Your Cart

No products in the cart.

Author: torlys

What Happens in Vegas, Doesn’t Always Stay in Vegas!

Posted on by torlys

In true TORLYS spirit, we brought the power and excitement of innovation to Surfaces. The booth was designed to capture the essence of TORLYS – to provide quality flooring products through inspired innovation. The centerpiece of the booth was the EverWood staircase waterfall, with water streaming down demo stairs to visually accentuate the key features of this product – waterproof, flush stair nosings and our NEW EXCLUSIVE agreement with Microban!

Introducing EverWood Elite, EverTile Elite and EverWood Vista

This product line expansion is a direct result of unprecedented demand for EverWood Premier and EverTile Premier Luxury vinyl collections launched last year. Market demand has been so strong for this product line, we have ramped up the style quotient and increased the plank and tile sizes for the new EverWood Elite and EverTile Elite products. We also recognized that there was a demand for entry-level products, and as such, we are introducing EverWood Vista – designed specifically for budget conscious customers, who want the performance of TORLYS luxury vinyl at a more affordable price.

TORLYS Signs COREtec® Licensing Agreement with USFloors

TORLYS has recently signed a nonexclusive license agreement with USFloors for a COREtec® license for the EverWood and EverTile core technology. TORLYS has the first license agreement for this category in North America. What this means for you, is that TORLYS is providing state-of-the-art products that utilize patented, licensed technology.

TORLYS Signs Exclusive North American Agreement with Microban®

TORLYS has signed a category exclusive partnership with Microban Intl. for North America – to include Microban® antimicrobial product protection in the production of all its EverWood and EverTile products. Millions of homes in North America have mold and mildew issues every year. EverWood and EverTile luxury vinyl products with CorkPlus® underlay, infused with Microban antimicrobial product protection, inhibits the growth of mold and mildew…for peace of mind and a healthier home.

TORLYS Nailed It!

Another breakthrough innovation: Easy Nail System for TORLYS smart hardwood, cork and leather. TORLYS smart floors are known as best-in-class for all subfloor applications, and now offers a single flooring solution for all levels of the home: above/on grade – nail or float – and below grade – float. Yes you can – nail TORLYS smart hardwood floors!

Spice Up Your Kitchen With These Design Ideas

Posted on by torlys

Looking to bring some life into your home? Try updating your kitchen with some unique design ideas. Whether you’re looking for a sleek minimalist look or a cozy rustic design, there are always new and exciting ways to spice up the heart of your home.

Check out these modern, on-trend kitchen designs that will help you build the kitchen of your dreams.

The Kitchen Fireplace

Image Sources: Houzz, The Kitchn

While fireplaces are usually placed in living rooms or master bedrooms, we’ve recently come across them in kitchens — and we love it! Why wouldn’t you want to make your kitchen an inviting space? If you prefer a modern design, choose a fireplace with clean, smooth finishes and crisp angles (see above) instead of a classic brick design which would provide a more rustic look and feel.

TORLYS Flooring Tip: Choose CorkWood flooring to continue the warm and cozy feeling throughout your kitchen.

The Overhanging Island (with barstools)

Overhanging Kitchen Island Design Idea

An open-concept kitchen may include a living room or dining room, and a simple island with an extended counter for barstools is a great design choice for such a room. The barstools stay out of the way for cleaning and meal prep but are easily accessible when you want to eat meals or socialize in the kitchen.

TORLYS Flooring Tip: Add even more visual length to your kitchen by choosing flooring from the EverWood Designer collection. The long planks are durable and make kitchens look expansive.

Image Source

“Slender Tech” Pendant Lighting

Slender Kitchen Technology Pendant Lighting

Changing your light fixtures is a budget-friendly way to update a space, especially if you add these “slender tech” pendant light fixtures. They make a great addition to your kitchen because they add an inviting soft glow without cluttering your view and the thin wires almost disappear overhead. “Slender tech” lighting works especially well with high-rise ceilings. They bring light closer to kitchen surfaces without drawing attention away from the rest of the room.

TORLYS Flooring Tip: Keep your flooring sleek to match your slender tech and choose from the Colossia collection. These clean and contemporary floors have extra long planks in a soft palette of shades. 

Image Source

Smart Appliances

Smart Appliances In Kitchen Redesign

Smart appliances are the new modern “must-have” for today’s kitchens. Smart ovens, coffee makers, dishwashers, refrigerators, and even countertops are now available. They typically connect to your smartphone so you can preheat your oven on your way home from work, or even brew your coffee from your bedroom. If you’re looking to replace one of your appliances, do your research and consider making a “smart” decision this season.

