Everyone always says how exciting it is to build your dream home or renovate an older home into what you have always imaged, however; no one ever tells you the issues and budget cuts you will have to make along the way. Sometimes cutting costs means giving up your master bath that you have planned for years or selecting more affordable tiles over the real marble you have initially wanted... The team at LMP Home wanted our customers to have the best of both worlds!
No one should have to sacrifice their magazine dream home for unexpected roadblocks along the way. As much as everyone loves the real deal (Marble), for some it is not ideal or even a thought. From porcelain and ceramic collections that resemble our genuine natural stone materials to wood vinyl collections that look and feel close to identical to real hardwood floors.
LMP Home's goal is for everyone to be able to create the home of their dreams without breaking the bank and cutting corners, a reasonable a task that many other companies have a time time doing.
Starting With The Basics
Choosing the base or focal point of the room you are designing is the best way start. Once you have the main idea you will easily find other materials (like backsplashes) that pair well together. Themes used to be a huge trend in the earlier decades now the main focus is color schemes, choosing one color and following with other accent colors that compliment each other nicely. By choosing the base (flooring)/ focal point of the room you have determined your main color. The following colors you decide to pair will be the accent colors of you choosing. Try picking a base color that you will not grow tired of shortly! Replacing the base color can be challenging and costly, choosing a neutral warm or cool tone is always the perfect bet. If you know this is a color you will not want to keep permanently then try selecting a material that is easy to replace! In some cases, there might be a backsplash that you or your customer adores and they want to plan their space around that specific material which is possible!
Non/Semi Permanent Options
For someone that is looking for a more semi to non permanent option a perfect choice is our LVT Collections. Our vinyl collections are available in two different installation options. We have the stick down application that is simple and easy to install, this option would require a little more work with replacing however, after install the finish product does look seamless. Another installation option we have is the interlocking method, this method is effortless and requires minimal work. With the interlocking/ floating floor method, sometimes this can create an echoing when walking on the floor however some of our collections come with an acoustic pad to reduce the noise. This is mentioned in our product description. These collections are available in various different colors and finishes. Some of our vinyl collections have a rustic look to them that create a more worn and weathered look. For some, that is ideal, however; there are some that perfect a crisp and clean look that we also have available.
Affordable Solutions
Sometimes the "real deal" isn't always the best deal. For some it is critical to have real marble like Calacatta, Carrara, Thassos etc. in their home and for others that is a luxury that is not cost effective. Everyone should be entitled to create the perfect space but without the hefty price tag. As much as we all love the real deal, there are also some pretty good look-a-likes and even some gorgeous designs that are absolutely unique! For someone that is trying to recreate the natural stone look, our Reves de Pierre Collection and Merci Porcelain Collections are amazing replicas of the natural stone appearance. These collections also have a great deal of variety to create that natural stone variation!
The Reves de Pierre Porcelain Collection replicates some natural marble extremely well as well as some twists to create a unique look that is still desirable! This collection also has two different matching mosaics for every color selection that pair effortless together and reduce the hassle of finding the perfect mosaic for a backsplash or a wall accent. This collection is also great for wet areas like bathrooms especially if children and pets are a concern. The honing process is also a costly project when using natural stone if it is not already honed. For wet areas like showers and bathroom floors is it safer for a honed surface.
We also offer many different alternatives for wood flooring! Real hard wood floors is also a costly project that we discussed in an earlier blog. Wood floors are a beautiful and traditional look but can be a hassle for some families. Most hardwood floors need the proper upkeep depending on the wear and tear and foot traction the floor receives. This means floors that are used daily, you will start to notice the stain/color fading and sometimes splinters if the glaze on the wood is fading. Some homes come furnished with beautiful hard wood floors, but not in all cases! Wear and tear on hardwood can mean it needing to be replaced in worst cases, most cases it would need to be sanded to rid the artificial color from the stain, re-stained, and the glazed with polyurethane for that smooth texture that also protects the wood. Now, this can become a costly maintenance that is needed to be done every few years or so, for some people that is not ideal.
LMP Home offers many different alternatives to hardwood floors, one option being the two different types of vinyl we have and we also offer wood porcelain and wood ceramic! These are both great options for bathroom and kitchen floors! Cleaning up messes are a breeze and both are scratch resistant that are great for pets!
Our wood porcelain tiles are affordable and feel like their real wood. Most of our wood tiles are made to look and feel like real wood as much as possible. Not identical but similar, these tiles are durable and come in a variety of different colors and wood grain designs. Available in various sizes as well like patterned 24x24 tiles to create a unique pattern with and to mix and match with the other wood porcelain sizes!
Our ceramic wood tiles are also a great alternative compared to hard wood floors and are also more affordable than the wood porcelain tiles! The collections for wood ceramic tiles are similar to our wood porcelain tiles in the sense of a variety of wood grain patterns and colors. When deciding between ceramic and porcelain, porcelain tends to be a more durable material compared to ceramic when dealing with cracks and chips. Now, this a truly a person preference and decision when selecting either porcelain or ceramic. If you do not need a stronger more durable material then ceramic is the perfect option. But, if you know accidents are going to happen and strong objects may fall onto the tile then porcelain would be a better decision for your home.
Both options are great alternatives, when purchasing customers need to consider those little details that can make a difference on their home.
More Affordable Solutions
Some more ways to cut costs on materials can be choosing a more affordable accent wall or backsplash. Now, instead of completely redesigning your idea for the accent wall or backsplash, make these simple changes and you will notice a huge difference! For accent walls, some like a grand statement from top to bottom. Most people do not find this practical and this is the first place they will cut budget from when running into another issue. One solution is try to find the same design in a different material: we offer the same color patterns and designs in different materials to make it more affordable! Another option to make it more affordable is to keep the material you originally desired and pair it with a porcelain field or ceramic field tiles with pencil liners to emphasize the the material you wanted to make the focal point. Same rule applies when designing the backspalsh. Most people put their accent feature behind their stove or sink depending on their kitchen layout.
Another great option that has become increasingly popular are pattern tiles. These tiles are super versatile and are the perfect accent and focal point. Our Paris Collection is available in a 2x2, 5x5, and 8x8 tiles! These tiles are perfect for finishing rooms while adding a hint of color. A popular spot for these tiles are laundry rooms and any rooms that are missing some color.
If you have any questions about the products we use and products you are thinking about purchasing please feel free to email us at info@lmphome.com. Weekly we post pictures of our newest arrivals please be sure to check out our Instagram @lmp_homeinc!
Happy Shopping!
