Tips from the NAFCO Design Team
Tip #2: Maybe your existing kitchen is a little shabby and dull. Maybe it needs a slight facelift, but you're not exactly sure what will do the trick. Let's see if NAFCO can help. To dramatically change the look of your kitchen in less than 24 hours, a new NAFCO floor is the way to go. If you want to emphasize a sophisticated, cozy country-style look, consider the Saddle colorway from our Hand Scraped™ collection, that feels like a hand-hewn Amish floor. If you want to achieve a more contemporary look, Clouded Ebony from our PermaStone® Bombay™ tile collection will stun you by its resemblance to natural stone.
If you are tired of the same routine layout and want to think a little "outside the box", try a staggered seam install pattern for a refreshing new look. To achieve this look, refer to the diagram to the left.
Tip #1: Many may think they should use small patterns in small spaces, but sometimes doing the opposite achieves a fabulous effect. Dramatically change the look of your room by customizing your own floor. When remodeling a tiny guest bathroom or any room of your choice, try this design tip. A bold, smoky gray and soft, pearly white floor, achieved by alternating tiles in a diamond format, is a classic that guarantees a fresh effect. You can see for yourself by choosing PermaStone’s GemStone in Smokey Quartz, combined with GemStone in Pearl. This elegant palette, resembling river rock, ceramic and marble all in one, will compliment all design aspects in the room, bringing continuity and balance to the overall appearance.
Check back with us for new, exciting design and installation tips
from the professionals at NAFCO by Tarkett.
ASHLEY BAKER, PRODUCT MANAGER, NAFCO BY TARKETT
Ashley Baker, product manager, joined Nafco by Tarkett in 2007 from a position as buyer and manger of a fashion boutique where she researched fashion and design trends around the world. “I continue to study the close association between fashion and residential color and design trends,” says Baker. She is responsible for product development, product introductions, custom products, trade show displays, organizing plant tours, as well as support of the brand’s merchandising and promotion efforts. “I see the relationship most vividly when comparing runway shows with what I see at prominent trade shows such as Domotex, in Hanover, Germany, Surfaces in Las Vegas or Coverings in Chicago and Orlando.”
Baker is a member of the Color Marketing Group [CMG], and attends their regional and annual meetings for color trend updates in residential and contract design. In addition to visits to North American retailers to gauge the tastes of home decorators, she attends Tarkett’s International Design Committee meetings in Nanterre, France, where designers and product managers from around the world share and compare trend research.
Baker is an avid reader of decorating and fashion magazines and viewer of television decorating, remodeling and fashion coverage. Her travels—which have taken her to Australia, the Far East and beyond—provide innumerable vivid impressions. She’s a nature-lover, invigorated by outdoor sports such as hiking, kayaking, camping and running. “I’m fascinated by a culture’s impact on its design and color preferences,” she notes, “and nature inspires many of our product introductions.” Baker’s father is a songwriter, musician and producer. “I was surrounded by creativity as I grew up,” she adds, noting that theatre and photography are two additional passions. Baker graduated from the University of North Alabama, Florence, with a BS degree. She continues to live in Florence when she isn’t traveling the world for business and pleasure.