If you’ve been following the before/after of Larry West Jr’s. of L West Jr Designs, work on the home of AY publisher Heather Baker, it’s time to learn more about the flooring.

Flooring can be artwork, or it be a blank canvas. West likes to create interest when he lays a floor. In the case of the Baker home, he chose something with “a lot of interest” because the walls were dark, and he wanted to give the room more depth. He says, “I rarely do a pattern with wood but in the case of this porcelain tile, I wanted to give it a fun lay.” He says, “I do that sometimes with a home with all white walls. I might even lay it differently” to create interest.

His philosophy is that “fixed backgrounds such as walls, floors or countertops” cannot be changed easily, but he can always put down an interesting floor by providing depth and dimension that a patterned floor offers.
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The Bakers already had travertine in the home, but West says they were concerned with the room feeling cold if they used more stone or plain hardwoods. He chose a multi-colored porcelain tile that looks like a wood floor which he says brings good warm feelings and ties in the travertine color from the rest of the house and the dark charcoal paint wall color. The flooring replaced the medium pile carpet and was replaced with a mid-range priced tile.

West works often with Starr and Richard Akel of Akel’s Carpet One. He says, “We have been friends for decades, and we work on many commercial projects including the Symphony Designer House and many home projects.” The challenge wasn’t daunting to the Akels; they did everything “they were asked to do especially with their competitive pricing.”

While the Bakers had full confidence in West, they were ready to get their house back. Once they did, they couldn’t have been happier! Check out the finished result here!
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