2021 Top Trends in Wood Flooring

With the influx of all sorts of products trying to mimic the look of real wood floors, solid hardwood and engineered wood flooring remain an undisputed choice for residential and commercial projects alike.

Pattern parquet flooring

Over the years, parquet flooring has proved that classic can also be trendy. Showing an increase of 177.42% in homes around the UK (according to a statistic taken from Country Living), parquet, particularly herringbone and chevron pattern, add both sophisticated and timeless flair. An alternative to straight hardwood installation, longer herringbone and chevron planks are all the rage this season.

Herringbone involves connecting two planks at a 90-degree angle. This flooring style gives any room a focal point, whilst giving an illusion of a larger space. Whether it’s a small hallway or a common area like the kitchen, you can be sure to elevate the overall look and feel of your space into something far from basic.

As far as chevron wood flooring is concerned, it makes it possible to install flooring easier and quicker. It can be laid parallel to the walls or diagonally to create a “V” form. Because this patterned flooring style can create an optical illusion that space is bigger, wider or longer, it has become popular among homeowners with smaller houses, or rooms where a change in proportion is needed to make the room seem more spacious.

Long, wide plank floors

Elongated, wide wood boards are one trend we keep seeing year after year, and this season it’s no different. Their presence lends a casual yet sophisticated design statement wherever they’re installed. Even better, they make compact spaces seem bigger, more open, more cohesive, more expensive and less chaotic.

This is a trend you can expect to maintain its longevity in the marketplace. For this reason, wood flooring manufacturers are trending towards even wider and longer boards that continue to create a stable visual foundation.

High-end market:

custom-made specifications, prime grade, Antique French Oak

While there have been few changes within the timber industry in the last 2-3 years, there has been an incredibly high demand for genuine 18th and 19th century French oak for full home renovations including custom-made stair pieces.

Due to the specialised nature and bespoke requirements for such projects, high-end wood flooring companies normally provide a complete supply and installation services.

With regards to wood grading, the high-end of the market is drawn towards specifying the higher grade of flooring such as Prime Grade and Select Grade, rather than a rustic or character grade. Opting for a cleaner grade of oak means each board is more uniform and grain patterns are generally less varied — and once installed, the overall appearance offers a sense of calmness because there is less visual “noise”.

When selecting either new wood, reclaimed or antique flooring, designers are in the search for new concepts rather than a standard format. Custom-made wood floor requires that you carefully evaluate each room shape, light source, and often times the building’s history.

To get the specifications right, it’s not uncommon for manufacturers to create custom-made pdf templates on-site prior to the production of wood boards in the workshop. With all custom work, it’s best that the manufacturer offer a complete package that includes supply and installation.

Middle market:

natural finishes and natural colours

With regards to the middle and middle-upper market sectors, we have seen a shift in design trends throughout the years. In 2021, there will be an increased demand for environmentally friendly flooring and a higher grade of engineered oak.

For this reason, engineered boards are now FSC certified as standard, and character grade flooring is now a higher grade; which means the boards are considered to be more elegant and there is less floor filler required within each board.

There is an obvious decrease in requests for cool, grey wood floor colours and an increase for warmer grey tones, blended with brown undertones. The current most popular colours include Eames, Highland Manor, Cabin Wood, Regency Grey, Tobacco Cove, Traditional White.

Something of interest in 2021 and beyond, and perhaps a shift that has been in motion the past 6 months is the growing demand for 18th and 19th century French Oak but without the hefty price tag.

Award-winning interiors have in the past few years exhibited such an antique French oak floor, and this influence is seeping its way into the middle market sector — with a great appreciation towards the beauty of such a product and the overall style just not the price tag.

For this reason, there are two alternative products in solid oak, and 2021 sees a high demand for a similar product as an engineered platform that is less expensive than a genuine product.

Reclaimed wood floors

Salvaged from a variety of places including aging barns, wine barrels, old farmhouses, factories and farmhouses, reclaimed wood flooring kills two beds with one stone — it offers something original that’s also environmentally responsible.

This recycled building material carry a distinctive and charming distressed look; and this year, this aesthetic happens to be in style in flooring, wall surfaces, door, and staircase design. Introducing this honest and hard-wearing material that proudly displays the marks it’s acquired during its lifetime adds so much character and warmth that will last a lifetime.

Team reclaimed flooring with tactile elements like wool, leather and rattan to conceive an industrial or country-style scheme, or pair with modern and contemporary smooth, glossy furnishings for a stunning and striking contrast.

Natural, grain wood floors

It seems as though 2021 will see homeowners moving towards natural, grained flooring that add a sense of character and texture to elevate the status of any room decor. To achieve this look, wood boards are finished by scarping a wire brush across the surface, giving them a look that undulates slightly and appears like it was finished by hand with an old-fashioned wood scraper.

The easy-going look is ideal for homeowners seeking a natural appearance that effortlessly complements the now-trending farmhouse style, particularly in kitchens. In addition, it can also add a distinctive touch to upscale contemporary settings, or offer a beautiful contrast to modern décor.

Brown wood tones

Prominent grey and white coloured wood planks have been strong the last 6-7 years; however, as homeowners embrace the light, airy feel in their homes, we’ll see warmer brown tones sneaking in this year. The simplicity and cosiness of brown create a luxury look that still feels timeless.

Light brown is an excellent colour base that offers endless decorating possibilities — effortlessly finding its place in rustic, modern, contemporary, Scandinavian and even traditional interior schemes. What’s more, lighter wood colours tend to hide scuff marks better than darker wood shades.

Onsite wood finishing

Because of the wealth of customisation offered, finishing wood boards in situ is a preferred choice for more and more people. Onsite finishing involves purchasing raw wood flooring and have it sanded, stained, sealed and finished with a protective layer after installation. Most high-end wood flooring companies provide full onsite installation service in order to ensure the best result.

Furthermore, on-site finishing allows you to blend new flooring into existing floors, or finish to your specific taste by taking natural and artificial lighting, furniture and overall décor into consideration. Unlike pre-finished boards, the end result of a site-finished floor is smooth with no obvious lippage between the boards if the subfloor is not completely flat.

Conclusion

Whether you are trying to nail a modern, contemporary, Scandinavian, coastal or even a traditional look, wood flooring offers a stylish, warm, and natural look that lasts a lifetime. With a lot going on in the wood flooring industry, there is plenty of different possibilities that trends this year offer to turn your house into a home.

Advanced manufacturing technics make wood flooring a leading choice, and more species, colours and finishes to choose from mean that some of these trends will likely stick around for years to come….and then some. Investing in brand new high-quality wood flooring can add so much value and timeless style to an interior environment.