Welcome back to my interior design blog, and thanks for following along with the progress on my 2016 Bucks County Designer House bedroom project.
This week I had a crazy panic moment…the renovations, some of which are being provided by the homeowner, are behind schedule (of course). So now, I’ve been told my floors are not going to get any attention from anyone other than me (the opposite of what I was led to believe when I signed on to this project). In fact, in the course of the bathroom renovation, the floors have been damaged and made even worse with large gouges and so much debris. Yikes!!
Here’s the before photo of the floors in the designer house bedroom.
My space is in the historic portion of the 2016 Bucks County Designer House. The original farmhouse dates to 1860.
Obviously the floors were formerly carpeted, so there are many staples and bits of ancient foam padding everywhere, along with the tacking strips around the perimeter.
I was led to believe the staples and tacks would be removed (most of them have been), and that the floor would be cleaned and polished. After that, I thought, the floor should end up being very pretty, albeit a bit rustic.
As you can see in this photo, the floors are not only filthy, but at times the space has become a dumping ground for miscellaneous items on their way to the attic for storage.
I will, of course, sweep and scrub the floors, but there’s no time (or budget) to completely refinish them in these last few weeks before the house opens to the public on May 1st. So I frantically began searching for alternatives to the small area rugs I had previously planned to use in my space.
My original floor plan looked like this. You can see that I had intended to use a pair of small furry rugs on either side of the bed.
I also planned to place a pair of chairs and small table at the foot of the bed, on a pretty 5′ x 7′ wool area rug.
Now, since the floors are in such bad shape, I’ve decided I’ll need a lot more coverage. So carpeting the entire floor, or at least most of it, is the new way to go.
Wall-to-wall carpeting has seemed to fall out of favor in recent years. I think most homeowners, myself included, gravitate toward beautiful hardwood floors with luxurious area rugs.
The wood in my 2016 Bucks County Designer House bedroom is made of gorgeous wide plank, original historic timbers. Of course I would have loved to keep these antique floors exposed, but, as is often the case, compromises must sometimes be made during the course of a renovation project (especially when there is a deadline involved!).
After agonizing over my options, I finally made the decision to try and find a beautiful piece of simple broadloom carpeting that would fit almost the entire space. If I can find a piece large enough (the room is approximately 13 x 17, including the small alcove), I could have a remnant bound and laid as an area rug to fit nearly the entire floor.
Since I needed something very quickly, I decided to look for a local carpet supplier who could do the binding quickly and deliver the area rug to my space as soon as possible.
Barb-Lin carpet One in Doylestown, PA was very helpful. I worked with Frank Steigerwalt, who ushered me down the stairs of the showroom at 640 North Main Street. In the back of the basement, Barb-Lin has a hidden room containing all types and styles of carpet remnants. The rolls are in all different sizes and are stacked nearly to the ceiling. There was a lot to choose from, but not necessarily in the color, style, or size I was looking for.
Thankfully, after browsing through the many stacks of remnants, I was able to find a beautiful piece of carpeting large enough to cover nearly the entire bedroom floor!
I dragged along my design board, with all my fabric samples and paint colors attached, and searched through the stacks of carpet rolls at Barb-Lin Carpet One in Doylestown. Eventually, I found an elegant piece of carpeting in the perfect size and color for my 2016 Bucks County Designer House bedroom.
I’m so sorry for the terrible photograph, taken with a cell phone, but I didn’t have my camera with me at this time (I hate when that happens!).
Unfortunately, the product info was missing on the carpet remnant I found, so I don’t even have the details on the rug. This photograph is a Tuftex carpeting called ‘Subtle Touch’. It’s super similar, and might actually be the exact product I’m using for my 2016 Bucks County Designer House bedroom floor. The texture is a watery strie effect, using both cut and loop pile, and it looks stunning with the gorgeous Stout textiles I’m using in the room! It’s also a very close match to the bathroom wall color.
Here’s the updated floor plan, using a room sized rug in my Bucks County Designer House bedroom.
The large area rug, created from textured soft gray carpeting, will take up the majority of the floor space. This will create a soft, elegant surface underfoot which is very comfortable in a bedroom space.
I’m pleased with how it will lighten and create a neutral backdrop for all the gorgeous dark wood furniture and sumptuous fabrics I’m using in this bedroom.
So if you’re in need of carpeting, or any type of flooring for that matter, be sure to swing by Barb-Lin Carpet One in Doylestown, and make sure you ask for Frank Steigerwalt. He was extremely helpful and so very nice to work with throughout the process of selecting, having the binding done, and even the delivery of my area rug. I love getting such first-class, personalized service when I’m shopping for something as important as carpeting!
Stay tuned for more updates on the floor and everything else, in my 2016 Bucks County Designer House bedroom. I’ll definitely share photographs of the finished area rug, once it’s delivered, along with all the other progress in the space. We’re getting closer and closer as opening day nears!
Until then, feel free to share my posts and images with your friends on Pinterest, Facebook, Twitter and other social media. I absolutely adore making new friends!
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