Post by: Dmitriy Ivanchuk (www.divinehns.com)
WOW, TIME FLIES QUICKLY… IT’S ALREADY 2017!
The home improvement industry is booming and bustling this year like never before, at an all time high Americans are spending over $170 billion dollars on remodeling and construction projects.
What does this mean? It means styles and trends for interior design change in a blink of an eye (not really, more like a few years).
Since hardwood is what we specialize in, this week we would like to highlight some of the most prominent hardwood trends of 2017 that you should look out for.
DARKS, LIGHTS, AND GRAY’S
That’s about it…
In terms of coloring what’s popular in 2017 is high contrast or very neutral colors. What’s not popular: reds, browns, and yellows. Dark stained wood floors that contrast with a very bright room or light hardwood with a dark furniture scheme.
The trend in 2017 for hardwood is boldness. Meaning less traditional or natural wood coloring and more extreme shades of colors (very dark or super light).
Gray is the in between color that is also the safe neutral.
Darker hardwood collects dust faster and is very difficult to keep clean. Although it is a popular option this year we do not foresee it sticking around for very long. On the contrary light and gray wood we expect to see stay for many years.
THE WIDER THE BETTER
Wide planked hardwood is attractive, more so than ever before. From an architectural and design perspective wider planks tend to make a room seem more expansive. Wide planks scream modern and elegance.
We recommend selecting a hardwood with a minimum of a 5” width.
MIXED WIDTH HARDWOOD
Another trending style in 2017 is mixed width wood. Planks with various widths ranging from 2” to 5” arranged at the correct pattern adds a taste of elegance and beauty to any room. Depending on the style of your home this may be a new option to try in 2017. Consult with a designer or one of our consultant to see if a mixed width hardwood floor would be right for you.
TEXTURE: HAND SCRAPED, WEATHERED, WIRE BRUSHED
Ditch the Glossy Finish, no-one like it anymore. In 2017 homeowners are all about the textured hardwoods. Not only are wide planks popular, wide planks that are hand scraped are simply amazing. Go for a hand scraped, weathered, or wire brushed look. It will never cease to amaze your guests and will be a top selling point if you ever decide to sell your home.
Here is an example of each texture type.
RECLAIMED WOOD
Although pricey this is an investment that in many areas is worth it. Depending on the neighborhood that your home is located in a reclaimed wood floor may be ideal for you. A reclaimed wood floor generally is hard to come by but is gaining popularity in homes with a more rustic theme & style. Portland is a great example, with many home located in older more luxurious neighborhoods reclaimed wood floors are the ultimate addition.
Your choices: pre-finished hardwood, laminate, sheet vinyl, LVT
A true reclaimed hardwood floor is made out of real reclaimed wood (hence the name). Although if you actually try to use reclaimed wood and attempt to resize it into usable planks and apply a stain that creates a long lasting durable finish it will cost you a pretty penny and an unavoidable headache. A few alternatives include a pre-finished solid hardwood that is finished to a rust reclaimed look (closest to the real thing), or a laminate, sheet vinyl, or lvt that will do the job almost as well but are not as beautiful.
Take a look at some of our options and see for yourself.
ENGINEERED HARDWOOD
As always a trend that has been on the rise in the last few years and is stronger than ever in 2017 is the use and presence of engineered hardwood in homes. Unsure about the difference between an engineered hardwood and a solid hardwood floor? Check out our recent blog post answering this question.
Engineered vs. Solid Hardwood
To sum it up in a few sentences engineered hardwood is universal and as real as it gets to solid hardwood. Engineered hardwood is durable, made out of real wood (unlike laminate and LVT) is much better for the environment than laminate and LVT, and is much easier to install (if floated) than real solid hardwood (which must be nailed down).
That’s about it for hardwood trends in 2017, we will keep you posted on any additional emerging trends in the coming months and hope to help out as many of you as possible with a flooring home improvement project this year.