The Hottest Floor Trends for 2019 (You’ll Love Them All!)
Hear from the flooring experts at Textures Flooring to find out about the latest trends underfoot, and find out why area interior designers love the wide range of choices available today. (Think custom, custom, custom!)
As you know, trends arenβt strictly relegated to the world of fashion. Indeed, trends in interiors are closely followed and highly fawned over. In fact, 2019 is filled with some fabulous looks weβre loving, specifically in the world of flooring, and weβre excited to share them with you! Take a look at the hottest emerging trends in flooring β we suspect youβll be inspired to change things up in your home this year!
2019βs Fabulous Flooring Trends
Though the shapes and textures and colors change, wood flooring never goes out of style. And because flooring is an investment, itβs important to choose a material thatβs not only beautiful and stylish, but also timeless, says Andrew Denny of Textures Flooring. βProbably the easiest way to achieve this is combining a wide-width plank with a long-board look,β Andrew says, βand then combining color that is timeless with a very matte finish.β
Here in the South, popular choices for wood species include European white oak, French oak, Northern Appalachian white oak and walnut. And in 2019, more homeowners are opting for lighter toned colors and matte finishes on the floor. βThere is definitely a shift toward lighter hardwoods. Smooth in texture,β says Sara Ray of Sara Ray Interior Design. βPlank width of 4 inches to 5 inches seems to be very popular, and white oak is still a very popular choice due to its ability to stay true to the selected stain color.β
Not all flooring consumers are opting for traditional stain finishes, however. Says Andrew, βOne thing that weβre doing is accentuating the natural beauty of the wood. We bring the wood through a reactive stain process, and what that means is we oxidize the wood with minerals that react with the tannins in the wood to create color. And that unique process highlights what nature has given us as opposed to conventional staining that is a pigmented dye that saturates the wood.β
Wire brushing is another technique Textures Flooring uses to remove the soft grain of the wood and allow a subtle reflection of light, highlighting the natural, hard grain of the floor β bringing the smooth texture Sara says homeowners are seeking.
As for plank width, wide plank is definitely all the rage, but homeowners are still opting for narrow, as well, adds designer Randi T. Stovesand of Savage Interior Design. And along with natural woods, some homeowners are taking a cool gray color palette from the walls onto the floor. βThe introduction of great wood flooring has been all the rage, whether this be a wide plank or narrow,β Randi says. βAnd light gray or dark seems to be everywhere.β
Adds Beth Haley of Beth Haley Design, colors span a wide palette today based on clientsβ tastes. βColors vary from blond β think European oak β to driftwood, gray and finally a mix of colors to create a reclaimed look,β she says.
The reactive stain process Andrew mentioned can bring a range of color choices, depending on the home. βWhen we do this, we can achieve color ranges from dark earth tones to light and weathered looks, or even cerused grain looks.β With a cerused finish, the grain of the wood is highlighted in a different color than the wood itself β typically white, he adds. βThatβs very, very popular right now,β Andrew notes. βEspecially in the lighter colorways, it really brings the grain of the wood to life.β
And through all of it, clients are seeking custom, custom, custom.
βI think weβve swung back from an era of austerity to an era of a little bit of largesse, a little bit more luxury,β says interior designer Marcelle Guilbeau of Marcelle Guilbeau Interior Design. βI think luxury is a really good word, but a lot of people are saying maximalism β more is more. I think people are finally kind of stretching out with the boom economy that weβve been having and are starting to reward themselves again. Thereβs a lot of new, custom construction going on right now.β
Again when it comes to wood, many clients are opting for a βcraft, wide-plank floor that is custom-made to their design vision,β Andrew says. However, Marcelle adds that concrete flooring is another custom option thatβs making a major comeback. βIt kind of is a continuation of that rustic-industrial phase weβve been seeing,β she says. βThat was very popular, obviously, when we were a little more into minimalism and austerity, but also itβs just a really cool material. To me itβs very earthy. It makes you feel the space. You can take it throughout the whole house, and carpets really pop off of it, so it can create some serious drama in that regard.β
Speaking of carpet, from stair runners to area rugs and even wall-to-wall carpeting, homeowners want custom choices that reflect their individuality. βThe hot colors that we see right now are black β ranging from charcoal to steel to deep black β and jewel tones,β Andrew says. βWe custom fabricate stair runners, area rugs and specialty installations, as in a high-end master bedroom or a theater.β Large-scale patterns, thick, knobby textures and undyed wools are very popular in todayβs homes. βAnything lower profile, as opposed to shaggy,β Andrew adds.
And though carpet remains popular in cozy, less-trafficked spaces like bedrooms and upstairs areas, many homeowners, too, are opting for hard flooring throughout the house β even in kitchens and bathrooms. Yes, bathrooms.
Hardwoods offer a warm and cozy look and feel, so itβs easy to see why homeowners are choosing them in every room of their house,β Beth Haley says. βWe advise our clients to keep tile in areas where puddles could form, such as in a kidsβ bathroom, especially around the tub.Β Hardwoods make the most sense in master baths where splashes and drips will be quickly cleaned up.β
And when crafted with functionality and design in mind, hardwood in a bath can be spectacular, adds Andrew. βThink Blackberry Farm and Old Edwards Inn,β he says. βAntique woods in the bath are really quite pretty and warm up the space.β
In short, the way to be on-trend with flooring in 2019 is to not succumb to the trends at all, but rather to do what speaks to you, in a way that suits your taste and your familyβs lifestyle.
βIt just goes back to craft and things being done well,β Andrew says. βCreating a timeless design, something that will live in the home and really be foundational for the homeβs design. Small batch, craft made, high quality and made for each individual β thatβs what we specialize in at Textures Nashville.β
When youβre ready to update your flooring, Textures Flooring can help. Learn more about their services, schedule a showroom visit and more at their website, texturesflooring.com.
This article is sponsored by Textures Flooring.
