When you’re trying to choose flooring for the family home floor plans for the new home that you’re building, you want something that looks new and fresh, but you don’t want something that’s so current and trendy that it will quickly become dated. You’ll also want to choose a type of flooring that is gaining in popularity, not one that’s on the downtrend. Trends in flooring change more slowly than trends in furnishings and décor, though, so you’ll want a type of flooring that can blend with and provide a backdrop for a number of styles. Among the choices you might want to consider are the classic look of hardwood floors; environmentally friendly, sustainable choices like reclaimed woods and flooring made from resin and recycled wood pulp; hardwood floor lookalikes in a vinyl or tile; and tile.
Hardwood Floors
Hardwood floors provide a traditional, classic look to a home, and it’s a flooring type that is not likely to ever go away.
Another trend in hardwood flooring combines a search for a unique look with the ever-increasing interest in choosing environmentally friendly building materials. Woods from sustainably grown but exotic and tropical species like Iroko, Wenge, Brazilian cherry, teak, and tigerwood offer suitable choices for that trend.
Bleached and blanched woods with their weathered gray tones also continue to increase in popularity. Fumed and brushed woods that emphasize the pattern of the grain also fit in with the trend toward natural looks. These latter two looks blend particularly well with rustic, coastal and farmhouse decors.
Reclaimed Woods and Engineered Flooring Made From Recycled Woods
The popularity of reclaimed woods also reflects the growing interest in sustainable, environmentally friendly building materials. Reclaimed barn wood is particularly popular thanks to its nostalgic appeal and, again, it’s a type of flooring that blends well with the friendly, restful coastal, farmhouse, and rustic looks that continue to grow in popularity. For something a little different, you can find flooring made from reclaimed white-oak wine barrels.
Engineered wood flooring is another environmentally friendly choice. This flooring material is made from wood pulp mixed with stone dust or resin. Wood pulp and resin flooring is especially popular for porches and decks, especially if you entertain a great deal. It doesn’t scratch or stain and resists fading in the sun. It doesn’t need to be sanded and refinished, and it won’t be attacked by carpenter ants or termites. The most common finishes duplicate the look of wood grains, but they also can be mixed with dyes to produce solid color planks to match your décor.
Hardwood Floor Lookalikes
Hardwood floor lookalikes let you take the look of wood where you might have feared to tread upon it. These lookalikes are actually tiles made of ceramics or luxury vinyl that have been printed with wood grains so realistic that it is difficult to tell them apart from real wood.
These lookalikes let you take the look of hardwood into the kitchen and bathroom without worrying about splashing water. This also is a great easy-care flooring choice for busy families.
Tile
Tile flooring is another popular, easy-care choice for the kitchen and bathroom. The subway tile look continues to offer a clean, modern look, but it’s being mixed with small squares, and octagon shapes.
You’ll notice two updated trends. White tile is appearing not only on the bathroom floor but in the shower and on the walls. However, the tiles are used to create different patterns in different areas such as chevrons and herringbones.
The other trend is the use of tiles printed with delicate, nostalgic floral patterns in black and white. This one is finding its way out of the bathroom into the kitchen.
The best guideline for choosing the flooring for your family home floor plans is to consider your family’s lifestyle and the décor styles that you like, and then choose the type of flooring that best fits both your lifestyle and décor style.
