Not every homeowner is a diehard interior design fan, but most like to have at some kind of cohesive theme to help their home look a little more put-together and identifiable. When people decorate a home, they usually think about the colors of paint, wall art, and furniture, and the literal foundation of the theme often gets left behind: the floor! Read on to learn about some modern flooring design tips that you can incorporate into your home the next time you’re planning a floor renovation.
When people decorate a home, they usually think about the colors of paint, wall art, and furniture, and the literal foundation of the theme often gets left behind: the floor!
POLISHED CONCRETE
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It may sound boring, but polished concrete stores can make quite the statement if styled correctly. When mixed with materials such as natural wood and exposed metals, concrete flooring is a perfect complement to any busy condition. This durable, scratch-resistant, and moisture-resistant flooring is a nice change from typical tile or linoleum and works will smooth chrome surfaces that are likely to be found in a kitchen.
Cement flooring doesn’t have to be boring an untouched – different kinds of acid staining, polishing, coating, and saw cuts can bring some variation to the classic concrete style. You might be surprised to learn that concrete comes in a wide array of color tones in addition to the traditional gray, so you can embrace a warmer style if that matches your design best.
These kinds of floorings are also great if you’re a house flipper or are in any way worried about the value of your home – concrete flooring is pretty easy to replace or build on top of if the next homeowner doesn’t love it. Plus, depending on the finish, concrete flooring is relatively inexpensive to install.
BLACK AND WHITE
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Art deco is seeing something of a resurgence in recent years as homeowners are exploring the concept of modernizing older ideas. The strong contrast of a black and white flooring can be arranged in a simple checkerboard design, striped, or other interesting graphics to bring a more dynamic, three-dimensional feel to the space. Matte black surfaces work perfectly with this exciting design, although homeowners can experiment with incorporating pops of colors in the furniture and decor of the home. If the bold contrasting tiles are a bit much for you, subtler black and white designs include the use of stone, marble, or pre-printed vinyl.
Depending on the type of flooring, black and white patterns can make a great modern living room or parlor, especially with an area rug on top. Smaller tiles, such as ceramic with grout, can work well as a kitchen backsplash or for a bathroom floor (or even a shower wall, if you’re feeling especially adventurous and want a change from the gleaming white surfaces of classic bathrooms).
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CREATIVE HARDWOOD
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Hardwood is known for its extensive range in colors, patterns, size and shape of the boards, and long-lasting durability. One trendy alternative to the typical natural hardwood design is using bamboo hardwood, which is environmentally friendly at no additional cost to your wallet.
Pale, natural tones in the hardwood can help open up the space in your home and provide an alternative to heavy, dark, or dull flooring that doesn’t default to outdated linoleum tiles. For example, broad, ultra-pale wood panels goes well with clean white curtains, white furniture, and neutral paint on the walls. That said, darker hardwood with lighter knots and ring designs can lend a more rustic, earthy look to the room, giving you the opportunity to branch out a bit more with your decor and create a more modern, country-inspired theme using mixed metals and perhaps stone surfaces.
Homeowners need not simply lay straight lines! Funky chevron patterns and other creative designs, even with classic hardwood (or even simply vinyl or particle board if real wood is out of your budget), can definitely spice things up in the home a little.
BLUESTONE
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If you’re looking to reclaim and modernize a more antique look, bluestone flooring with a light contrasting backing can be just what you’re looking for. Stone flooring is often thought left best outside for porches, sunrooms, patios, and other outdoor social spaces, but sturdy bluestone makes a great durable flooring. It works great for kitchens and bathrooms, but is not stain-resistant on its own, so be sure to look for coatings and treatments that can make this outdoor-inspired flooring a feasible option for your interior design. Aged and tumbled bluestone can add something of a weathered, lived-in look to the home, and will go well with shag carpets and fluffy blankets. The possibilities are endless, as bluestone comes in a variety of shades and undertones (contrary to what you might think the name implies).
HEXAGON TILE PATTERNS
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A huge design trend right now is to experiment with hexagon designs as opposed to typical squares and rectangles that have been used in homes for decades or even centuries. The hexagon design can come about throughout specially-cut tiles, or using other shapes, sizes, and colors to suggest a hexagon pattern in the flooring. These are quite popular options for bathrooms and kitchens, and modern homeowners love them because they can personalize the design with different color themes and sizes, from large, bold hexagons to smaller, more vintage-inspired designs.
Large, flat hexagons give something of a cleaner, less cluttered appearance, but smatterings of smaller hexagons can give the home a cozier, busier look if that’s what you prefer. As always, you can decorate the rest of the room according to your own personal taste.
Many different materials can be arranged in hexagon shapes, giving homeowners plenty of freedom to work within their budget and according to their needs. For instance, bluestone hexagons make a beautiful and interesting porch flooring, but if you’re dying for hexagons in the kitchen or bathroom, ceramic or porcelain tile might be the better option.
Hopefully some of these modern flooring ideas have given you some inspiration for your next home renovation project! Did we miss a certain flooring design that you actually love? Let us know what you think.
