Wood flooring finish trends, like most things interior and fashion come and go. Not so very long ago, huge chunks of the population were yearning to recreate that country kitchen look and decked out the heart of their homes with orange coloured, highly varnished oak. While trends that come and go, there are long-lasting style statements within those trends that will stand the test of time. Even the orange oak of the 1970’s and 80’s had solid oak at its core, albeit some stylists got it horribly wrong.
Like all things in life, investment in something that will last as well as looking great in years to come is a highly sensible way to go. So, what are the latest wood flooring finish trends throwing at us right now and what should you choose to make sure you’ll get serious mileage from your investment?
The trends right now seem to fall into four distinct categories: light and white; dark and designer; muted, and aged or distressed. Each of these trends has been created with specific uses in mind and every one has its merits when it comes to re-looking any room in your home.
Light and white flooring has been on trend for quite a while now, but is continuing to develop in its diversity. At one time, white washed wood was the only option for poor people who couldn’t afford paint. But, as you see in every aspect of fashion, anything that looks old these days has a certain ‘je ne sais quoi’ that adds a real interest and creates demand. And it’s no different with this style of flooring. Although most modern day floors aren’t actually white washed as they were in the olden days, their finish is becoming more and more authentic in its look. This light and white look flooring is particularly suited to homes where you’re looking to create an open and airy look. Irrespective of your style of furnishings, this finish should work well. That said, light and white finish wood flooring works best with shabby chic furnishing that looks a bit faded and aged or even a nautical look.
Wood flooring that is either naturally dark or has been finished to look dark is another highly sought after trend at this moment in time. Best suited to clean, minimalist, designer-style interiors, dark flooring comes either naturally dark (usually with a high price tag) or a finish that has been used to darken the wood. There are various processes that serve to darken wood and make it look great, including smoking the wood and burning the wood. Both of these processes cause the surface of the wood to darken without looking in any way painted, stained or artificial. If you’re looking to create a dark and designer look, either a smoked or burned wood will give you a look that is highly convincing without needing to dig deep in your pockets for a wood that’s naturally almost black.
For anyone keen to play it safe, the muted tones of the natural oak finishes that are abundant right now are just perfect. In particular, brushed and oiled oak options whereby the oak has been brushed to open up the grain and then oiled to protect it without leaving any shine is ideal. If you have a neutral palette in mind for your room, you won’t go wrong with any of the beige or honey-toned oak flooring solutions we have on offer. No matter whether you choose engineered or solid wood, you’ll be able to track down a really nice, muted finish that will set off your furnishings and interior, no matter their style.
There’s no getting away from the fact that any floor that looks old right now has a real value and desire that some ‘new’ looking flooring can’t even compete with. Aged or distressed finishes on new flooring can be achieved either by machine or by hand. Hand finishing wood to distress it and make it look old has been perfected to the extent that it’s now virtually impossible to work out if it’s truly old or not, but this process is time consuming and labour intensive. As a result it comes with a higher price tag than machine-aged flooring. That said, if your budget allows, this truly is a heritage investment that’ll look great for a very, very long time, again, no matter the style of your interior.
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