I can't stand fake people and I'm not a huge fan of fake floors, so when I walk into a clients home and see laminate or manufactured ANYTHING I want to rip my hair out (right after I tear out the floors). If you're as crazy as I am about keeping things real, fear not, companies have stepped up to the plate and are designing incredibly affordable, durable, attractive alternative flooring. Take the example above…more than likely an image created in photoshop on a designers computer for advertising purposes, but hey, I'd buy it if it would look like that in my house! Take it from this not-so-snooty designer, I recently walked into the gourmet kitchen of a higher end home in the Hudson Valley of New York and commented on the beautiful travertine floors. The homeowner looked at me with a grin and said, "they're as fake as my boobs, honey!" (I didn't say all of the people I visited were terribly classy, did I?). While I wouldn't recommend putting laminate in a million dollar home, I was blown away by these tiles by Armstrong (www.armstrong.com) called "Alterna." At well under $3/square foot, they are guaranteed for five years, come in many colors and sizes and are installed with GROUT so look even more realistic. If you're tired of your boring floors or needing a refresh before putting your home on the market, think of these strong alternatives to create a huge impact.
