I was at Starbucks today (I know, but they’re everywhere, thus basically impossible to avoid) and mentioned that I figured out why I think they look so “corporate” and “McDonalds-ish” — the tile flooring.

“You’re, like, obsessed with flooring,” my companion replied. I don’t know about that, but I think mom ‘n’ pop coffee shops with funky old wood floors and big shaggy area rugs are a lot more homey and comfortable than the chain stores with “industrial strength” tile floors. I realize tile’s easier to clean, but I want to feel like I’m in my living room at the coffee shop — if my living room had strangers walking through and demanding coffee drinks while I surfed on my laptop on the wifi connection, of course. That would be pretty cool.

Anyway, I do like flooring, especially wood flooring. I think the floors in my apartment are oak; they’re old and a little scuffed up — I tell myself that adds character — and look pretty good. When I went looking for my apartment wood floors were a must; to me they really set a nice tone for the whole space.

If I were going to install new wood floors, I’d choose bamboo. Yeah, bamboo! It seems to be getting more popular these days since it looks great, is durable and has environmental benefits. Bamboo can grow three to four feet day, so it’s really easy to harvest and renew. It’s amazingly strong with a tensile strength similar to steel. I’m not sure how that translates to flooring strength, but it seems like a good start (my flooring reviews are very scientific, eh?).

Of course my bathroom floor is a whole other story… it desperately needs some good tile to replace the tacky vinyl there now. There’s a place for everything, right? That’s a project on my “in the future” list.

Thanks for enjoying this random rambling about coffee shops and flooring and my living room. Yeah.

Image: Wikipedia/Pbroks1