KFD Blog
The Best Smart Home Gadgets FROM CES 2020
Every year CES, commonly known as the Consumer Electronics Show, takes over Las Vegas and presents the newest inventions. It's the largest tech show of 2020 and features everything from cars to makeup. There are also tons of "smart" gadget to improve your home, or...
Keeping Your Ride Looking Good!
Obviously all of us at Kruper Flooring Design know how to help you keep your home looking good. Well, now we're going to help you keep your car's interior looking good too. DIYing it is a lot cheaper than hiring a professional detailer. With all of the slush, mud, and...
Steps to a Clutter-Free 2020
There's no better time than the new year to declutter. Whether you're getting your home ready for the spring market, or you just have too much stuff, and too little space, here are three tips to help you handle clutter. Ask Yourself 3 Questions When You Go Through...
Terrazzo’s Popularity Continues in 2020
Terrazzo floors, invented by ancient Venetians, loved by mid-century-modern designers, fell out of favor in the 1990s. The past few years have seen it become a popular flooring material once again. Not sure what terrazzo is? Once you start looking for it, you'll see...
Fire Building Tips
At KFD we will design and install beautiful hardwood flooring for your home. But we know that some of you love using hardwood for creating a roaring fire to curl up next to. If you never got around to earning that badge in fire building, and don't know your ash from...
Is Heated Flooring Right for You?
Now that temperatures are dropping you may find yourself reluctant to roll out of bed in the morning and put your nice warm feet on chilly floors. You've probably heard of heated floors, also known as radiant floor heating, but maybe you don't know if they're right...
3 Easy And Inexpensive Ways to Weather-Proof Your Home
Baby, it's cold outside! But that doesn't mean it has to be cold inside your home. December is in full swing, and temperatures have been chillier than normal for much of the month. As the mercury dips, heating bills rise. Here are some easy ways to make sure your...
Help for Holiday Carpet Disasters
Oh no! Did your carpet suffer a disaster over the holiday? Did your favorite aunt drip candle wax on it? Or did your least favorite cousins spill his coffee? Were your kids playing around and knocked makeup onto the floor? Don't worry, we have some fixes for you. Of...
Flooring Fun Facts
It's holiday time, and all of us here at Kruper Flooring Design wanted to share some fun with our followers. So for this week's blog, we gathered 10 little-known facts from around the web about our favorite topic...flooring! Red carpets have symbolized a pathway for...
Let’s Get Those Floors Clean Before The Holidays!
There's only a little over a week to go before Thanksgiving! If you're hosting your entire extended family for a boisterous dinner or if it's only going to be a cozy meal, you'll want to show off your home at its best. And that starts from the bottom up. We've got...
Using That “Carpet” of Leaves
It was late coming, but leaves are finally starting to turn, making for a spectacular color show. But of course, that means the leaves will be littering our lawns soon. And once they're on your lawn you have to pick them up and dispose of them, right? Well, not...
We Love Dogs…But Your Floors May Not!
Fido, Sadie, Daisy or Spot, whatever the canine apple of your eye is named, they can be rough on your hardwood floors. Nails can scratch your beautiful floors, turning them into a real mess. Here are some tips to help make sure your dog doesn't damage your floor. The...
Should You Go Gray?
If you've spent any time on home improvement sites or design blogs, you've probably seen tons of gray. It's a very popular color for walls, but also on floors. Gray can certainly be a striking choice, ideal for a bold statement in a living area. There is also...
Living Room Flooring Design Ideas
This time of year many homeowners are thinking of ways to spruce up their living areas before friends and relatives visit for the holidays. One big-impact upgrade is new flooring. Visitors to your home will instantly notice if you get rid of tired carpets or scratched...
2 Bathroom Floor Trends For Your Renovation Project
When it comes to renovating your bathroom, it can be difficult to come up with a design idea that is both practical for what the room needs while also looking aesthetically pleasing. You don’t want a bathroom that looks like it came from the 70’s but you also want...
Common Flooring Mistakes
Thinking of renovating your home with a new floor? The process is long and complex, with lots of opportunities for mistakes. But when you have a professional, the end result can look amazing. For many people who try to renovate their floor, they end up making costly...