TORLYS Flooring Tip: Make another smart choice for your kitchen and install Smart Hardwood. Our Everest Twist collection is a smart way to achieve a timeless look with faster, easier and cost-effective installation.

Image Source 

All-Wood Cabinetry

Modern Kitchen with Walnut Colour Wood Cabinetry

Using wood-only cabinetry is a great way to give your kitchen a warm, natural feel, especially with white walls and upper cabinets (like the photo above). All-wood cabinetry offsets and complements the cold look of stainless steel appliances, and still achieve a sleek, modern look.

TORLYS Flooring Tip: Complement wood cabinetry with SuperSolid hardwood flooring. The natural colours in the hardwood keep your kitchen elegant and classic.

Image Source

 Concrete Countertops

Polished Concrete Kitchen flooring with white cabinetry and wooden stools

Thick, polished concrete countertops have a refined look and work well with deep basin sinks. They are incredibly sleek, modern look but can be warm at times as well. They are also an absolute breeze to clean up. If you’re not too sure about the concept, we recommend trying them out on islands or side countertops because they can be a cheaper alternative than choosing traditional marble.

TORLYS Flooring Tip: Install EverTile Premier flooring to enhance the modern design of your kitchen with stunning stone visuals.

Image Source

Stone Wall Backdrops

Stone Wall in A Kitchen for a Kitchen Redesign

Is your kitchen filled with brand new appliances and beautiful countertops but lacking the rustic feel that you want? Stone wall backdrops are a great solution to incorporating depth and warmth in a space and while adding a rural touch to you a new-age kitchen. Just a little bit of stone can transform a space and give it a new look and feel.

TORLYS Flooring Tip: Add more rustic character to your kitchen by installing Artisan Premier Smart hardwood flooring. This collection provides the right balance between old-time charm and classic design.

Image Source

Thick Open Shelving

Open Concept Kitchen Shelving Over a Sink

Open shelving really opens up a space to make it fresher. They allow you to showcase the pieces you’re proud of and make it easy to access your most frequently used items. The clean lines make a design statement and make a space look bigger. Just remember to keep your belongings organized! You can’t hide all your clutter behind cabinetry when you have open shelving.

TORLYS Flooring Tip: Use TORLYS Envique laminate flooring in a kitchen with open shelving to add to the unique details. Envique laminate has textures and colours that are sure to capture attention.

Image Source

 

Adding fresh, modern details to your kitchen can take it from dull to exciting. If you’d like to learn more about TORLYS Floors, send us a message on Twitter or Facebook or contact a TORLYS dealer to learn more.

How to Find the Best Vintage Furniture Shops in Your Neighbourhood

Posted on by torlys

Vintage and thrift furniture shops are becoming increasingly popular, and are beginning to pop up all over cities big and small. These shops are truly a gift. They bring much-needed culture and style, and they are environmentally and budget-friendly by selling recycled materials. Many shops often support local causes too, and are run by volunteers.

Perhaps you’ve just moved to (or are visiting) a new city and you’d love to learn more. Maybe you’ve just gotten a taste for the reclaimed furniture look and want to find out how to whet your appetite over the weekend.

With so many wonderful advantages of supporting your local thrift shop, here are some tips on where to find the best ones in your neighbourhood:

Go off the beaten path

For starters, you’re not going to find many vintage shops in the high street areas. They can’t afford to compete with the pricey real estate of big box stores. The best vintage stores will be tucked away in lesser-known (but equally loved!) nooks of your city. In fact, it’s what gives them their unique charm to begin with.

Use local guides, not tourist ones

If you’ve just arrived in (or are traveling to) a city, it can be tough to find local treasures. It’s almost impossible to get your hands on local newspapers or guides before you actually arrive, so a lot of your work starts when you land on home turf.

Most grocery stores, cinemas, and coffee shops will have local city guides that aren’t available abroad. Smaller neighbourhood businesses (like vintage shops) will have small ad placements in the guides, so be sure to check them out.

Look for local coffee shops

This may sound odd, but we always seem to find that where there’s a really good cup of local coffee, a vintage shop never seems to be far behind. That’s where the everyday city dweller hangs out and shops.

Don’t forget about charity shops

A lot of used shops run by charitable organizations (sometimes called “charity shops,”) will usually do a hybrid of clothing and furniture by donation.

