Johnson Carpet One

The Fifth Wall

2011-01-29T05:32:00.000-08:00

If you are like most people, you wish you had more room in your home. You wish you had space for storage, an extra chair, or cute knick-knacks. But have you ever thought “out of the box”—the box of seeing only 4 walls?

The best way to maximize space is to take advantage of your “fifth wall,” the floor!

Floor space takes specific shapes and patterns and can be utilized in other ways than for walking. Check out the following advice for making the most of your floors.

Choose the right furniture: Tables, specifically dining room tables, do not have to be huge, stealing valuable space from your flooring, especially if you aren’t using it. Purchase compact dining sets that tuck into themselves, saving you flooring space. The same goes for furniture. Select pieces that fit the contours of the room and seat a realistic number of people. Multi-purpose furniture, such as a sleep couch, is also a good idea.
Make use of corners: Often times people don’t use the corners of their home. We figure nothing can fit there, right? Think again. When wall space is at a premium, making use of the space where a wall and carpet meets is important. Corner cabinets that match your flooring are ideal for storage.
Underneath Storage: The space between the floor and the bottom of your bed is typically large and only gathering dust. Use this flooring space for storage. You can place things in boxes or purchase small storage units.
Stylish Storage: Remember that although it’s nice to have floor space, certain rooms don’t need as much. Purchasing baskets or moving storage carts can be placed in various areas around the home for additional storage.

As you are considering your floor space, consider the quality of your floor. Johnson Carpet One has been serving the Grand Rapids, MI area since 1954. We specialize in tile, carpet, hardwood, vinyl and laminate flooring. With the best array of products to choose from and a history you can count on, Johnson Carpet One is the first stop for all your flooring needs.

Friday Inspiration - Koetje Style

2010-07-02T12:47:00.000-07:00

Anytime we get the chance to work with Koetje Builders, we know we're going to see some beautiful architecture. For this years parade, they built a stunning home in the woods. This home is built to harmonize with it's wooded lot, with lots of craftsman detailing and a blend of neutrals that's anything but bland.

Check out the insets in the cutouts of the halfwalls above. They are again echoed in the staircase shown below.

Another great detail that speaks to the amazing nature views is the flagstone fireplace, with a floating wood mantle. Marilyn Kronemeyer, a talented designer on our staff, has worked to pick out flooring that ties all this together.

She uses a stunning hard surface in the kitchen. When I first saw it I was sure it was hardwood. Take a look.

The light and dark tones in the floor tie together the two tones of wood used throughout the home.

Ok, so if it's not hardwood, then would you believe it's actually laminate? Laminates have come a long way, and do a very realistic job, without that heavy pattern repeat that used to give them away. This floor is a high pressure laminate that will stand up to kids, dogs, a dropped pan or two and all the other abuse a family can hand out. We've already gotten quite a few calls asking what that wood floor was.

The palette of neutrals she's used has made the view the star of the show.

And then there's the tile. Don't have a 3x6 subway tile in the colors you want? No problem, just take them in the 6x6s and have them cut down to size. This backsplash is such a great mix of tones and works with the sublte cabinets and fine graining of the granite.

The tile in the master bath is again a neutral with some teeth. It doesn't bore, and when contrasted against the maple cabinet and the blue/gray walls, really stands on it's own.

The tile is used in a smaller format as an accent on the walls of the shower and tub enclosures.

We love Koetje Builders for their vision, their craftsmanship and their attention to details. One of my favorite examples of those things in this house is this doorway. It's not enough to just have bookshelves, but those shelves should match the wood tones in the house, the top of the shelves should be set off by the same stained wood, and then that wood should be brought around the room in a chair rail detail.

What a gorgeous touch, and a perfect example of all the things that Koetje does so well. We love this house, we are honored by the opportunity to finish it with them, and we look forward to what they do next. Thanks so much to the terrific client for letting us be part of the project!

Two more weeks to get your ROAR on!

2010-06-15T12:09:00.000-07:00

How do you make your home look beautiful and help save an amazing animal from extinction at the same time? Come on in and we'll show you! Right now, our Tigressa carpets are on sale with FREE installation through the end of June. We love this deal, let us count the ways!

