Fall is always an exciting time for custom home builders and remodelers. This is when we hit the ground running with clients as we look at which home trends appeal to their style sense while also remaining true to the functionality of their home. 

Flooring Home Trends 2022: Do Look Down!

In a recent home trends post, we talked about how Spanish revival tile is back! That appreciation for more old-world or rustic looks is making itself apparent in current flooring trends too. 

Here are some visual examples of today’s highly textured and multi-hued flooring materials showing up in our designs for custom home builds and remodels.

1. Smokey wood hues

Hard surface flooring isn’t going anywhere soon (although we are seeing more people using carpet in specific locations – more on that below). Rather than a more smooth and continuous wood grain flow, today’s home designs celebrate a more multi-hued and textured look. 

This Los Angeles kitchen is a prime example. The smokey or gray wood tones create a cooler version of a hardwood floor, which offers a different feel from the “warm wood tones” we typically associate with hardwood floors. While we’re noticing a shift away from gray color schemes, these gray floors look stylish with many current color trends. And, as we know, trends continuously cycle back, right?

2. Distinct, heavy wood grains

Continuing with that more rustic or old-world feel, hardwood flooring aficionados are in love with distinct and heavy wood grains. If you’re a fan of a sleeker, smoother, contemporary look, this is just the right way to add pattern and textiles while keeping true to sleeker, pattern-free preferences for furniture and art.

This Seattle loft derives the bulk of its texture and pattern appeal via a heavy-grained wood floor. The addition of squares, rather than planks, ups the texture ante further.

3. Reclaimed lumber 

Many homeowners are looking to flooring vendors who supply refinished, reclaimed lumber in honor of saving live trees and repurposing already felled versions.

Reclaimed lumber is weathered, so it automatically fits the bill for more rustic and chunky wood grains as well as color variations. Depending on where the wood was reclaimed  (a shipwreck in one of the Great Lakes, a weathered barn, or a seaside climate where wood is sun-bleached), these woods span the gamut from warmer wood tones to gray, weathered, or nearly white-washed tones.

If you don’t want to use reclaimed lumber for an entire floor surface, there are plenty of other creative ways to use it, such as the top of a family-style table, as a fireplace mantle, or in place of wallpaper or color on an accent wall.

4. Mixing wood and stone (or tile)

Yes, wood grain and texture provide textural or patterned interest. However, mixing and matching materials is another way to achieve that. If you prefer a smoother and “less grainy” look but still desire some textural variances in the design, think about ways to blend wood and tile flooring, especially in an open floor plan.

The owners of the Chicago kitchen didn’t want to risk the potential for water staining or wear-and-tear potential of wood flooring in the kitchen. So instead, they used the contrast of beautiful wood flooring in living and dining areas, juxtaposed with cool gray tiles for the kitchen area. This is an especially appealing option for households with young children.

5. Where hard surfaces meet carpet

Then there are the families that love the easy-to-clean and durable nature of tile or hardwood flooring but want a softer and warmer landing in bedrooms or certain living areas.

If you want to have a softer, cushier carpet area in a family room or living room space, we recommend keeping hard surface flooring on the bottom and investing in a large, high-quality area rug as your carpet. 

If, however, you’re interested in adding on office space or want to remodel a bathroom or two, this is a good time to consider installing carpet in bedrooms, dens, or cozy zones where children and family members are more likely to be sitting or laying on the floors. 

6. Design your own flooring pattern

Parquet flooring, when floors are laid in geometrical patterns, is coming back into style. A basic example of parquet flooring is wood planking laid in a chevron or zigzag pattern. 

However, as this Minneapolis bathroom floor can attest, a more complex and artistic design is even more appealing. We love the fact that parquet flooring adds artistic interest but can also be hidden or toned down by an area rug as dictated by ever-changing home trends.

7. Concrete tiles

Concrete and stained concrete floors are still a popular option for modern and contemporary homes. That said, there is always a risk of a crack. And, because it’s porous, concrete floors and countertops have to be sealed (and resealed) to keep their desired appearance. 

We think concrete tiles are equally appealing and require less maintenance. They can be purchased in virtually any color or style, including floors that look just like hardwood. 

Check out this concrete tile bathroom floor (laid in parquet style!), or this home office flooring that provides a cheerful, retro-style energy.

8. Graphic tiles

That leads us to another trend we’re noticing, which is the popularity of graphic tiles. Just like parquet wood floors or the retro-style tiles we referenced above, graphic tiles are a bold way to make a design statement. 

If you aren’t brave enough to use them for the entirety of a kitchen or living space, consider introducing them in a smaller space such as the laundry room or a powder room, where they can be appreciated without taking over.

Are you planning a custom home build or remodel in 2021? Schedule a consultation with Fogle Constructors. We love working with clients to select the flooring and other design features that honor current home trends while remaining true to their personal preferences. (386) 279-0901