by: Shannon Bivens

Texture is key in flooring, adding a floor with texture can change the whole look and feel of your home.

Home owners today are considering many different options than in the past. Most experienced home owners are looking for flooring options that can add beauty and personal style to their home, but also last, be durable and beautiful for years to come.

A way to avoid boring is through the use of texture. Texture is one of the most important elements of interior design, and can be applied to every dimension of the room. In stucco, a simple beige wall goes from boring to interesting. A sofa or chair upholstered in softly brushed chenille becomes a personal haven.

Texture is key in flooring as well. And some of the most interesting environments can be created with a hard-surface floor. Nothing warms a room more than a rich, natural hardwood. Its grain works well with any interior design, from traditional to modern. A natural surface like wood can make a contemporary setting look more "homey," less commercial.

Laminates also add texture. This hard-wearing, no-nonsense flooring is a great choice for an active family. One of the newest members of the hard-surface family is cork. Its richly ''burled'' grain adds wonderful character to any room.

All of these choices come as engineered prefinished planks and tiles that simply click together.

There are other ways to add texture. Consider these choices in flooring:

Handscraped or Rustic hardwood floors. Flooring that alredy has a slightly worn look, but it is manufactured to look beautiful and add depth to your decor. Because of the "textured/handscraped/or rustic looks" these floors hold up beautifully. They can endure heavy traffic and not show the wear and tear that other hardwoods do.

Vinyl. Not your old fashioned vinyl, but luxury Vinyl that comes in many various textures or patterns. There are vinyls that simulate leather, or vinyl that simulate had woven rugs, the choices are many.

Cork. It is a very new product to many people. It comes in various looks that have a multi texture feel. And, the patterns are different than any other known popular flooring choices. They are unusual, durable and classically beautiful.

My last suggestion would be Seagrass. Seagrass also comes in many variations. Seagrass is extremely durable and adds a mood to a room like no other flooring. Depending on your pattern choice you can add a rustic look, or a sophisticated look, it;'s all up to you. You can install wall to wall, or just get large Seagrass rugs.

So if you are looking to simplify your decor, yet enhance the room's personality, consider adding texture to your floor and not just your fabric and wall surface.