The Top 2020 Trends for Kitchen Flooring
Finding the right flooring itself is a tough job, and the kitchen is the most difficult place. That’s because your kitchen gets a lot of foot traffic and needs the most TLC out of any room in the house. When you’re looking for a kitchen floor, you need to consider...
3 Carpet Trends For a 21st Century Home
The world of carpet is evolving. While many trends come and go, we have 3 here to share with you that we believe belong in a 21st century home. These carpet trends and styles represent what those in the millennial generation are buying and valuing in their homes. So...
3 Environmentally Friendly Floors
Climate change is real, and it’s coming fast. We see it in today’s weather and with massive deforestation happening today. Unfortunately, the flooring industry has a large carbon footprint, but there are ways we can mitigate that. So let’s jump into our tips for...
3 Affordable Alternatives to Solid Hardwood
Planning for your home renovation project? If you’re considering getting a hardwood floor, you might be disappointed at how expensive they can be. Hardwood has its benefits. It can last over a hundred years, it’s very sturdy, can handle a lot of wear and tear,...
4 Tips on Keeping Your Floor in Good Shape
Many people don’t know how to take care of their floors. They usually don’t care for it and end up having to replace their floor sooner than anticipated because it developed a lot of stains, or even mold. Knowing how to take care of your floor requires a little bit...
How to Find the Perfect Rug
Finding the right area rug for your room is one of the most important decisions you make for your home’s interior design. A well designed room is filled with lots of different pieces of furniture, each with their own personality; they need something like an area rug...
3 Things You Didn’t Know About Hardwood
Hardwood floors are by far the most popular option for any homeowner. They are known for their stylistic design and their durability, given that they can be sanded down and repolished. Not to mention that with new technology, hardwood floors can also be more...
3 Things to Know Before Buying a Carpet
Carpets are still in fashion. They’re a great, cheap option for any home. The only reason why some people don’t like them is because they don’t know how to care for them. Carpets look great new, but if you don’t take care of them, they can wear away pretty badly. ...
Should I DIY my Own Floor?
Lots of people are finding new ways to save money on their home improvement projects. There is endless advice on the internet about ways you can save through through making decisions on your own. When thinking about cost, it is good and important to consider, “what...
3 Tips for Environmentally Friendly Flooring
As the recent heat wave has told us, climate change is here, it’s real, and we need to do something about it. It’s an issue that demands our attention from all angles, not just in how we use our straws but in how we use all our resources and how we hold our government...
3 Hardwood Trends That Will Increase the Value of Your Home
When you’re planning to redesign your home, you want to keep your house’s market value in mind. The decisions you make can affect the increase in value of your home. With something like flooring, that means that you need to consider a floor that will add a lot of...
How to Flood-proof Your Basement
It’s that time of year again. When the humidity becomes overbearing, the heat is out of control, and we’re hit with regular doses of flash floods. Every year, these issues get worse. Two years ago, flash floods were not this common. Our environment is changing...
Everything You Need to Know About Subfloors
When you imagine a floor all you think of is the top layer. What is my floor going to look like in my home? But have you taken a moment to ask yourself what’s beneath the surface? Knowing about the full layout of your floor can be helpful in detecting damage and...
3 Tips on Keeping Your Floor Clean
One of the worst nightmares for any floor is a dirty stain. Floors may last a while, but if you don’t take care of them, they will look filthy. There is a point of no return for some of these floors. Stains can be very tough to remove and any floor is susceptible to...
Cheap vs. Expensive Carpet: How to Spot the Difference
When it’s time to remodel your floor, you might find the decision to be very tough. Just the decision on whether to go for hardwood, carpet, or any other type of flooring can be tough. But even then, you have to decide what kind of carpet you want to get. Should you...
3 Floor Facts to Know Before You Buy
Flooring is a complicated world of information that very few people know about. When it comes time to replace your floor, you can easily feel overwhelmed by all the options and how the circumstances of your home affect your decision. But it doesn’t have to be so...
Is Bamboo Flooring Worth it?
