6 Top Hardwood Flooring Trends for 2020 and Beyond

6 Top Hardwood Flooring Trends for 2020 and Beyond

Hardwood floors make any room look warm and welcoming, whether they’re kept bare or covered with rugs.

With proper care and maintenance, they also last longer than most flooring types and increase your home’s resale value.

While hardwood remains an evergreen flooring material, trends keep evolving in terms of looks and design. Some traditional designs are still trending, while others are completely new and amazing. From conventional distressed looks to abstract patterns and neutral tones, there’s a range of hardwood flooring designs to try in 2020 and beyond.

So, whether you want a clean, contemporary look or a relaxed, coastal ambience, you’re sure to find a design to match your preference.

6 Hardwood Flooring Trends You’ll Love

While hardwood is definitely one of the most coveted flooring choices, trends change as homeowners develop new tastes and technology allows more wood designs and treatments.

Here are some exciting hardwood flooring trends to consider for your next home remodelling project.

1. Blanched Effect

While some love the glossy brown of standard hardwood, others prefer the soft gray whitewashed look of a bleached wooden floor. Bleaching retains the natural wood grain that gives your hardwood floor its individuality. Talk to your contractor about which option is more suitable for you: bleaching your existing wood floor or replacing it with ready-to-install blanched planks.

2. Fumed Look

Almost all types of hardwood floors undergo some type of treatment or staining to give them their final look. Fumed hardwood flooring looks gorgeous and gets its rich grain and colour without bleaching or staining. Instead, the planks undergo a process called fuming, where they’re placed in a chamber into which airborne ammonia is released.

This reaction creates a charred effect on the wood, but the final look depends on different factors, including the type of wood, the environment and the pressure inside the chamber. So, even two similar pieces of wood that undergo fuming may not have the same charred look.

Fuming gives a rich, dark tone to wood and enhances its natural grain. Fumed wood is very different from wood which has had liquid ammonia applied directly to its surface. The latter process can damage the wood’s fiber by weakening its structure. Always seek help from an experienced flooring professional when looking for a specially-treated wood, especially fumed wood.

3. Hand-Scraped and Distressed Look

Smooth hardwood floors offer a classic, elegant look, but the unique texture of imperfection continues to be a strong flooring trend. Whether you’re installing a new hardwood floor or replacing an old one, you’ll want to consider these popular floor textures.

A hand-scraped finish features long, ingrained scratches that endorse the natural texture and colour of hardwood. Since marks vary from one plank to another, they give your floor an uneven look, as though each piece was handcrafted.

Another option is the distressed look, which has its roots in the early ’90s when reclaimed wood flooring from old constructions was trendy. With natural imperfections like scrapes, knots, burns, wormholes and other signs of damage, this design has a vintage feel that brings both character and beauty to a space.

4. Abstract Pattern Play

Innovative and unconventional hardwood flooring patterns are quite popular in modern interior design. For example, planks that are wider and longer than regular ones can make a room appear larger and more spacious than it really is.

For a more unique and unconventional look, consider mixing planks of various widths. This oversize, abstract pattern draws the eye and blends well with any type of decor. A similar effect can be achieved by mixing planks of both light and dark grains.

For those who want something completely out of the box, there’s a range of fun patterns to try. For example, installing a hardwood floor diagonally gives a modern edge to an otherwise traditional layout. Chevron and herringbone floors feature planks in a strict, angular pattern that’s equally interesting to look at.

5. Soft Neutral Hues

Already popular with modern households and workplaces, natural neutrals blend seamlessly with other colours and fit perfectly into almost all decor styles. Gray and beige are expected to remain go-to neutral shades in 2020 and beyond. Both slick, silvery tones of gray and warm, velvety charcoals are great choices for modern hardwood flooring.

You can also install hardwood floors in textured grains of French limestone or the natural glimmer of sea salt to add a touch of class to your living space. Even soft, warm shades of brown like gold, sand, taupe and light mocha are becoming increasingly popular among people who prefer neutral shades over bright, bold colours.

6. Oiled Finish

The latest addition to hardwood flooring is an oiled finish. Unlike the standard aluminum oxide finish that sits on top of the wood, oil soaks into it and makes it hard and durable. Oiled floors are coated with Rubio Monocoat oil instead of polyurethane to give the floor a unique texture. They give a low-sheen, natural matte effect to floors that are both beautiful and easy to maintain. Occasional dry mopping or vacuuming is all you need to keep your oil-finished floors in pristine condition.

There are many other trends to keep your eye on, but these are some of our favourites. If you like any of these trends, write to us for a free design consultation with one of our flooring experts.