There’s more stuff to wade through at these stores (that may be a positive or negative for you), but you can almost always find the best little gems like pottery, old photographs, books, or furniture pieces. And the prices are awesome because the stuff hasn’t been specifically “selected” for a certain look or style. They welcome donations for a vast array of good condition items.

Use multiple keywords in your online searches

Chances are you’ll have the magical tool of Internet at your disposal. But before you start your online search, remember that many of these shops won’t have websites (although many will be searchable and will show up on Google maps).

With that in mind, here are a few tips. Search multiple terms and use the local lingo. For example, try “reclaimed furniture,” “used furniture,” “consignment stores,” “charity shops,” etc. Be sure to narrow your search down by location. So, if you’re looking for something in a specific area, filter your search. For example, you could use a Boolean search: “reclaimed furniture AND Mount Pleasant Vancouver.” You might find through your searches that there are little shop clusters in different parts of each neighbourhood.

Check out Craigslist or Kijiji for Garage Sales and Fundraisers

The micro version of the vintage store might be called the garage sale. Here’s why: at any given time in the city people will be moving from their homes and selling their stuff. Often, due to a time crunch and the fact that the furniture is used, people are getting rid of stuff at super reasonable prices.

You might also find little events like charity or church fundraisers, which are usually run entirely by donation and take sometimes take on the appearance of a small pop up shop in pedestrian-heavy streets or Sunday markets.

Support your local thrift shop for your next design project

When you support a local used furniture shop, you do a lot of good things for your community. You contribute to the wellbeing of your neighbours and participate in a more sustainable lifestyle.

If you’re looking for inspiration or items for your next design project, start by going for a walk in your own neighbourhood. You’ll enjoy it!

Do you have a local favourite you’d like to share with us? Tweet us or message us on Facebook!

 

Introducing TORLYS Envique Flooring Collection

Posted on by torlys

We are excited to announce the addition of the Envique Laminate Collection to our TORLYS roster.

Envique laminate is a beautifully crafted collection that gives a natural and warm feel to any space. Each style in the Envique collection has its own design story. Long, wide planks, infinitely appointed textures, and trend inspired design have created a collection that is a balance of rustic and modern.

Check out looks from vintage hardwood, patterned concrete, and eye-popping natural pine. This laminate is one you have to see and touch to believe.

The Benefit of New Technology

The benefit of getting a luxury floor today is that you can enjoy all of the engineering that has gone into it. We won’t get too heavy-handed with the details, but you might like to know that Envique Floors are:

  • Designed with a “rollover edge” for authenticity
  • Produced with increased moisture resistance
  • Built to resist wear, burns, staining, and fading
  • Super easy to clean and repel dirt

If you’d like to learn more about this Collection, send us a message on Twitter or Facebook or contact a TORLYS dealer to learn more.

7 Tips for Choosing the Right Floor For Your Home

Posted on by torlys

Choosing the right floor for your home is no easy decision, but it’s an important one to get right.

When you’re choosing your flooring there are multiple elements to consider so that you look at realistic options, stay on budget, and finish your project on time.

Here are seven key tips to make sure that you don’t make silly mistakes during this decision-making process:

1. Consider the Room

As expert contractor, Tom Silva reminds us, during any reno you need to consider the varying needs of each room in the house. That means you’re probably going to pick a completely different floor for a bathroom versus a living room.  Here are some room-specific tips to keep in mind:

  • Living rooms: These rooms are often central open spaces that take a lot of foot traffic. Go for a floor that is highly scratch resistant, and can handle the weight of heavy furniture.
  • Bathrooms: These rooms get wet. A lot. Go for a floor that is mould and mildew resistant. You may also want a more textured floor if you’re looking for slip resistance and something warm on your bare feet.
  • Bedrooms: If your bedrooms are upstairs, chances are you’ll a want a floor with a soundproofing layer. This way you won’t hear trampling feet above you when you’re downstairs.
  • Kitchens: These rooms get a lot of foot (and food) traffic, so go for a floor that is low maintenance and won’t showcase a bit of dirt.

2. Consider Your Lifestyle and Life Stage

This is one of the most important elements to consider: how are you primarily using the space? Do you have kids, pets, lots of people over on weekends?

Getting a great looking floor doesn’t mean much if it becomes a constant chore to upkeep because it doesn’t suit your lifestyle. Be honest about where you’re at in life and choose a realistic option.

That being said, if you’re remodelling or buying a home, it’s smart to think long-term. Are you considering a family? This will make a big impact on your purchasing decision.