1) Great softness, strength and beauty, all at a great sale price

2) Free installation (also available on all our Carpet One products)

3) Save the Tigers!

4) Enter the sweepstakes to win a trip to see the tigers in India

Free installation ends June 30, but the sweepstakes continues through August 20.

How can you say no to this face?!

Inspiration Friday ... Spring Parade Part 2

2010-06-05T12:39:00.000-07:00

It's always wonderful to work with Andy Ashby. Not only is he a terrific builder, but he's just so easy going and turns out a beautifully detailed home. His parade home this year is stunning and full of touches and details that make you keep saying 'oooooh'. Let me give you a few "for instances".

Take a look at the coffered ceiling in the living room. All the windows in this room bring in lots of light and an amazing view of the lake behind the house.

Also note the sliding glass door to the left in the room. That's actually an amped up sliding glass door that opens the wall up completely to the screened in porch. Definitely indoor/outdoor living at it's finest!

The ceiling touches continue with a trayed ceiling in the kitchen. Marilyn Kronemeyer, a longtime designer on staff at Johnson's, picked out warm tones and colors to make the most of these ceiling details. In the living room and kitchen the sage green insets set off the white in the detailing. She then plays up these tones with the warmth of the laminate wood floor.

The laminate is a Quickstep floor that has lots of detailing making it look very realistic as a handscraped wood floor.

Another neat touch is the lights in the staircase finials. Each newel post is topped with a lit square. Then in a lit niche at the top of the staircase Andy has tucked in a seat with storage and hooks.

The master bedroom shows off another trayed ceiling, this time in a warm deep caramel. New softer carpet fibers are coming out, and Marilyn is showcasing these in the bedroom and living room. You really have to walk barefoot on these to appreciate the difference these new carpets make. Your toes will be happy!

The attached master bath blends this warm caramel on the floor with the sages used throughout the rest of the house. The tile floor is a mix of both these tones, tying everything together.

A house is made up of hundreds of these details and Marilyn and Andy are a great team at highlighting them. Even if it's already built, we can help you pull together all those details in your own home. Take a look at #9 on the Parade of homes and get inspired. Oh, and if Andy is there, have him open the sliders for you. Trust me, it's worth it!

Inspiration Friday - Spring Parade

2010-05-28T09:10:00.000-07:00

I had the very great pleasure of touring one of the parade homes we worked on last night and am very excited to show the pictures. Gary Byker and Janel Joppie designed and built this masterpiece and their use of space and attention to detail is shown in each aspect of the home.

The home sits on a lake and makes great use of the views. The windows and ceilings are soaring, taking in the vistas from both levels. Note the coffered ceiling detail, so beautiful!

Janel selected a Lauzon hardwood in the Black Walnut to give the upstairs a gorgeous, warm feeling. This product glows and has so much character in the wood, and installed with 3-1/2" and 5-1/2" planks, it really is a show stopper.

The colors in the wood are complemented by the stone and set off by the crisp white trim. Janel was not afraid to use color and incorporated a slate blue that plays off the water in view from the large windows. That blue is again echoed in the office off the master bedroom.

While color sometimes feels scary, using it just in the paint leaves you free to contrast against the neutral whites in the trim or the wood tones in the flooring. I also love the unusual choice of the bedside lighting in the master bedroom. The petite chandeliers give a little bling without being over the top.

The carpets, as all the other fixed elements, are a neutral that get their elegance from both the softness of the brands used, and the surrounding elements.

The lower level family room with it's fireplace and walkouts to the beach.

Definitely a room with a view!

A room to jam in.

This home was a pleasure to work on and we really appreciate the chance to be part of such an amazing project. Seeing it all come together was a treat. We know the home owners are going to love their new home!!

Of course we also hope this inspires you to go out there, tour the Parade of Homes and find some ideas for your own space. Remember to stop by #12 on the map and get ready to be impressed. Then come in and see us and we'll show you how to make your own home a Parade Home.

Inspiration Friday

2010-04-09T09:50:00.000-07:00

Well it felt like Spring and now there's snow on the ground again. We're dying for color and warmth and with that in mind, we bring you some Spring Time Inspiration.

This is a home in Vero Beach desgined by the talented Phoebe Howard.

