Designing for Comfort...Two: Select Rugged and Easy to Clean Entry Way Floors

Ways to make mountain rooms more comfortable for living.

1) Install durable stone floors into all entry areas. Stone floors are virtually bullet-proof and hide all manner of dirt and mud as well as drip marks from winter snow and ice. A quick regular vacuming and an occasional scrubbing is all they need for maintenance.

Now, lay down a plush deeply colored area rug on top of the stone. Think of this

carpet as something that you will need to replace in 10-15 years and budget accordingly. Its purpose is to pick up much of the dirt and wet that comes in the door and prevent it from getting tracked further into the house. My own entry has a terra-cotta, blue and green colored oriental carpet that has had the snot beaten out of it for the last 12 years. It’s getting a little threadbare, but it still performs its daily threshold guardian responsibilities admirably.

Prestige Mills

Look for a busy patterned carpet like this beauty from Prestige Mills, above.  This will take a beating and look beautiful for many years to come.  The brown background makes it a perfect option for hiding mountain dirt.

If your taste runs to modern there are many wonderful options to choose from like this Feizy beauty, below.  Just be sure to keep the colors rich and deep!

One last thought, if you can install a large covered porch over the exterior of your entry and use stone on the floor area there, you increase the odds of keeping wet, snow and dirt out of the house all the more.