3. Honour Your Budget (and Timing)

What’s your price point? Are you looking to do multiple rooms or just one? Get quotes early on based on the square footage of the room. This way, you can map out how much to allocate for the room or multiple rooms, and you won’t run the risk of going way over budget during your renovation.

Timing is also a super important factor to consider. For example, if you’re doing the floor installation yourself, you’ll want to order all the materials well in advance. A special order may take several weeks to arrive.

Pro Tip: If you have leftover flooring after your installation, store it in a safe, dry place. Replacing one plank from your existing stock is much easier and cheaper than sourcing and buying another shipment of your flooring.

4. Think about Future Upgrades

Is this floor remodelling part of a long-term upgrade in your home? If so, it’s worth picking out styles in advance and choosing the best floor that matches those styles. This way your new floor will match your upgrades, not your current, soon-to-be-changed furniture. It may sound obvious, but this key point can often get overlooked.

5. Know your Style

What kind of style inspires you? How would you define your style? When you’re choosing your floor, you want to make sure that it meshes with the vibe of your home. Unless you’re doing a complete remodelling, you’ll want to make sure that it complements your current furniture and uses for the space.

Flooring stores will let you take samples home for a couple days. Definitely take advantage of that. Here’s why: your home’s lighting is much different than that of a retailer’s. You want to make sure that the flooring you pick looks as good in your home as it does in the store.

Pro Tip: Examine the floor samples in your home at different times of the day. You’ll notice how different they look in the day versus the evening. You want to love your floor at all times of the day.

6. Invest in Longevity

Can you easily replace flooring planks or tiles? What’s the warranty? These are the kinds of questions you need to ask as a savvy floor purchaser. There’s no real right or wrong answer to these questions, but you need to think about how long you plan on being in your home and how much the space gets used.

7. Make Your Flooring Count by Planning in Advance

It’s worth the time and energy to plan in advance before buying a floor. This way, you make an informed purchase that you’ll be much happier within the long-term.

How did your last floor renovation go? Looking for more advice on how to choose the right floor for you? The TORLYS Team loves to help. Contact us on Twitter or Facebook to get in touch.

How to Find a (Really) Durable Laminate Floor: Follow this Checklist

Posted on by torlys

High quality laminate floors are exceptionally strong. When they’re engineered to last the test of time, they can take a lot of wear and tear and still look absolutely stunning.

But what does a “durable floor” really mean? We’ve put together a checklist so that you can ask the right questions when you’re shopping around.

Here’s how we define a durable floor:

Checklist item #1: It Can Handle Spills

There’s a good chance that you’d like to install a durable floor in common areas of the home like your kitchen and living room. It’s absolutely inevitable that you’re going to spill something on the floor. Good laminates are super easy to clean and are resilient to liquid so it really just takes a cloth to clean up.

Checklist item #2: It Resists Scratches and Dents

What good is a laminate floor that can’t handle the daily movements of everyday living? Whether you’re setting up your family room for movie night or re-arranging heavy furniture based on the latest design-inspired idea for your home, a durable floor needs to be able to handle it.

Checklist item #3: It Can Take Lots of Foot Traffic

Perhaps, like many of us at TORLYS, you’re a proud resident of the Canadian climate. That means you know what’s like to live through all the seasons. Coming home in muddy boots? Kids running around playing dress up in the dead of winter? Good laminates have you covered. They can take lots of foot traffic, and can wick away dirt and grime like it’s their day job.

Checklist item #4: It is Pet-Friendly

If you have a pet, you can probably attest to the fact that your furry little friend holds the same status as any other family member in your home. And your floor needs to accommodate that. A scratch-resistant laminate floor can handle pets playing around the house.

Checklist Item #5: It Comes with a Warranty

If your laminate floor doesn’t come with a warranty, proceed with caution. Every company should be able to stand behind their product, and if they can’t, you shouldn’t buy it.

Where to Start Looking for Laminates that Last

All of the TORLYS laminate floors are extremely resilient, and have undergone strict regulatory testing to meet our durability standards.

However, if you’re having trouble choosing the exact floor for you, we can help you get started. Use our Floor Finder or the Visualizer to narrow down your options to the perfect laminate.

Buy for the Long Haul – You’ll Thank Yourself Later

When you’re looking for answers about durability, don’t be afraid to quiz your local flooring dealer. Before you buy, make sure that your laminate floor ticks off all of the checklist items so that you can find a floor that looks amazing for years to come.

Want to chat about finding a durable floor that suits your unique needs? Send us a message on Twitter or Facebook and chat with a member of the TORLYS Team at any time!

TORLYS