The Kentucky Derby, most exciting 3 minutes in sports and here are 3 exciting old flooring options

The 1st Saturday in May brings us the Kentucky Derby, most exciting 3 minutes in sports and here are 3 exciting old flooring options for your Kitchen, Mudroom and Laundry.

May in Kentucky is a beautiful time of year. The many horse farms have bluegrass brimming and mint juleps in play as the 143rd Run for the Roses takes place. Remembering a walk of the 1995 Derby winner Thunder Gulch’s stable and farm reminds me of the new meeting and viewing pavilion under construction at the time. The horse trailers would back up to a level ‘soft ‘ brick pavers walkway that lined the way to the stud pavilion. This is the place on this particular famous horse farm breeds their horses complete with padded walls and viewing gallery.

So this brings us to 3 different and exciting flooring options for your rugged mudroom. Think Brick. Brick is relatively inexpensive and can easily be installed with a herringbone or chevron pattern with radiant heat giving you a ‘no fuss’ mudroom with a hip look! You can carry this look into your laundry room as well. Brick is often thought of as an outdoor material but bringing it inside for a particular space is renewing its long lasting style. Thomas Jefferson’s Monticello used brick flooring and this is one of our country’s finest designed homes. Brick comes with the following Pros:

Design Flexibility
Sturdiness and Slip Resistant
Affordability
Sustainable
Warm, cozy, appeal

For another flooring option consider Limestone. It comes in various size tiles and warm colors that can give your mudroom, laundry room and kitchen a timeless look different than wood. Limestone tile is resilient and warms a room instantly even though it’s a stone! Its irregularity gives it a natural look and feel. Europeans uses limestone inside the home in many kitchens, pantries and mudrooms for its beauty and endurance. Some Pros for using Limestone:

It is a very sophisticated flooring material that needs minimum maintenance and is exceptionally attractive.
It has longevity and is a flexible flooring material that has a temperature free nature.
It is an ideal flooring material for homes that are inclined to a healthy environment as it is convenient to clean and helps to maintain a hygienic atmosphere.
It provides a comfortable feeling under the foot and is very safe and secure.

Terrazzo is another oldie but goodie ancient material. Terrazzo was created by Venetian construction workers as a low cost flooring material to surface the patios around their living quarters. Originally consisting of scrap marble chips set in clay and sealed with goat milk, production of terrazzo became much easier after the introduction of electric industrial grinders and other power equipment in the 1920s.

Today Thin-set Terrazzo, composed of marble, quartz, granite and glass, is the most widely used installation method. For a residential floor you may use epoxy or a resin binding method to create an elegant floor for either a modern or traditional residential application. Some of the pros of thin-set Terrazzo:

Can be installed over new or existing concrete or plywood subfloors
Highest color availability
Resistant to chemicals, mold and bacteria
Most crack-resistant installation
Easy to clean

As with any of these materials there are Pros and Cons, so before you proceed with any of these options it’s good to do more research and consult with your Interior Designer to make sure these options would work for your home.

Hope you pick the Derby winner, see you in June!