Trending Designs
In the world of interior design, flooring trends come and go, remember shag carpeting? But hardwood floors have longevity because exude elegance.
The types, styles, and designs of hardwood flooring are numerous making countless options. To help you narrow down the search here are a few of this year’s trends.
WHAT’S CHANGED?
Lighter whitewashed floors used to brighten rooms and blend modern with rustic.
Popular color choices have shifted away from natural shades and moved to the extremes. Owners are looking for flooring options that are bold and that will make their home unique. Therefore, super light and super dark colors are trending while traditional wood colors are out.
Homeowners prefer dark wood finishes, the darker the better. A dark finish shows less of the wood’s grain and less color variation in each plank. Dark floors set with light or white furniture is a striking combination. The downside of using a dark color is it will show scratches and dirt more easily.
POPULAR FINISHES AND SIZES
On the flip side, light finishes have also become popular. People are looking for a light or blonde finish. These lighter colors help make a room seem bigger and brighter.
light oversized wood planks
Lighter and Darker with No Middle Ground
Homeowners want a color that will wash out any natural yellow or gold tones. Just as our dark trendsetters want the darkest they can get, the light trendsetters want the lightest they can get; the lighter the better. Both want colors that are as far removed from natural wood colors as possible.
Grande Wood Planks
Another popular trend is to get creative with the width of the wood planks. Traditional planks are around 2 ¼ inches wide, but lately, people are looking to get planks that are at least 3 inches wide. Larger planks can make a room seem bigger, and that has pushed some homeowners to use planks as large as 7 inches wide. In addition, the wider the plank the more rustic the look becomes.
Another trend I am seeing a lot of is short length planks. People seem to want what’s been pushed into the margins in past years; so pretty much, anything that isn’t what you think of as traditional wood flooring is what’s in. — Juan Gonzalez
Rustic Is Still In
In an effort to gain a more rustic or authentic look many people have started using multiple widths. Wood planks were originally cut to utilize as much of the tree as possible, which meant a variety of widths were used. While this is a popular style there’s a chance it won’t stick around for long. Once this fad has passed it may make your home look dated instead of trendy.
Embracing imperfections is the latest craze. Known lovingly as farmhouse or shabby chic style, owners use a floor’s flaws to add character to the house instead of allowing them to be an eyesore. Farmhouse flooring using multiple width planks, some planks going as large as 10 inches. The most common woods are pine and oak, both of which show knots as well as other details.
Even more popular is the use of reclaimed wood. Reclaimed wood usually has a lot of imperfections and a darker color adding to the vintage look. Using reclaimed wood is an expensive style. But it also means your wood floor will be unique.
There are a lot of choices to make when it comes to hardwood. But a bold striking presentation is one that will never go out of style.
