One of the best things about building a new home is the opportunity to pick out paint colors, carpet, and flooring. With that in mind, here are some of the top trends in flooring that are slated to remain classics.
It Looks Like Wood Flooring
If you love the look of wood flooring but loathe the maintenance, wood-look flooring is the solution you have been waiting for. Using advances in inkjet printing technology, manufacturers can now create a ceramic tile with the look of wood floorboards in your wood grain choice. These wood-look tiles are tough, resistant to scratches, and waterproof making them ideal for homes with pets and children.
Waterproof Flooring
Vinyl and laminate flooring were seen as a compromise in the past for their economic savings as far as a flooring choice versus tile or hardwood floorboards. However, both types of flooring react badly to moisture, and in busy homes, spills happen. Floorboards that get created using the inkjet technology make an excellent solution for most installations and deliver low-maintenance, gorgeous flooring options. There are vinyl floorboards engineered using a waterproof core designed with stone plastic composite (also known as SPC), which is resistant to water and less expensive than solid wood flooring.
Just Add Texture
Along with color options for flooring, textures are also proving popular. When looking into textured flooring, you will run across the term, “hand-scraped” which gives the wood a rustic look with irregularities, much like reclaimed wood. Many manufacturers offer vinyl and laminate flooring options with textures, including some that imitate the knots and grooves of actual wood.
Popular textural elements include:
- Wirebrushed look gives the wood a weathered look and is ideal for hiding dirt that can collect between cleanings in high traffic areas.
- Distressed is a hand-in-hand look with hand-scraped and looks excellent when paired with brick accent walls, fireplaces, and stone elements in a home.
- The reclaimed look has knots, holes from nails, and uneven hues that all lend to the look of wood that has been previously used and then reused for flooring.
Gray and Blonde Tones are Here to Stay
Wood flooring hues in shades of gray and blondish tones meld with a considerable number of decor styles. Gray lends well to everything from French Country to Industrial and even Mid Century Modern. Blonde wood flooring brings a light element to rooms in styles such as Traditional or Coastal. Either of these flooring color choices allows homeowners to change their rooms’ look without the need to update the floorboards.
Sustainable Wood Choices for the Win
Using eco-friendly options in flooring choices has become a critical decision-making point for many consumers. Green flooring choices include cork, bamboo, and oak. Marmoleum is a natural linoleum made from a diverse array of sustainable materials, including limestone, wood flour, jute fibers, and pigments.
One of the most important decisions to make when deciding on the flooring for your home, besides the materials and wood colors you want, is how to add a personalized touch that makes your interior design your own. This can get accomplished using wood designs such as herringbone or randomized patterns when the floorboards get installed.