FLOORING TRENDS THAT WILL FLOOR YOU PART ONE

New for 2016, the darker the hard woods, the better as shown in our Devonshire Model kitchen.

Choosing the right flooring for your dream home may seem overwhelming because there are so many options available. Be sure to choose flooring that reflects your personal aesthetic preferences and meets your maintenance needs.

To help you select an option that is on-trend, we have compiled a list of the top five flooring trends for 2016.

1. Bigger is better. If you’ve visited a flooring showroom or perused home decorating magazines, you have probably already noticed the popularity of large, wide planks. This particular trend is here to stay because their format creates an optical illusion—large planks make the space appear larger and feel more open. If you were to look at a wide plank floor alongside smaller planks, you would immediately see that the large planks create an airy, modern feel while the smaller planks appear outdated and less expensive. Interior design experts agree that this modern style will quickly become a classic one.

Bonus—if you are choosing large floor tiles for your kitchen, mudroom or bathroom, you are decreasing the amount of grout lines that need to be cleaned and maintained over time, so large, wide planks are ideal for those spaces. We recommend opting for large, wide planks because their benefits outweigh those of smaller planks. Note that most grout must be sealed unless it is a high-performance grout.

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2. One extreme to the next. This year, both extreme dark and light colors are making bold statements. On the lighter side, blondes are still a customer favorite for wood floors, but this year you’ll see many options available in grays and white washes for both wood and tile floors. Note that grays for hard wood floors are relatively more expensive because they require a higher grade of water borne poly such as Bona Traffic HD. You may opt for pre-finished gray wood floors to save money. Gray hues are also growing in popularity for ceramic floors and are much warmer than previous hues.

The dark side is even darker in 2016. Ebony, espresso, Jacobean and dark walnut have been the most popular dark wood floor choices for the last few years, however many homeowners want even darker floors. This year, Duraseal added an even darker stain, True Ebony, to serve this dark-er demand. The other option for very dark wood floors is to use a water pop to open the floor’s pores so that the wood can better absorb the stain. While this extra step is more costly, the result is a very rich, contemporary look. While dark floors look sleek and high-end, some say that they show dirt and dust more easily, and may make a room appear smaller.  Check out all of the options and choose what you find most appealing.

Come back next Monday when we share the last three trends which are certain to floor you.

Article by: Jennifer Elkow