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Let’s Talk Retail Store Design: Choosing the Correct Hard Surface Flooring for Your Showroom | October 22, 2020 (4 comments)
West Bloomfield, MI--Many jewelry store owners contact me with the question: What is the best hard surface flooring to use in my showroom? Technological advances in commercial flooring have created a variety of applications that have made installation and maintenance more cost efficient and manageable, while delivering a long-term return on investment. As a commercial designer for over 35 years, I want to keep it very simple in the selections of flooring that are in the majority of my interior design projects.
If you would like a more elegant or organic look, I would go with 100% porcelain tiles. The variety of tiles can range from a shinny marble to a textured stone look.
Porcelain tiles are highly resistant to wear and tear, and they are low maintenance. The porcelain tiles last longer over the years compared to standard ceramic tiles. The price ranges from $3.00-$6.00. The price of tile will increase if choosing special porcelain tile from Italy, etc.
The size of the tile is 24” x 24 in the picture below of Belle Jewelers in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania, which I designed to create a shiny, upscale look.
My other go-to flooring that I have used for years is luxury vinyl tiles (LVT). The biggest advantage of vinyl plank flooring is the fact that it is 100% water resistant. This means surface water and spills won’t affect the flooring. It is really ideal for commercial spaces. It is great for high-traffic areas, and it wears better than carpet. To name a few manufactures that I have worked with before are Shaw, COREtec, Mohawk, and Armstrong. The vinyl floors should last between 10-20 years if installed correctly and maintained correctly. As an example, the picture of Kelley Jewelers below in Weatherford, Oklahoma reveals a beautiful luxury vinyl tile floor.
There are many other flooring materials but these have been proven in my many years of design to be my two hard flooring favorites.
About the Author: Leslie McGwire™ has over 35 years in business development, interior design, equipment, furniture sales and marketing services in retail space, salons, resorts, spas, and jewelry-based businesses. Leslie has won 25 national design awards, including the prestigious Salon Today and INSTORE Jewelry Store awards. Leslie has a true passion for business, design and the jewelry, salon, and spas industries. Visit lesliemcgwire.com for more information.