3. Cool-toned colors

Cool colors are in and warm colors are out. This seems to be true both for flooring and paint colors (and yes, the two go hand in hand). Cool color tones include grays, blues, greens, etc.

• Dark browns (without traces of red or yellow undertones)
• Grays, concrete, and industrial looks for tiles (and countertops)
• Grays over beiges for carpets and walls
• Bleached and blanched colors – ashy whitewashed looks, works with farmhouse and country styles as well as a modern contemporary look industrial and concrete looks for tiles (and countertops)

4. Area rugs are on the rise

As the preference for hardwood and other hard surfaces rises, the demand for area rugs also grow. Area rugs add design flair and often color to your room. They are often the centerpiece for a room. The most popular colors are gray, followed by navy as the base color. And, often many like to decorate with a pop color.

One of the great things about area rugs is that you can always replace it with a new one (along with pillows) in the future and give your room a mini makeover for a very low price. And, while you’re at it, you may paint an accent wall to bring out that pop color for a unifying theme in the room.

5. Environmentally friendly finishes

Over the last several years, we’ve seen more and more people asking about and gravitating towards more environmentally friendly finishes. In particular, many customers prefer Bona Traffic HD because it has very low VOC’s, has incredibly high durability, has low odor and also doesn’t amberize (i.e. turn yellow) like oil-based poly does.

We are also seeing a slight uptick in requests for monocoat or oiled finishes, but most are shying away from this as it’s higher maintenance, more expensive and doesn’t protect the floors from water/spills.

While other articles state that there’s a trend towards cork, linoleum and other green products, We’re just not seeing that. There’s a minor uptick, but we would not call it a trend nor even a strong preference. These products are still rather niche and don’t have that wide of an appeal.

Cork and linoleum are certainly good options for some situations, especially if going green is a priority or if someone in the house has allergies or asthma. But many don’t like the looks of these products and instead opt for other flooring products that meet their needs and have wider appeal (e.g. solid hardwood flooring.

6. Carpet runners and carpet tiles

While carpet is still very prevalent, it seems to be on the decline and isn’t usually people’s first choice for main living areas. Instead, the preference is for hardwood or other hard surfaces. Some people, especially those in cooler climates prefer carpet for the bedrooms and others prefer hardwood (it seems to be around a 50/50 split here in Colorado). But, the two areas that carpeting is high demand are 1) area rugs (see above) and 2) carpet runners for the steps.

Carpet runners have become both an important fashion statement and also an important safety prec

aution. Now that people are ripping up the carpet on the steps, they notice that the steps have become slippery (and loud). Carpet runners are important for everyone in the family including our 4 legged friends (yes, the most common reason for installing runners is for safety and comfort for their dogs).

 

Runners are also important for toddlers, pregnant women, older adults…and well honestly everyone. They will also reduce the noise in the house, cover imperfections in the steps (especially if you have an older home) and help avoid the need to refinish your steps.

The other place where some families prefer carpet is in dens/family rooms and basements when these on on the lower levels of the home, especially if these rooms are on top of concrete slab. In cooler climates, the carpet will keep the area warmer. Interestingly enough, we’re seeing growth of carpet tile for these areas. Sometimes, it’s fun and colorful carpet tiles for a playroom area. Other times, it’s more neutral colors. You buy extra carpet tiles so when areas get dirty (or worn down by the entryway) they can easily be replaced. Carpet tiles are a soft surface that acts more like a hard surface in terms of looks and durability.

 

7. Farmhouse style

It’s unbelievable to watch this farmhouse style trend growing and blossoming. For years, there’s been a desire for nostalgia and return to a simpler life, and it’s exhibited itself in many ways. For the floors, it’s been more about a rustic and distressed look with wider planks and often reclaimed wood. Now, it’s evolved to softer and more subtle color palettes for the floors and walls. You see more grays and gray mixes and more subtle distressing (vs. previously, hand-scraped and warm colors were more popular. 

Anyone who’s seen Joanna and Chip Gaine’s Fixer Upper has seen her decor style as she’s brought things up a notch. Before her show, almost no one had heard of shiplap, and now you see it everywhere, especially on Pinterest, Houzz and many online stores.

Now that people are adding more texture and visual intrigue to the walls, it’s even more important to keep the floors in the main living areas simpler for better balance. Hence, the more neutral colors and reduced texture on the floors.

For smaller rooms, such as bathrooms or powder rooms, again inspired by Joanna Gaines, black and white tiles and mosaics are making a comeback. These are nostalgic and bring back memories of decades and centuries past. These bold graphic designs capture your eye as the pattern unfolds in front of your eyes.

 

The patterns are delicate, flowery and geometric. I see them most often in bathrooms, but they are also used on backsplashes and small entryways. These tiles are sometimes challenging to find in local stores, but you can find a variety of these tiles as well as delicate black and white mosaics here on Wayfair.com. 

 

8. What won’t stand the test of time?

Types of floors that are out of style (and declining) for 2022 – Flooring that will date your home

While I’m on the topic of trends, I’m also going to share what’s out of style (or reverse trending). Many of these items mistakenly appear in floor trends posts (and note: these articles are not written by flooring companies…usually the flooring companies know what’s trending because they have first hand experience). Many of these items will date your home. And, you’ll also see that many of these are not very practical…and hence they are on the decline

• Bamboo – Not durable. Scratches and dents easily. Doesn’t hold up to water.
• Parquet – Ultra dated. Separates over time. Looks sloppy and makes space look smaller.
• Reds and warm colors – These colors are out of style (but they may come back in a decade or so). These are harder to decorate with, too.
• Multi-width planks – Not practical as they will date your home. Most prefer clean lines and simple formats. It’s easy to refinish hardwood and make it a different color, but the multi-widths will always be there. These will be like those multi-width pegged floors – dated.
• Multi-size tiles – These have been dated for a while.
• Wide grout lines – Very dated. Grout gets dirty and is more likely to crack with wider grout lines.

Conclusion:

These are the trends we’ve been seeing and they’ve all been growing over the last 5 years or so. Not only do we see these trends in homes, but also on TV shows, magazines and online decor sites.