Bamboo is one of the most popular trends for modern flooring options. But is it worth all the side effects? There are 3 things to consider when thinking of bamboo flooring: where it came from, susceptibility to water damage, and environmental impact. So let’s jump in....
4 Modern Flooring Trends That Can Transform Your Home
It’s 2019 and it’s time to give your home a fresh new look. You’re finally ready to remodel your home, and you’re going to start by replacing the flooring. Whether it’s for the family or to ramp up the value of the house, a new floor will surely be a huge benefit. ...
What is a Subfloor?
You may have heard this term when talking about your floor. A subfloor is the floor beneath your floor. It’s the foundational support that keeps your floor level and stable. Its importance cannot be overstated. While your main floor may be concerned about looks, your...
5 Signs You Need a New Floor
A bad floor can ruin a home. If it’s not giving an unpleasant look, then it could still be a health hazard depending on what’s going on. We always recommend having a savings account ready in case your floor needs to be redone. You can usually start saving once you...
How to Keep Pets from Ruining the Floor
Pets are animals. The puke and poop and pee and scratch and shed wherever they might please. We love them anyway. But the health of your floor doesn’t have to be a sacrifice for a loving pet. Here are 3 ways you can keep your floor and pets. Clean Urine Right Away...
How to Choose a Good Rug
Every home needs a good rug to pull the room together. But the wrong rug can make your space look like a mess. How do you choose a good rug? There are three factors to consider: size, shape, and color. Getting these three categories right will insure you get the...
Hot or Not? Our Take on the Latest Flooring Trends
Like fashion, flooring trends change every year. Young teens have Teen Vogue and Buzzfeed to make sure they're staying cool. While these magazines and websites are great for clothes, they lack expertise in flooring. We’re here to fill the gap. We’re going to take 3...
Thinking of Having Children? Here are Questions to Ask Yourself When Remodeling Your Floor.
One of the biggest reasons people buy homes is because they want to raise a family. And these considerations are at the top of their minds when remodeling the home. You want to make sure that you don’t make any decisions that you might regret when you have several...
3 Reasons Why You Might Need a Carpet
Flooring is not just about aesthetics or design. It’s mainly about what you need. While hardwood or tile might be beautiful for some, you might find that you really need something a little different. Carpet is an excellent option and alternative to hardwood floor for...
3 Reasons Why You Should Consider A Hardwood Alternative for Your Floor
While flooring trends are always changing, hardwood flooring is consistently the most desired flooring for the average living space. Its combination of durability and elegance, along with the fact that it’s easy to clean has kept it desirable as flooring trends...
How to Find Good Quality Hardwood
Picking a floor is the most basic, but also most important decision for anyone starting a home renovation project. If you’re shelling the money for a hardwood floor, then you want to get really good quality wood that is worth its price. So we created this guide to...
How and When Should I Clean My Floor?
Cleaning your floor might sound as easy as just waiting for it to get dirty and then grabbing the vacuum, but that’s very far from the truth. How often you clean your floor and how you should clean it depends on the type of floor. We have a lot of ground to cover so...
5 Common Living Room Mistakes
One of the most important rooms to design right is the living room. Not only is it the most used room in the house, but it’s also usually the first, and longest, impression any guests will have on your home. Most people are able to make their living rooms look very...
3 Tips on Making Your Home Baby-Ready
Having a baby is a magical experience for any family. When you’re having your first child, you can never be completely prepared for everything that’s about to happen. You can read and read and read all sorts of blog posts and parenting books, but you will end up...
How to Keep Your Carpet Clean
Nothing looks better than a fresh clean carpet. And nothing looks worse than an old, dirty one! So the big question on any carpet owner’s mind is, how do I keep my carpet looking fresh and clean for as long as possible? We compiled a list of the best ways to keep your...
How to Keep Furniture from Scratching Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors a beautiful luxury for your home. No other type of flooring can look as impressive as well done, high quality, and brand new hardwood floors. These floors last for a long time, but the cosmetic benefit of hardwood floors last only as long as you take...
