosaic glass tile mosaic.

The hard surface products for for the floors and shower, among many other green design products are available at our showroom at 1824 Lincoln Blvd. Santa Monica
310-821-3344

Our green design team is looking forward to helping you.

* photos courtesy of Domino Magazine.