In traditional Japanese homes, floors are kept cleaner and more protected because family and guests never wear their shoes in the house. Instead, the entryway has a selection of traditional slippers, which guests change into upon arriving. Some people in the United States would like to follow this practice, but aren’t sure how to go about it. By following these suggestions, anyone can create a no shoes approach for family and friends.

Start with planning for the transition. Pick up a selection of machine-washable slippers in various sizes for both men and women for those people who don’t want to walk around in just socks. Set up a shelf to store the slippers by size, along with a basket or bin for holding the worn slippers for laundering. You may also want to pick up a shoe cubby to store your guest’s shoes without scuffing. Finally, look for a comfortable bench or chair to provide a place to make the change.

If possible, let your guests know about the change in visitor requirements when you invite them. This allows them to plan their footwear accordingly. Be sure to mention that while they are welcome to wear their socks or bring their own slippers, you have a good selection of in-house options for them.

Make sure that your family follows the same requirements. It may be difficult at the start, but soon everyone will be used to taking their shoes off at the door. Be sure no one in your family wears shoes at your parties – if your guests follow a requirement, you and your family should also.

Make sure to thank your guests when they leave for their tolerance of your request. Although the choice is reasonable, it is also uncommon and you want to acknowledge that.

Consider giving this approach a try. Once you instigate this change, you will find that your flooring needs to be cleaned much less often, and your home will stay cleaner in general.

Wood floors and carpets can have a hard time when the weather turns wet and/or wintery. The following multi-step approach will help you protect your floors throughout the seasons.

One doormat alone is not enough to protect your floors. Plan on two or even three steps to addressing the dirt and wet shoes headed your way. Step one is a good outdoor mat. Look for a large one with dual functionality. It should be rough enough to allow guests to scrape off any water, sand, sleet or mud, and absorbent for the wet that comes with the weather. You may love that cute printed doormat, but leave it in the store – a pretty inside floor is more important.

Once inside, add another mat just under the door. There are a number of low-nap, high-absorbency rugs made for this job. This will take the next layer of dirt and wet off your guest’s footwear.

Finally, you may want to add a third machine-washable rug at the entryway to your nice floors. Looking at the amount of dirt that rug collects will help you realize that the third step makes a big difference for your wood or carpeting.

Be sure to take the same approach to every entryway in your home, and your floors will look great all year long!

Do you prefer a casual style in your home décor but long for wood floors? Well, wood works very well in a casual space. To make the design consistent, here are a few style suggestions as you choose your type of wood floor.

If you want relaxed, light woods provide a simpler and more low-key look. A floor such as the one in the photo provides a lovely foundation for this room with a country slant. The light tones work very well with the wicker dining chairs and the basket accessories.

Another element that creates a casual feel involves the variety of wood tones in the floor. A single-tone floor seems more formal and planned. Using a mix of tones makes the floor feel casual, while allowing a variety of furniture materials characteristic of a relaxed decorating style.

The new hand scraped wood floors fit that handmade profile, with each plank having its own personality. A floor with more visible grain and wider planks also sends a casual message. So don’t hesitate to pick wood if your taste is laid-back; just choose the right floor for your design goals.

Thinking in design terms can make a simple dinner buffet into something special. In this photo, the most inviting part of this set-up is how well the look of the buffet table fits with the rest of the room. From the simple candle holder to the denim napkin laid out to hold the serving pieces, everything about the buffet mirrors the taste and style of the homeowner.

Let’s start with color. The reds, greens and golds connect the buffet to other elements in the room, making the buffet feel like part of the space rather than an uneven style element. The rustic console table behind the sofa provides a perfect setting for the food, allowing people to walk along and help themselves. Room on this table is limited, so the host chose to put a fall foliage floral arrangement on a side table where it can contribute to the mood without interfering with the food service.

One change would add to the overall functional success of this buffet. Instead of placing the forks and napkins on top of the stacks of plates, the host could have wrapped them together in individual serving sets and placed them vertically in a glass or pitcher. The table could have handled the space needed, and it would add another height element beyond the candles. This would also smooth out the serving process, which is important to consider with even a small buffet.

What can you do to make your next buffet create a feeling of welcome no matter the menu? Why not take a few extra minutes to consider the design side of your next dinner party?

Adding design to your entertaining plans makes your parties more inviting and adds a fun element to your planning. Spending a bit of extra time thinking about how things look helps you create an environment that makes your guests feel welcome.