4 Unique Floor Designs that Make Your Home Stand Out
One of the most fashionable trends in the flooring world is the desire to be unique and stand out. It’s a way to express yourself and your love of design in your living space while also adding a lot of personal and physical value to your home. Here are some of the...
A Beginner’s Guide to Creating a Flooring Budget
Any housing project is going to be huge and even daunting, especially for new homeowners. There is no doubt that these projects can are both expensive and necessary. It can be easy to try to find ways you can do it yourself and save as much money as possible. And that...
Is DIY Flooring Cheaper than Professional Installation?
We understand the temptation to do a floor yourself. After all, it’s just ripping out what’s there and putting the new thing on top right? Wrong. While it can be tempting to do the floors yourself, it can actually be more difficult, more time consuming and even more...
The Ultimate Vinyl vs. Hardwood Showdown
Greece vs. Egypt, Sith vs. Jedi, the colonies vs. England. These are some of the most dramatic rivalries of all time, but they don’t come close to the battle between Luxury Vinyl and Hardwood flooring. Today we’re putting this bitter rivalry to rest with the ultimate...
3 Modern Ways to Use Carpet
Carpet gets a little bit of a bad rep these days. Older carpet is hard to take care of, looks outdated, and can look filthy if it’s not cleaned regularly. Nowadays, hardwood floors are the most popular flooring option available, with wall-to-wall carpet having a...
Ideas for Organizing and Decorating Your Basement
Anyone with a basement knows to ask what’s the best way to use it. Should it be used for storage? Everyday chores? Laundry? Your first child’s bedroom? Your hideaway for the secrets you will not reveal? Should it be nicer and cleaner than the top floor or should that...
3 Tips on Affordable Interior Design
Designing your home with intention doesn’t always require an interior designer. There are a few tips and tricks you can use yourself to make your home look a little bit nicer. A few weeks ago we wrote a post about interior design, but this week we want to focus on...
4 Trendy Hardwood Floor Patterns
Welcome to 2019. This year is about bringing more style and personality to your home. Your floors make a big difference in the impression your home gives, and traditional patterns can make your home seem, well...boring. If you’re looking for ways to make your living...
4 Interior Design Tips for Your Home
With 2018 coming to close and 2019 rushing in, it’s not a bad idea to think about design projects for your home. Lots of homeowners have these projects on the backs of their minds so why not dedicate some resources to getting it done? If you’re thinking about doing...
To Refinish or Replace?
To refinish or replace? That is the question. Old floors can be tough to figure out. You want to make sure it’s sturdy and damage-free. But you also don’t want to spend any money you don’t have to. How do you know whether to refinish your floor or replace it? If you...
Do these Colors Match?
When designing your house, it’s important to consider how different elements blend together. You want your floors and walls to match, and you want your furniture to blend in as well. You want a variety of colors and a nice blend of cool and light. You want everything...
3 Common Mistakes that Will Ruin Your Hardwood Floor
Every household has their own ways to keep the house functioning. But sometimes it’s worth rethinking the stuff you do in your home so that you can take better care of it. When it comes to a hardwood floor, you especially want to make sure that it’s well taken care...
How to Keep Pets from Destroying the Floor
We all love our pets. They are adorable little members of the family who deserve the most care you can give them. They help everyone’s mental health and give the kids a sense of companionship and responsibility. A pet is always a worthy investment for your home. But...
3 Floors with the Best Return on Investment
When you’re looking to replace your home’s floor, you want the best return on investment you can get. Your floor is so crucial, not just because it’s the ground you stand on, but because it helps to determine the value of your home-to yourself over time, and for when...
4 Up and Coming Flooring Trends
If you’re thinking of redesigning your floor and are looking for design ideas, these new trends could provide some inspiration. Overall, we are making a trend away from tradition and more towards newer and more creative styles. But above all, the main drive for new...
4 Modern Carpet Trends
We asked a few times in previous blog posts if carpets are obsolete, and while we disagree, we can’t deny that the trends are changing. There are still benefits to having a carpet; it makes your room warmer, is cheaper than hardwood, and is safer for toddlers and...
3 Signs You Need a New Floor
Any homeowner should be prepared for a major home improvement or repair project when the time comes. You do not want to go cheap on something as essential as your home floors, so be sure you are aware of the signs so that you know when your floors need to be replaced...