This is the living room. The turquoise is a bright splash against the crisp whites, and the splash of green gives it an added punch.

Another shot of the same Vero Beach house, using a coral color to set off this architectural element.

The children's bedroom in the house brings in the green from the living room and pairs it with a soft pink and a seagrass carpet.

This picture just says spring to me. It's from BHS and they're using a colorful combo in a stark white room.

Apartment Therapy showcased this exciting kitchen. I love the combination of the turquoise and the bright red.

We've got plenty of options for color at Johnson's to inspire you. Everything from classy, traditional, showcased in Robin's Egg blue from Karastan...

to bright and kicky saturated hues from Fabrica.

Don't be afraid of color. Come on in and let us help you find the hue for you.

Beautiful new home!

2010-04-01T13:16:00.000-07:00

We had the distinct pleasure of working with one of our favorite clients and their talented builder, Koetje Builders, this winter. Marilyn Kronemeyer, an amazing designer on our staff, helped them bring their vision of a comfortable and welcoming home to life. Thank you for throwing your doors open for us to get a look at your amazing home.

This is the look into the kitchen and dinette from the entry. I love the hand scraped wood floors.

Another view of the kitchen showing off the beautiful backsplash. The woodworking is so amazing with the corbels and the rubbed cabinets.

A shot back into the kitchen/dinette showing their gorgeous furniture which is set off by the planking on the floor and the wood finish on the island cabinets.

A view down the hall, showing off the beautiful wood floor and complimenting sage colors. I love how the tones set each other off. Each makes the other look richer.

Looking back the other way you can appreciate the architectural details so inherent in Koetje's style. The white painted woodwork contrasts beautifully with the stained hardwood on the caps and rails, as well as the custom bookcase on the end.

The living and dining rooms. This just makes me want to have a seat and pull out a good book.

Here's the office. What a great space to work in!

Here's the master bedroom. Notice the turret, accented with contrasting beams. This is hard to beat for either a spot to catch a nap or catch up on some reading.

Here's the pool room downstairs. The lower level is a haven for grandkids with a pool table, kitchenette, living area and their own bedrooms and bathroom. I want to be adopted!

Kitchenette

Living Room

Bedroom

Lower level bathroom

We really appreciate the chance to work with this client and their builder, their vision, integrity, cheer, and loyalty mean the world to us. It was a joy and a privilege to be part of this project. Thank you for sharing your home with us!

Johnson Carpet One

Inspiration Friday

2009-09-25T06:52:00.000-07:00

It's Parade time!! For those of you who don't live around West Michigan, this means the Parade of Homes. The local builders put their homes on display for us, the lucky public to take a look at. The fall Parade starts today, and runs through October 10. For our inspiration Friday, we bring you a Parade home we just finished with Ashby Builders and their lovely client. Marilyn Kronemeyer was the designer at our store, and she worked very hard to both stay within her client's budget and also deliver a warm and welcoming home.

Andy always pays attention to details, and you can see that in the stunning entry to the living room. We've used a Resista Soft carpet in here to amp up the comfort level.

This is the back entry off the home, where we've used a Wilsonart Classic laminate floor. This will give you not only a gorgeous look, but the durability you need in those Michigan winters when people track in snow.

In the kitchen, we've used a Mannington Natureform laminate that has the look of tile, but with a lot more warmth. The backsplash is an American Olean tile, in a neutral but using three colors of the 2x2s to give it a bit of punch and tie it into the cabinets.

This is the master bath, with a beautiful deep dark wood vanity. We've used an Olympia tile on the floor and tub surround, which stays neutral, but still plays well with the blue color on the walls.

This home turned out lovely. It's neutral but with surprises of color in different areas. The client was a joy to work with, and brought a lot of ideas to the table. We're thrilled that they're so pleased with the end result.

Go check out the Parade of Homes, support the local builders, and dream a little for yourself.

Don't miss Parade Home #9, Ashby's Parade home!

Rugs for a Cure

2009-09-23T15:25:00.000-07:00

In honor of the Susan G. Komen race for a cure in Grand Rapids this week, we want to let you know that since our rug program began in 2004, Carpet One has raised over $750,000 for breast cancer research. We do that with a donation of 25% of each rug sold.

