Spring Flooring Trends for 2016

Styles come and go, and flooring is certainly no exception. We’ve come a long way since the peel-and-stick vinyls of decades past, and now, the right flooring creates the perfect base for any room. It can serve as a focal point or supporting role for your decor and with many excellent spring flooring trends to chose from you’ll be able find a trendy floor to match your budget.

1. Dark Hardwood

Dark — really dark flooring — is in. And when we say dark, we mean dark. Ebony and jacobean are popular stains along with classic espresso. The deep color is a contemporary and classic look that offsets lighter decor beautifully. The biggest downside to darker colored floors is that they tend to show scratches more easily, but on the other hand, it camouflages imperfections better.

2. Gray Hardwood

Gray has been popping up all over interior design trends, and now flooring has its turn. It’s the “new neutral,” but it’s different and unexpected. A great base, but not a show-stealer. The color can be difficult to achieve, so the price tag is a little steeper, especially if you’re repurposing existing wood floors. Use a water-based poly to finish and prevent yellowing.

3. White Washed

It’s not the same floor you remember from the ‘80s. This new white-washed wood floor evokes high end beach resorts and summer escapes. The wide-planks are what updates this look, and adds lightness and modernity to your room. Like gray floors, it’s expensive to achieve the color and also needs the same type of finishing.

4. Wide Plank

It’s a subtle change that can make a huge difference. Increasing the size of your wood planks from 2” to 5” can make your space more modern. It adds depth to a room making it feel larger, rustic and contemporary.

5. Bamboo

Bamboo isn’t a new flooring material, but it’s certainly expanding away from the boring, long strips we’re used to. It’s harder than most hardwoods, comes in many styles and colors and can even mimic hardwood. Now, with engineered bamboo which takes the inner fibers of the plant, it can even achieve wider planks and even more styles.

6. Reclaimed Wood

Reclaimed wood features the natural character and imperfections found in wood. It’s eco-friendly since it’s recycled from old beams, antique floors and old logs, but it’s in short supply so it can run on the expensive side. Luckily, machine stressed wood can achieve the same effect for a fraction of the price and is more durable.

7. Large Format Tile

Forget the square 12”x12” tiles we’re used to and explore the world of large tiles. With sections running in sizes like 12”x24” and even 36”x36”, there’s not only less grout to clean but also an added expansive look for your floors. These larger sections are extremely heavy though, so hire a professional to install them.

8. Cork

Known for it’s acoustic properties, cork floor is popular again with a new, large color palette. It’s also more durable, but still susceptible to moisture damage and fading. It’s main selling feature is how comfortable it is to walk on.

9. Luxury Vinyl

This isn’t your grandma’s peel-and-stick vinyl, but a high end, durable flooring that is realistic, stands up to moisture and can be the most fun of all the flooring materials. Play with patterns and colors, or fool your friends into thinking it’s real tile.

10. Concrete

Get rid of the industrial, nihilist look of concrete you have in your head and embrace the new, dimensional flooring that’s back in style. It’s still sleek and durable but can be finished with a variety of colors, glosses and even textures to bring warmth to the cold stone. The one thing that hasn’t changed is that it’s still concrete and not the most comfortable to walk on. However, if you have an old building or are going for an urban-modern look, concrete will build your style from the ground up.

Feeling inspired to install new flooring in your Eastern Pennsylvania home? Contact us at HomeTech Renovations to speak with a professional for a free in-home estimate. Give us a call today at 215.646.7477.

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