Top 5 Trends In Hardwood Flooring For 2013
People generally choose hardwood floors for their beautiful, natural and timeless look. Compared to carpets, hardwood flooring does not trap a lot of dirt, dust and debris, so it’s relatively easy to clean and maintain. High-quality hardwood is kiln-dried, manufactured, installed and sealed to last for generations. For that reason, hardwood increases a home’s market value. Of course, a hardwood floor can still be scuffed, scratched and warped if it is not properly maintain. It is also a more expensive type of floor than laminate or carpeting. Regardless, many people will choose to invest in hardwood this year and they want to know what trends are catching the eye.
The World Floor Covering Association brings us 5 hot trends in hardwood flooring today:
1. Sustainable Hardwood
Given all the celebrity attention to causes like “sustainable foresting” and the importance of eco-friendly designs, many homeowners are looking for hardwood that brings good karma their way. They want sustainable bamboo or cork. They are looking for exotic and unusual tree species from around the world — but only if it is harvested ethically. They hope that their values will be reflected by their flooring choice.
2. Hand-Scraped Hardwood
Many homeowners like the look of hand-scraped floors that American homes had back in the early 19th Century. At that time, an artisan would make flooring by working with draw knives and pulling thin layers of wood off a piece of lumber to smooth the surface. Many people like that these floors tell a story and have a history of craftsmanship.
3. Wide-Width Wood Planks
Another classic design feature of early 19th Century floors is the wide-plank look. Rather than the modern 2-3-inch widths we see today, earlier floor boards were 5 to 8 inches wide. Planks were wider back then because they came from more mature trees.
4. Distressed Wood Flooring
Distressed flooring trends date back to the 1990s when reclaiming floors from old commercial buildings became in vogue. Yet, it is still wildly popular today. The gouges, nail marks, stains and sliced-out bits are all scars of authenticity that give a floor character, some say.
5. Exotic Hardwood
Exotic hardwoods include: Acacia [pictured above], Amendoim, Brazilian Cherry, Santos Mahogany, Tigerwood, and Brazilian Chestnut, to name a few. These rare woods bring unique qualities from nature into one’s living room. The bold striping of Tigerwood and the deep color of Santos Mahogany can be found in nature or even cut, baked and dyed at a manufacturing center, without endangering wood species abroad.