We have lots of designs already, and here's a look at some of the new ones we'll be getting this fall.

This is just a few of the great designs that will be coming in. You can feel great about putting one of these on your doorstep and helping welcome a cure!

Inspiration Friday

2009-09-18T12:31:00.000-07:00

Wow, it's Friday again and I let a whole week get away from me with no posts! Oh well, what do you want to do after a long week but curl up with a good design book in a gorgeous library and be inspired. Here you go, all in one place!!

This gorgeous space was done by Gianetti Home. Brooke Giannetti writes one of my favorite blogs, and is an amazing designer. Her husband Steve is the architect of the space. You can check out the evolution of the space and the design here.

Even if you don't have the room for your very own paneled two story library, it can provide inspiration for a smaller version in your home. Come on in and we'll help design an area you and your books will love.

Inspiration Friday

2009-09-11T14:08:00.000-07:00

It's Friday finally! After a long week, a great way to wind down is to go through some of our favorite design blogs. As designers, it's important to be inspired, and as far as inspiration goes, Mrs. Howard is big.

This entry is amazing. Lets start with the black and white marble set in a diamond pattern. The workmanship in this is top notch. Then there's the animal print up the black and white staircase which gives you a bit of whimsy. Finally the light blue shade on the walls softens up the look, keeping it from becoming over the top.

Here's another shot that shows the tile better.

Wow, ok, that's gotta inspire the decorator in you! If not, our designers have enough to share. Come on in and let us make your home an inspiration as well!

Everything old is new again!

2009-09-09T12:21:00.000-07:00

We just opened our new Masland samples today and wow! These are a whole new line of patterned carpet made from their luxurious Stainmaster Luxerell™ fiber. This is a fiber that feels like cashmere while performing like Stainmaster. You get all the durability and stain protection with a feel so soft and a look that is stunning.

This new line of theirs is very mod and retro. A few of the pieces look like they could have stepped out of the seventies, but with modern styling and colors. All of these are offered with coordinating borders so you can have them as a whole room or as a rug. Here's a look at a few we thought striking.

I love this zebra print. It's very fresh and would look great as an area rug or a runner.

This is another animal print, but done with a pattern. The Sterling at the top left would be gorgeous in a bedroom.

This last one I looked at and could only think of our old break room back when I was a kid. As an area rug, it would be a great fit with a danish modern dining set. If you're a fan of Apartment Therapy, you've seen a lot of this look coming out of both coasts. Amy Lau from New York does this Mid Century Modern in such a beautiful and updated way that even if you're not a huge fan, you can't help but appreciate it.

The same carpet, but in the lighter shades shown in the upper left, would also look lovely with a dramatic Hollywood Glamour look like the bedroom below. This is the other new-old look we're starting to see come back in a new way. Dorothy Draper started this look in the thirties, but we're seeing it revived and updated by designers such as Kelly Wearstler.

Whatever your personal style, we've got you covered. We're interested in all of them, and have a large and diverse selection to be able to find your favorite. Come on in and our designers will help you turn your old into new again.

Ricko and SmartStrand® - the winner is?

2009-09-04T09:05:00.000-07:00

So you think your kids are animals? Earlier we posted about Ricko the Rhino, from the Birmingham zoo. Ricko has been living on SmartStrand® carpet for two weeks now and Mohawk is in charge of cleaning the mess. We're not talking about your basic kid's spilled lunch here, but watching the clean up convinces us a juice box would be no match for this carpet.

There were no rhino's hurt during the cleanup of this carpet, no harsh chemicals used, just Mohawk Floorcare Essentials. This cleaner is non-toxic, with no detergents and completely safe for you and your family. In fact, all Mohawk FloorCare Essentials products have been awarded the distinguished U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s “Design for the Environment” seal.

If you want to see how this carpet stands up to your herd, come on in and have a look at it in person. We think you'll be surprised that such a tough performer is actually so soft and beautiful.

Extended by Popular Demand!!

2009-09-03T17:44:00.000-07:00

It was so popular, we've continued it. Nope, rub your eyes, but you're right, it says WHOLE HOUSE installation for $95. Now I'm not going to spew a bunch of fine print at you, but the rule is that this is carpet and pad, installed in a single family residential home. Unlike some big box stores we could name, there are only three things that are not included: furniture moving, stairs and removal/disposal of your old flooring.