How to Keep Scratches Off Your Hardwood Floor
Hardwood floors are beautiful and among the trendiest flooring options available. The right hardwood floor on your house can give your home a modern, homey personality, while also increasing the value of your home. It is one of our top recommendations for any client...
How to Keep Your Cat from Destroying the Furniture
While we are a flooring company, we know a thing or two about all aspects of the home, including furniture, how to treat it, and how to protect it. Cats have been among the best friends of humankind since the dawn of civilization, they are loving, adorable, and...
Pros and Cons of Bamboo Floors
Bamboo is one of the most popular trends for modern flooring options. But is it worth all the side effects? Here we look at all the pros and cons of buying, installing, and maintaining a bamboo floor. Pros: Top quality is as durable as hardwood Environmentally...
4 Cheap Alternatives to Hardwood
Hardwood floors are not for everyone. Sometimes your budget doesn’t allow for it, sometimes your floor is too elevated, sometimes you’re worried about possible flooding and moisture, perhaps you’re concerned about the environmental impact. There are many, many reasons...
Are Carpets Obsolete?
Carpets don't have the best reputation. They're hard to clean, wear out, and often don't look too appealing. They look hideous when they're wearing out and can even decrease the value of your home. Carpets have no place in the modern home...or do they? The above...
It’s Time We Start Rethinking Our Basements
Northern Virginia received an unprecedented amount of rainfall this summer. In fact, it rained a whole year's worth in a couple months. We are facing the brunt of global climate change and it will worsen as the years go on. This will mean more flooding, more home...
How to Take Care of a Flood
The northern Virginia region faced a dramatic summer and it's not getting better. Rain storms are much more frequent and much, much stronger than we've seen in recent history. Even this week, we are facing intense rain storms. Flooded basements have gone from a rarity...
Flooring Trends that will Fade vs. Trends that Will Last
Building a trendy home is a tough decision. Flooring is near permanent while trends fade rather quickly. How do you know whether your floor will stay trendy or not? Predicting is not an easy skill, but necessary when considering resale value on your home. While most...
How to Find the Right Vacuum for Your Hardwood Floor
Hardwood floors are all the rage. Since 2016, the installation of hardwood floors in new homes has increased by 6%. A floor that is easy to clean and maintain while able to glow and shine is a convincing sell. But all floors have their own tricks and it's worth your...
Best Wall Paint Colors for Various Hardwood Floor Stains
One of the toughest decisions to make in remodeling a room is what color to paint the wall. There are thousands upon thousands of different colors and undertones. Finding the right color can seem almost impossible when you're searching through that many options!...
Three Tips for Transitioning a Room into an Office
Home offices are becoming much more popular these days. They save a lot of money and can even help your taxes. But transitioning a room into an office is a big ordeal, and you should have a plan before you start moving your stuff. We're here to help with three...
5 Tips for a Longer Lasting Carpet
We've all had this problem before. Your carpet's wearing down and you don't want to see it go away. You sigh and the devil whispers in your ear "just get wood flooring", and you're stuck on the crossroads between the floor you love, and the floor that's more...
How To Create a Family-Friendly Space Anywhere In Your Home
Children and pets have tons of energy and can be very rough on their environments. One of the best things about the current flooring industry is that flooring can be tailored to a multitude of environments and tastes. If you’ve got a house full of hooligans, you’ve...
Top Tips For Commercial Flooring
When selecting a flooring material for your facility, you need to take a close look at maintenance requirements, as they play a big part in the overall lifetime cost of a flooring product. Maintenance costs sometimes exceeding the upfront material and installation...
Top 3 Tips for An Environmentally-Friendly Home
The home improvement industry uses a lot of resources. Not all of these resources, even if they are natural, are procured in an environmentally friendly way. Manufacturers are starting to become more aware of the impact that these practices are having on the...
What is a Subfloor and Why Do You Need It?
Although it may seem simple to tear out old flooring and replace it with a new one, installing new flooring can have several different components, depending on your home and the type of flooring you choose. When you’re selecting a new flooring, it’s important to know...
