I went to visit a ceramist friend who had moved to a semi-rural area to begin construction on his dream house. The design theme would center on his hand-made terracotta tiles and décor. It had been in progress for more than a year (and will always be, he says, while he lives) and several of us had made our individual trips to visit and lend our skills and manual labor.

That weekend, we, his friends, were all out there in force: his fellow-ceramists, painters, sculptors, weavers and carvers; even the musicians were there – only to entertain the peons, they said, as their hands were too delicate for such common work (for which they had to dodge banana peels).

The first thing our friend had had built on his property, even before the foundations of his house, was a huge kiln. Our particular program that weekend was to help him load for firing all the pieces we had made and shade dried over the last two weeks.

The ceramists had made a large batch of one-of-a-kind terracotta floor and wall tiles, dozens of slip cast platters, and three terracotta jackets (with holes for the electricals) to dress up his crock pots.

The rest of us had made free standing terracotta sculpture, vases, ash trays, free form plates, mugs, masks and other wall décor.

It was hot and back-breaking work (even the musicians helped) but at the end of the day, singing around the bonfire, occasionally adding wood to the kiln, bellies full, we were as excited as our friend and looking forward to eventually seeing our finished work installed in his house.

I like walking barefoot around the house, even while cooking in our small kitchen.  It used to be a problem because I don’t like walking on cold floors, and our house used to have tile floors. The tiles were beautiful and of very good quality, were easy to clean and water-proof, which was practical especially for the kitchen, but cold to bare feet.

When I saw a sample of laminated bamboo parquet flooring material at a trade show, I knew I had found the right flooring material, not just for our kitchen but also for the rest of the house. Its durability and beautiful warm glow, combined with the water proofing provided by the laminate made it ideal even for the kitchen area.

We still have our area rugs but they are there primarily because they look good against the flooring, and not because my feet need oases of warmth in an expanse of cold tile.

What used to be just the TV/game-room of our house, with the TV, DVD player/recorder, video and audio DVD’s and board games, has become the computer room.  The board games are all but forgotten.

At first we had a problem with the wires snaking across the floor ready to trip the careless, until we came up with the best floor plan suitable for a room full of electronic products.

We decided that the TV and DVD’s should be on one side of the room while the desktops, laptops, notebooks and printer would be ranged on the other.  The “geeks” and the “gleeks” would be facing away from each other.  The geeks, of course, have headsets with padded muff-type ear phones, so the gleeks can listen and sing along to their favorite show without having to muffle the volume.

With the help of an electrician, we placed sockets a foot above the floor in the walls behind the computers and the TV, and have no more spaghetti wire traps on the floor.

There is a table off-center, nearer the computer side, where printed material can be collated, homework can be done, and, (hope, hope) board games can still be played.

Whether you are decorating a room or building a house, one of the most important things you need to resolve is choosing the best flooring option for your home. First and foremost, you have to figure out first your likes and preferences as well as examine the overall function of your flooring. If you are done with the questions needed to be considered, the next thing to do is to look for different types of flooring available in the market:

1. linoleum- is typically used in kitchens and baths because it goes unbreakable in fats, oils or grease. The only possible drawback is that standing water may be able to damage it.

2. carpets- are soft, beautiful, and make every room look luxurious. However, they are better placed in a lounge or bedroom because they are difficult to maintain and can easily be stained.

3. wood- can be very traditional, especially when applied to tables in a beautiful chalet-style. It is easy to clean by sweeping and vacuuming.

4. tiles- there are different tiles in the market: ceramic, porcelain, marble and natural stone. You can make a room look very elegant. If you live in a hot climate, they are able to cool your home.

Tropical designs in homes are all about giving any interior an exotic touch. In addition, tropical theme also gives homes a warm welcome to guests. However, you do not over redecorate your interior with swinging palm motifs and the likes. You should be able to just add subtle designs and textures by just applying few but larger tropical interior pieces and accessories.

Remember that going out in tropics gives you that breezy, comfortable but elegant setting. You should be able to have fun and just relax. You should be able to incorporate related furniture pieces to acquire exactly this kind of set-up. You can start decorating your space with the proper flooring for tropical themed room. Pick a flooring design that has “wood” feel into it. You can use any kind of flooring as long as you can see some brown or wood texture into your floor. 

Hardwoods are great choice. They give that rustic and chic look for your tropical design. If you like to opt for tiles, you can find wood-like tile flooring that look just perfect as hardwood. You can top your flooring with the proper area rug as well.

Area rugs can make your room warm and cozy. Try to compliment the brown and natural color scheme of your floor with a brightly colored area rug. This will remind you of endless summer. You can pick colors like yellow, blue, green or even light pastel colors.