Hurry in because this sale goes to the 12th and then it's over. Really. No we mean it, really. Seriously. Hurry!!

Working with what you have

2009-09-01T11:50:00.000-07:00

You know that dated tile you have? No, don't be embarrassed, we feel your pain. We have some areas that are still living in the eighties as well. Some things you'd love to change but you just have to prioritize and it falls on the back burner. See, we're just like you. Although you can imagine the satisfaction slamming a sledgehammer into all your old decor, for now you have to make it work. We look forward to being able to change out our problem areas, but for now here's what we have to make work.

This is one of our challenges. Although this marble is still beautiful, it's looking dated. We'd love to pull it out and replace it.

This is a shot of the tile that sits right next to the carpet we're replacing. Again, it's held up well but we'd love to do something more interesting and eye catching.

Then there's the gorgeous jade green marble on the fireplace next to the addition. The workmanship on it is amazing, the marble is beautiful, but it doesn't really fit in.

So there's what we have: grey and rose marble at the entry, grey and black porcelain abutting and jade marble in the corner. On top of all that, we have a ramp since we're connecting two old buildings of various heights. What to do, what to do?

At first we considered a lot of the samples from yesterday's blog. However, after looking at the area as a whole, we decided to limit the selection to something very quiet and one color. We narrowed it down to grays and blacks. Here were some of our contenders.

We loved the drama of a black piece and it would certainly make a statement.

Another possibility was this black cut & loop. It has a little less sheen, but the picture doesn't do it justice. It's a deep true black. After much thought, we were afraid the constant traffic through this department may make the carpet always look dirty. There's a lot of salt tracked in during the winter and that doesn't work well with black carpet. We put away the drama in favor of a bit of practicality.

We loved this charcoal, and the fact that it's a cut & loop, but it may be a little too busy. At this point though we're thinking this is the right color direction.

Success!! Here's our choice for the flooring. We love the loop construction and the heather in the coloring. This will provide the practicality we need and still give us some of the drama. We expect it both to wear well and disguise some of the salt tracking through in the winter. We also are picking out a deep charcoal for the walls walking into the space, which should actually set off the jade tile and provide a punch of color when you see the carpet on the back wall.

We'll keep you posted as we make these changes so you can see how old and dated can be dressed up and fit in with new and current. We would love to have unlimited funds to refurbish our entire showroom in one shot, but that's just not reality. Have you got some areas in your house that you have to live with as well? Those don't have to keep you from making any and all changes. We can work within your parameters too and give you something beautiful without breaking your bank. Of course, we're always happy to swing the sledgehammer and change it all when you're ready.

Choices Choices

2009-08-31T14:31:00.000-07:00

We promised you a look at some of our choices for the new Discount. Be careful what you wish for, because there were a lot of contenders!

We were immediately able to narrow it down by realizing we already had a beautiful frieze, a plush and a great patterned wool piece on our floor. With that in mind, we wanted to showcase something different. We were considering patterned cut & loops and loop constructions. Let me show you a few examples.

Cut & Loop carpet construction:

The carpet is made up of sheered off loops (the cut part) and intact loops (the loop part). In a patterned piece, the pattern is made up from these two depths. It can be a tonal piece, where the carpet is all one color and the pattern is subtle from the light reflecting differently on the loops than on the cut fiber. It can also be made up of different colors. The cut & loop construction is very durable and holds up well to higher traffic.

These are a couple beautiful cut & loop patterns from Masland. We are seeing more and more of these in a single color patterned cut & loop.

Although this pattern is geometric, it's a bit more loose and gives it a gorgeous flow.

The second piece is a bit of a play on an animal print. See if you can figure out which. I'll be glad to give you a hint if you need.

Then we also considered some color patterned cut & loops.

Ok, I'm kidding. I was outvoted on this one, but I still think it's a gorgeous pattern. It's very striking and bold and would be so much fun in a playroom.

However, there were a couple other color options we considered.

I like this piece a lot because it gives you some visual interest without being over the top. I think it would look great in a home office.

