Hardwood Flooring Styles and Trends

Let’s be honest.  Hardwood never goes out of style, but hardwood flooring definitely has its trends.  Hardwood Flooring, like clothing, is part commodity.  It’s a floor and every home needs one.  However, the hardwood flooring in your home can be used to express yourself, just like your wardrobe, and give your home personality, and character.   When someone walks in your home it’s the first thing they see, and it’s the base of your home. You build up from it with decorating.  It’s one of the main features that can very possibly last the life of the house. It should be done right the first time to create the beauty in your home.

People are passionate about hardwood flooring.  This time of year I’m at a lot of home shows & trade shows and I reconnect with people who have bought our floor. It’s great to hear the stories about how much they love the floor.  I wonder if anyone ever gets that excited about sink faucets or appliances or windows.  Maybe… but all I know is that there is a deep love for hardwood floors.

 

There’s some similar trends from the last two years that are continuing to grow – I’ll touch base on those and my favorite,  Herringbone & parquet floors, which are going to grow in popularity in the next few years.

CURRENT TRENDS:

• GRAY TONE WOOD FLOORS

Gray tones are definitely hot right now.   It’s a nice neutral tone that compliments numerous types decorating styles and colors.  It has a Scandinavian feel when used with the wide planks.  It really brings out the grain in white oaks creating a weathered beach feel.   I’m into the grays.  I did it in my own house, but I think anything too gray is trendy now, but may feel dated after a few years.   White Oak Live Sawn is great with this weathered wide plank looks.  This is a trend that I feel like could be around for awhile, but some of the very grey floors may get dated.

 

• DARK HARDWOOD FLOORING

Dark hardwood flooring has been a popular trend  for a while now.   It’s bold and beautiful.  Walnut flooring naturally has that dark chocolate color, and walnut logs & lumber have been very difficult to get over the last year due to its popularity.    Dark flooring is more challenging to maintain.   It shows dirt, pet hair, etc.  It’s like a black car… it looks extremely sharp when it’s freshly cleaned, but that never lasts long!  Use R&Q Red Oak for a less expensive option than white oak when going with a dark finish.

 

• WIDE PLANK / LONG LENGTH

Wide plank is more contemporary feeling.   It works in modern homes as well as colonial / farm homes.   It visually opens up small space and creates spacious visuals.  It also allows you to see more of the board – more of the character and story each piece has to tell.  There’s less distraction from the seams.   We have widths up to 12” wide (in white oak live sawn) and lengths up to 12’ long.   Rift & Quarter Sawn and Live Sawn are great options for the stability needed here with wide plank.   You can use a solid piece of wood if it is the right cut!

 

• VINTAGE WOOD FLOORING

The reclaimed wood look is extremely popular.  This trend has also been around for a while, but no everyone does it well.  Most of the prefinished stuff I see on the market is all done with a machine and has a pattern once the floor is down.  The floor doesn’t look vintage at all.   While Reclaimed floors truly are vintage theycan be very expensive, we have some options to make your new floor look older.   This also is a great option for restaurants and homes with a lot of traffic, kids, dogs, etc.   It holds up and any additional marks just add to the beauty.

Our Options:  

* Full hand scrape –   each board individually crafted to look like a foot worn floor.  There is no pattern that the machine scraped “hand scraped” floors create.

* Sculpted Edges – hit and miss scrape on the edges to give each board an older appearance.

* Wire Brush – This takes out the softer summer wood leaving only the hardest part of the wood on the surface.   This creates an old reclaimed barn wood look.

* Circle Sawn – looks like your floor board came right from mill and nailed it to your floor.

 

• HARDWOOD IN THE KITCHEN 

Very common.  I surprised by the amount of people that ask me if anyone does hardwood flooring in the kitchen.  It’s easy to clean and softer on your body than tile.

 

• WHITE OAK   

No doubt the hottest flooring species right now.  The White Oak Tree is our national tree  The tree is a symbol of strength & beauty.   The lumber and flooring embrace those qualities as well.   The greatest attribute is how versatile it is.  Depending on the cut and grade it can fit into the most formal, traditional setting to a rustic hunting camp, to very modern upscale city condo.   Takes stain well – I’ve seen it bleached white to dark walnut or almost black.

 

• NATURAL GRADES

Wood should look like wood right.   Let your flooring have the natural variations, small defects, and character that shows off the life of the tree.  No board is the same.  Allows you to feel more connected with nature as well as utilizing all the tree!  This is definitely a green option.    I’ve seen our white oak Live Sawn, which we only offer in the natural grade, used in some extremely high end & modern homes.    Natural grades are also a green option.  Why waste any of nature’s beauty by cutting the knots out?

 

• PARQUET FLOORING

This is the trend that I’m most excited about.  Good old fashion parquet flooring coming back into high fashion here in the US.  It can be used in a small entry setting, formal dining room, or throughout the whole home.   Ever travel to Europe to old Chateaux and mansions?   The floors are full of beautiful artisan wood work.  Your home doesn’t have to look like an old castle though, the herringbone can work in a contemporary setting as well.

• Typically I’ve seen it more as a formal setting. R&Q Clear grade.
• I did a live sawn white oak, full of character in my own kitchen
• Hand scraped herringbone makes the floor look like it’s been there for 100 years.