Flooring trends

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Tips for the latest look:

Go Large  

  • floor tiles are getting bigger and bigger all the time. While 12×12-inch tiles were once standard, now 24×24 and 36×36-inch tiles are fashionable. Think about the space available though, says Gary Rankin of Paramount Carpets. Huge tiles in a small house just don’t work.

Engineered stone  

  • advances in technology now mean that porcelain can be made to look like all sorts of natural stones, complete with pits, rough textures and more. “One property surveyor marked down a house as having travertine floors throughout – which would have greatly added to the value of the home,” says Gary. “It was actually porcelain made to look like travertine.”

Distressed wood  

  • some homeowners get distressed when their hardwood floors show up marks or dents, but why not go for the distressed look, and save yourself the stress? Recycled, recovered, hand scraped and distressed woods are particularly popular now and, as Randy of Stafford Flooring points out, one more scratch or dent will hardly make a difference.

Oil finished wood  

  • varnish or polyurethane were once considered the best finishes for wood: they created a hard, clear barrier that prevented wood absorbing moisture or staining. New oil finishes, however, are absorbed into the wood, rather than sitting on it, creating a unique look that cannot be replicated in laminates. Better still, scratches can be quickly repaired by applying a little more oil. 

 

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