There are a lot of reasons to like concrete floors.  For starters, they're practical – spill a glass of wine and you can literally hose it off.  Try doing that with carpet!  They're eco-friendly – they can soak up the sun's rays during the daytime and warm your house at night.  And of course, concrete, unlike wood, is a renewable resource.  Concrete is relatively inexpensive, and for those who like a sleek, industrial look, it's incredibly stylish, which is why so many modern offices, restaurants and homes across the globe feature them.  But until now, concrete floors could hardly be described as "pretty."

San Francisco design firm Transparent House Studio is out to change all that with the latest evolution in the concrete floor.  Called "Concrete Art," it involves adding modern design to flooring that is normal regarded as the epitome of simplicity.  The unique concept allows any sort of pattern or design to be applied to the floor's surface either during the pouring process, or later, when the floor has set.  The example we saw featured a floral pattern, but clearly anything from pop art geometrics to stripes to faux "natural" finishes could also be applied.  And if you get the urge to scrawl "Mike Loves Jennifer" across your living room floor, you can probably do that too!