Top Hardwood Flooring Trends for 2019

04/11/2019

If you are looking to make your house a home, hardwoods floors are undoubtedly the top pick for you. Hardwood floors can be refinished over the years to change the style and colour to match the changing user preferences and market trend. Homeowners have a strong liking for hardwood because it also enhances the value of their home.

As far as the selection of colours and styles are concerned, it is important to consider the overall decor of the home. Styles, accent colours, and paint colours may come and go, but a carefully selected hardwood floor will continue to please your eyes for a long time.

Mentioned below are the latest hardwood flooring trends that can be categorised in terms of

• Floor colour and stain trends
• Floor texture and finish trends
• Floor style and material trends

Hardwood floor trends for stain and colour: In the recent years, there has been steady shift towards the two extremes i.e. light and dark shades. Also, the popularity of the warmer and redder tones has declined as they are considered to be relatively more polarising.

• Hardwood with cool and dark tone: This trend has continued to grow over the last few decades. Darker colours are highly preferred by homeowners that prioritise style over maintenance. A bit lighter shades are perfect for individuals that love dark floors, but want something easier to maintain. Warmer tones such as red and brown blends, red, and yellow undertones seem to be out of favour and browns without red undertones is more preferred.
• Gray and different blends of gray: Grey flooring has gained extreme popularity over the last few years. In more recent times, we have observed many different variations of grey to achieve a beige or greige appearance. These variations can be integrated subtly with dark browns, ebonies, and blacks.
• Light and natural: Extreme opposite of the dark, light and natural is also a popular choice these days. The top preference for most of the homeowners is to go for cooler tones and avoid yellow. These hardwood floors are lighter, natural, and provide a contemporary look without any yellowish tint.
• Whitewashed floors: Many of the readers may remember that whitewashed floors were extremely popular back in the 80s. They are back again, reinvented and modernised to offer a more subtle character. Whitewashed floors look and work best on white oak. Its mineral streaks provide a more linear look which is perfect for contemporary styling.

Hardwood floor trends for texture and finish: Here are the top hardwood flooring trends in terms of sheens, finishes, and textures.

• Natural finishes: Satin and matte finishes are now the most sought-after sheens. Glossy and semi gloss finishes are not only outdated, but they clearly display the dents, scratches, and each speck of dust. Matte and satin finishes are also practical because they look better for a longer period of time and are easier to clean and maintain.
• High-grade and environment friendly finishes: There has been an increasing trend towards embracing finishes that are eco-friendly. High grade polyurethanes have merged as a popular choice because they are environment friendly as well as durable. Though it costs more, but the finish dries quickly, smells less, and looks amazingly beautiful. Oiled floor is another growing trend with zero VOCs that offers a richer and more natural finish. The oiled floors, however, are more difficult to maintain.
• On-site Refinish: More and more people are now looking for site finished hardwood rather than the prefinished ones. Site finished woods have cleaner lines and look better. The color and finish is more consistent across the floor. These floors are smoother on the feet and easier to clean. Most importantly, site finished wood can be customised to achieve the desired end result.
• Wire brushed floors: Etched with a subtle texture, wire brushed floors enhance the wood’s graining. As a result, these floors provide a real vintage look, and are considered to be the contemporary version of distressed wood.  It is extremely stylish, and helps protect the wood from dust and regular wear and tear.

Hardwood floor trends for materials and style:

• Solid hardwood floors: Instead of cheaper bamboo or engineered wood, most homeowners now prefer solid hardwood. It lasts for well over hundred years, and improves the overall valuation of any house. It also allows homeowners the freedom to sand, refinish, and change the colour of the floor in the long run.
• Farmhouse style: The rustic appeal of farmhouse style is certainly on the rise. Right now, there is a strong preference for floors with cooler, paler, and more subtle tones with more knots and stronger graining.
• Simple layouts: A high percentage of today’s customers want a clean and simple look for their floors with little or no distractions. It reduces clutter, and allows the homeowners to utilise more patterns with area rugs and throw pillows.
• Wider planks: The popularity of wider planks is on the rise most probably because they can make any space look larger and better.
• White oak: Compared to the traditional strong graining of red oak, more and more people now prefer the smoother graining of white oak.

So, these were some of the top hardwood flooring trends for this year and the years to come. If you have any other questions related to the selection of your hardwood flooring, contact the experts at Enoak. We have the expertise and experience to help you with hardwood flooring that will make you pride for many years to come.