With an abundance of choices in flooring materials, this is one of the best times to redo your existing flooring. If you are considering a remodel soon, then it helps to stay abreast with the current trends in the world of floor design.
After all, you do not want to make voguish choices which will do little to add to the appeal of the home, improve the functionality or boost the resale value.
So, here are the top flooring design trends of 2016.
Bamboo
Bamboo flooring is silently making its way into mainstream homes and commercial spaces as a worthy replacement for hardwood. While it has always been around, the range of colors and designs has just exploded in the last couple of years. And with newer varieties like strand-woven bamboo which are almost twice as hard as traditional varieties, you can install it even in high traffic areas of your home. Wide-plank style bamboo flooring resembles classic hardwood.
Reclaimed Wood
While salvaged lumber always comes with an extremely high price tag, factory finished reclaimed wood allows you to get the same look, perfected to the minutest detail at a considerably lower price. It allows you to get the same vintage hand-hewn look that is much sought after. Also, being factory finished, it offers much better resistance to moisture fluctuations as compared to wood flooring that is finished onsite.
Large Tiles
The world of tiles keeps expanding with newer sizes, shapes and designs coming into trend. One of the latest additions that has captured the imagination of homeowners worldwide is large tiles. Tiles that are as large as 12″ x 24″ and even 36″ x 36″ allow more surface area, reduce the number of grout lines and looks almost like seamless flooring. However, it demands
professional installation.
Cork
While traditionally, the use of cork flooring was limited to areas that demanded acoustic insulation, newer varieties of
cork flooring with its amazing colors and inherent benefits are considered as worthy options for areas like the living room and the foyer. Cork is antimicrobial, softer than wood and is an
eco-friendly flooring material. However, it cannot be installed in moisture prone areas.
Luxury Vinyl
The term vinyl often brings a picture of the old ‘peel and stick’ sheets, which were popular in the 1940s. However, luxury vinyl is a different beast altogether. It looks exactly like hardwood or tiles and offers all the benefits of Vinyl with it. It is water resistant, easy to clean and impervious to scratches and stains.
American Hardwood
The good old American hardwood is making a comeback in modern homes thanks to its timeless elegance and wide range of colors. Also oak, maple and hickory are completely renewable sources of wood and are grown in America and Canada.
Concrete
Concrete flooring is now becoming a viable choice for settings that receive a lot of traffic. It is incredibly resilient towards scratches, stains and dents. And now it is available in a whole range of colors and finishes. However, concrete is not the most comfortable to walk on all day.