2020’s Most Memorable Flooring Trends

These New Flooring Designs Add Vibrance to Any Home

The flooring industry’s focus has shifted in recent years to meet the demands of an ever-changing market. Property owners prioritize sustainability, aesthetics, durability, and longevity all in one simple, low-maintenance package. This may seem like a daunting combination of traits to provide, but flooring choices in 2020 have embraced the challenge with gusto.

This year’s flooring trends seek to provide practical benefits while looking flawless in any home:

Waterproofing

Water-resistant and waterproof flooring are both at the top of most homeowners’ wish lists for their properties and are excellent solutions for families and pet owners. Wood Plastic Composite (WPC) and Stone Plastic Composite (SPC) are both waterproof options that allow you to keep the look and feel of a wood floor in kitchens and bathrooms while relying on trusty vinyl to keep them clean and dry.

Fumed, Bleached, and Blanched Wood

Hardwood flooring is no longer confined to the same cherry, mahogany, or oak-like finishes that have dominated the trends for so long. Instead, property owners are finding unique ways to pull interesting color combinations out of their flooring while highlighting its natural beauty.

Bleached wood, as the name implies, involves bleaching hardwood to give it a pale ash to offwhite color that is well-suited to many modern homes. This type of pale neutral brightens a room without oversaturating it with color.

Blanched and bleached floors are especially popular with homeowners looking for a “beachy” ambiance in their decor, such as those with coastal or vacation properties. On top of that, it is a fun DIY project with a big payoff.

Fumed wood, meanwhile, is exposed to ammonia fumes in a sealed chamber. This process leaves behind intriguing blonde streaks in medium-to-dark finishes while also giving it a deeper-toned overall look. These streaks highlight the wood grain while imparting deeper, more saturated colors throughout each plank.

Eco-Friendly Flooring

Environmental friendliness is at the forefront of 2020’s flooring trends. Not only do these choices lower the carbon footprint, but they also look sleek and are budget-friendly:

● Bamboo floors are hailed for their durability and flexibility, as well as their ability to grow much more quickly than classic soft or hardwood options. Bamboo is also resistant to termite infestation and requires less maintenance than a traditional hardwood floor.

● Reclaimed lumber, such as recycled flooring, siding, and beams, can easily be cut, sanded, and refinished to fit the look and feel of your home while adding unique grain patterns and colors that impart a modern touch to a traditional wood floor.

Innovative Tile Designs

2020 was the year of re-imagining what can be done with tiles. Whether it was a change in shape, size, or materials, here are some creative ways tile has been revitalized for the 21st-century homeowner:

● Larger, longer, and broader tiles are all on-trend going into the 2020s, with sizes as large as 24 inches across or 36 to 48 inches in length. Part of the focus with these larger tile sizes is to minimize the presence of grout for a near-seamless look and feel that is clean, chic, and low-maintenance.

● Wood-look tiles allow homeowners to enjoy the benefits of ceramic tiles and the aesthetic appeal of wood flooring. As manufacturing improves, the wood grain look, colors, and textures get increasingly realistic, including being able to replicate such sophisticated wood preservation methods as Japanese yakisugi

● Yakisugi-style wood has gone from being used on siding to being implemented in interiors, and lookalike tiles have followed suit. Their distinctive charred and crackled look, as well the diverse array of dark and light neutral tones, provide a uniquely dark but beautifully-textured finish.

Getting Creative with Flooring

Homeowners are mixing things up in their homes, including the widths of their floorboards and tiles. A lack of uniformity not only prevents wasted material but also creates an authentic and custom boho-chic feel that can be found nowhere else but your home. Choosing varying lengths and widths depending on the boards’ location can create a visually appealing flow that adds a pop of subtle creativity to any home.

Some trends come and go, but these flooring innovations are here to stay for the foreseeable future. The increase in flooring choices that are both beautiful and sustainable is just the beginning for homeowners who want something on-trend, environmentally conscious, and long-lasting.