Let fresh flowers provide a focus for your design plans. Flowers are inexpensive and simple to arrange, and the extra effort will be appreciated by your guests. Just head to your nearest grocery or warehouse store for a good selection of fresh, seasonal flowers. Select one or two bouquets that fit with your party theme or color choices. With planning, this will provide plenty of flowers for your entire home.

You don’t need to have training or even that much talent to make nice flower arrangements. The photo shown has only two simple stems held in place by a few oranges, but the flowers and fruit create a sense of style and design that’s more effective than many elaborate concoctions. Just be imaginative and let the flowers give you ideas. Not enough vases? Any glassware or ceramic piece that holds water can be incorporated into your plans.

Scatter your arrangements anywhere guests may wander – on your main table, the foyer, and the guest bathroom. This simple gesture says welcome to everyone you invite.

If you enjoy both Home and Garden TV and the Food Network, would you enjoy an opportunity to see the channels do some programs together? How do you think the Food Network chefs would react to an opportunity to develop a space that suits them?

One Food Network superstar, Bobby Flay, has such a characteristic metropolitan style that it’s really fun to imagine his choices. An obvious start for his modern approach is ebony wood flooring. The dark reflective tone provides a natural background for the combo of mid-century and contemporary furniture that suits Bobby.

Bright colors pop in the living space in strong contrast to the dark flooring. A vivid red leather couch – low-slung and tailored – joins two orange chairs for a hot focus against floor-to-ceiling windows that showcase the Manhattan skyline. Accessories run to bright red, oranges, yellows and greens, sharing the colors of a big bowl of peppers sitting on the coffee table.

The kitchen opens up into this room so Bobby can chat with his guests while he cooks, and the dark tones, stainless steel, and bright serving platters keep the spaces connected. What does Chef Flay have planned for tonight? Let’s hope it’s something from the grill!

Are you a fan of HGTV or the Food Network – or maybe both? An interesting set of advertisements connected the two recently when several HGTV stars created sandwiches specially “designed” for clients. Let’s turn the tables and bring some Food Network chefs to our version of HGTV. What kind of spaces do you suppose would suit them?

With her southern style and country charm, Paula Deen is an easy and fun person to start the visit to HGTV. From a flooring standpoint, wide-plank heart pine is the natural choice for Paula. The honey tones match her warm style and the glow of food containing that much butter. A few rag rugs in stripes liven the space by adding softness and color.

Paula could continue the country feel with a pine sideboard to hold platters and serving dishes, and an oversized pine table groaning with enough food to feed family and friends. I’m guessing bacon would be involved.

Finish up the space with some comfortable furniture for leisurely conversations on a hot summer afternoon – upholstered chairs or sofas in soft chintzes that tempt you to put your feet up and nap after a filling meal. Leave it to Paula to create a room that everyone can enjoy!

Furnishing your office involves more than just choosing things that look nice. In order to create a space that really works for you, it’s important to factor in ergonomic issues. Ergonomics considers your size and build to allow you to work comfortably at a computer for a long period of time. Here are a few basic tips:

The right chair is your first purchase. Look for one that can be adjusted so you’re your feet are flat on the floor. From there, your keyboard and mouse should be elbow-height. A keyboard drawer attached under your desk will accommodate this if your desk is too high. Finally, the top of your monitor should be at eye-level. If your monitor size is too large for this, set it as close as possible. Make sure you have some desk space beyond the computer area for those projects you do by hand.

When selecting lighting, make sure your task lighting doesn’t lead to a glare on your monitor. You may also want to add some ambient lighting to create a nice feel in your space.

The final pieces need to meet your storage needs. How many file drawers will your work require? What about bookshelves? Just like in a bedroom, not everything needs to match, as long as the pieces complement each other. If you spend a little time planning your office before you furnish it, your workspace will be both comfortable and attractive.

With school ready to start, have you thought about what you can do in your home to help your child succeed? How about working together to create a space dedicated to homework and school projects?

Homework central for your child doesn’t have to be a big space – just enough room for a desk, chair and bookshelf will do.

Make sure the space is quiet with no distractions such as television, games or phones. Help encourage organization with a few paper-sized storage boxes or file folders to hold projects in process. Include some basic office supplies to make the space feel professional, but look for bright colors and fun shapes to liven the space.

A bulletin board on the wall can hold a calendar with the schedule of assignments and tests, as well as any other reminders that are helpful. Fill the bookshelf with a dictionary and other useful reference books, and any other needed reading material.

With a dedicated homework space, your child or children will have a leg up this year as they start school, and it helps them learn that homework can be more enjoyable if you control your space.