New flooring is one of the most dramatic ways to spruce up a space. It can also be an expensive one. Lawrence City Lifestyle talked with Floor Trader Outlet owner Jerry Jennings about how his warehouse can help with a homeowner's remodeling or new construction project.
LCL: What does Floor Trader have to offer customers?
Jennings: Floor Trader Outlet is the value-driven, in-stock division of the largest flooring co-op in North America. Unlike some outlets, everything is first quality in our warehouse. We don’t sell seconds. We don’t sell off goods or imperfects. All merchandise is first quality, just discontinued, an overstock, or a special buy. We have room-size remnants and huge quantities of flooring for a full house. The quality didn’t change, but the price did.
LCL: What are the most popular kinds of flooring people are looking for now?
Jennings: We have about a 50/50 percentage of carpet versus hard surface flooring. Of course, grey tones and versatile neutrals are still very popular. In hard-surface floors, it's medium-light colors. The trend is turning back to darker colors, which are prettier and more practical in my opinion. I like a multi-tone with a little sprinkle of color. Even if it's subtle, it's a practical camouflage for everyday use. And carpets are quieter, softer and warmer than hard surface floors. It’s your choice!
LCL: What's the biggest misconception about new flooring?
Jennings: Everybody is online and watching the same DIY shows. They see something they like and then realize it's out of their price range. So they come to the outlet to see what we have that's classy and updated but affordable.
LCL: When someone comes here to look for carpeting or flooring, what kind of information do they need to bring?
Jennings: Ideally, bring room sizes. Even if it's just an approximation, we can start estimating based on what they say. Also, if you have samples of woodwork or a pillow from the couch or a bedspread, bring whatever you've got. That will help you decide when seeing your items with the actual roll of carpet or large display of flooring. We have samples, but it's more accurate this way.
Never pick your paint first before your flooring. That's always a mistake. You can be thinking about the color tint you want. You may know you will use green, and we'll work in that direction. But buy your paint last. It's always easier and less expensive to change the color of your paint than flooring. Of course, if the paint is already on the wall, we'll work with it!
To learn more about The Floor Trader Outlet, go to FloorTraderLawrence.com.