Keep Your Floors Clean During Your Fourth of July Party!
Summer party season is here! The Fourth of July is the biggest and best reason to throw a summer shindig. Big parties cause big messes! Be prepared to deal with messy kids from running through the sprinkler, lots of guests tracking dirt in and out from the outdoor...
Bathroom Trends We Think Will Be Huge!
With so many choices for your bathroom tile and floors, it’s hard to pick! Kruper’s experts can help design the best fit for your needs. When making your decision, keep the upcoming trends in mind. This will help you pick the best flooring that will stay popular for...
Kitchen Trends on Their Way Out
The kitchen is often the social hub of the household. Many families use it more than they use their family rooms or dens. Families prepare food, share meals, gather at the kitchen table for games and activities and so much more. With spending so much time in the...
The History of Wood Flooring
Wood is a beautiful material that we use for so many things in our daily lives. We use wood in our furniture, kitchen cabinets, the frames of our homes, our flooring, and so much more. Wood is strong, easily obtained, and if properly treated and maintained, will last...
Myths and Facts about Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors are immensely popular in modern home design. While they are definitely not a new invention, their popularity has gone up and down throughout the years. Over time, some myths about hardwood floors have started. Kruper can set these misconceptions...
Mixing Neutrals-How To Make Neutral Flooring Work Within Your Neutral Furniture Design
Neutrals are a classic way to create a warm, soothing, and restful environment. These colors don’t fall into any standard color families on the color wheel, and include black, white, gray, and brown. They are the perfect backdrop for furniture or other elements that...
Design Tricks To Make Your Floors Look Unique
Flooring done right will last a long time. Picking the right design for your space and your personal style is incredibly important to ensure that you will like your floors the day after installation along with the years after. Our friendly and knowledgeable...
Best Flooring Options For Allergy Sufferers
Allergies can be terrible this time of year, especially in Northern Virginia where it seems the trees are boundless. Seasonal allergies can become a huge hindrance for those who are mildly affected down to those who have a severe case. These people not only have to...
Keep Your Floor Safe from April Showers
Rainy days can mean lots of water, dirt, and debris getting tracked inside your house on wet shoes and muddy boots. Water on the floor is a fall hazard and may also cause damage to your flooring. Dirt and debris tracked in on shoes can make for a cleaning nightmare....
How to Get Dents Out of Carpets
Carpet dents happen, particularly when heavy furniture has been placed on top of the carpet in the same position over a long period of time. These dents are called divots and happen when the delicate fibers in the carpet have been compressed. While not noticeable if...
The Best Flooring Types for your Business
The best commercial flooring for your business depends a lot on the line of business you are in! Your business needs and style play a large role when making your decision. Some questions to ask yourself as you make your choice are: -Does the area receive heavy foot...
Should your Refinish Your Floors or Replace Them?
You may have purchased a home with hardwood floors that are in less than perfect condition or yours may be showing their age many years after installation. Should you replace the hardwood flooring or simply refinish your floors and how do you know when it should be...
Transitioning from One Type of Flooring to Another
You may have a home with one type of flooring throughout the entire house, but it is more likely that your flooring needs vary depending on the room of the house. Most people do not have carpeted bathrooms but often have carpet in the bedrooms. Likewise, hardwood...
Planning a Spring Remodel? Here are some Hot Looks for Spring 2018!
Spring is an amazing time to plan a remodel of your home. The weather is warmer, which is conducive to drying cement and paint. Longer hours of daylight also give you more time for remodeling work. You can leave the windows open in case paint aromas linger and it is...
Three Ways To Find Out Which Floors Are Right For You
Flooring options may look amazing in a magazine, Pinterest, or in the showroom, but it can be difficult to visualize how this look will translate to your own home! How do you ultimately choose the flooring that is right for your space? Here are some steps to help you...
How to Get Beer Stains Out of Carpet
St. Patrick’s Day is almost here and if you are hosting a party in your home, it is wise to be prepared for any spills that may happen! Beer is a common part of these celebrations but unfortunately is not the most carpet friendly substance. Keep some supplies on hand...