We're also seeing a bit of a trend to striated colors and we're loving them. They're subtle but still have a bit of a punch.

Here are a pair that are interesting. Although they're using the same colors, they are throwing it off a bit each row to create a bit more of a pattern on the Lakeside.

We'll be posting more tomorrow on what we actually went with for the area, but we wanted to take this opportunity to show you some of the new trends we considered. Overall, the cut & loop carpets give you a great visual option with great durability. We think we'll see more and more of these used in place of berbers. Great way to upscale your rec-room!

Ricko and SmartStrand®

2009-08-27T09:31:00.001-07:00

Who's Ricko you say? Ricko is a black rhino living in the Birmingham zoo who's just had a room makeover. He's living on Mohawk's SmartStrand® carpet.

I must say it's a lovely shade of eggnog (but probably not for long). You can watch Ricko and see the details of the challenge to find out for yourself how it stands up to the abuse. They actually had Ricko pick the color. I wonder how that works with a Rhino. It had to be a hard selection because with SmartStrand® and how it holds the color, there's always a lot of choices.

Maybe part of the reason Ricko likes it so much is because it's partially made from a renewable resource, corn sugar. That's just one of the green aspects of this line, but there's so much more and you can check it out here. We love these carpets because along with being evironmentally friendly they're just incredibly soft. Mohawk is using this opportunity to prove how tough and cleanable they are too.

We were so impressed when we received our first box of samples and it literally fwhoooshed up (that's a scientific term by the way) out of the box. This is the first time we had received a deep plush that we didn't have to fluff up. I'm glad to hear that it can stand up to a Rhino since we recently put it in our own showroom seating area.

'

We find kids (and a few adults) lying down in this carpet all the time so we figure it's a hit. It is certainly soft and deep and napworthy. The hard part was choosing the color since there's so many to pick from.

We'll be watching Ricko and look forward to new Sorona SmartStrand products. Come in and have a look for yourself. We'll even let you take a nap on it!

Under Construction!

2009-08-26T11:03:00.000-07:00

We're working hard on the new areas of our showroom. First up is the new Discount & In-Stock area. We're going to be displaying the stock carpets, laminates and vinyls we have as well as a lineup of remnants. We're excited to be able to offer our customers this selection under one roof, rather than having to send them down the road to our Discount Outlet. The Discount Outlet will continue to operate, we just are trying to offer more convenience to our customers. Have a look at the progress we're making and please excuse our mess while we try to get this area ready.

This is the opening into the new area. Needs some paint and new carpeting. We've got a few options picked out.

Wow, looks like we have a lot of work to do! We're at the point in the renovation that everyone reaches where it seems it will never be done. You know the part where everything seems to take longer than you like, and none of the fun stuff is going in. We're using that time to hunt through carpets, laminates, vinyls, colors and finishes. It's a lot of fun to go through the showroom and pick out different looks and schemes. Each of our talented designers have a favorite but I think we can reach a consensus.

Since it's a do-it-yourself area, we're looking at installing a snap down floor. Our staff will even give it a go, installing it ourselves so we can give you some first hand information on how that works.

Keep checking back. We'll keep you posted as we progress. In the next few posts we'll give you a look at some of the options we're working with for finishing out this space. Maybe a couple will peak your interest for your own project!

The past year!

2009-08-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

As we look forward to future changes we are making to our showroom, we thought we'd take a quick look back at some of the changes we've made over the previous year. Our first big change came with an entire aisle of the carpet area. We partnered with Karastan to create a new wool boutique, an expanded Karastan selection and the introduction of the Ralph Lauren carpet line. We're excited about these changes and the selections it adds to our showroom. Take a peek!

the new wool boutique and Karastan area

the new Ralph Lauren area

Another exciting addition this year has been the Fabrica line. This line showcases unusual styles and colors. Take a look!

We also added the Unique Carpet line. This line truly is unique. It has wool styles we were all ooh'ing and ahh'ing at. Here's a quick look but you absolutely have to see these in person. Some of them, you can lose your hands in.

These are just a few of the pictures of the additional styles and lines we've added this year. Come in and have a look to see them all and talk to one of our designers about how these could work in your home! That way all your friends can be the ones ooohing and ahhhing over your space.