Design Inspiration: 2021 Wood Flooring Trends

Borders, Inlays and Medallions

Borders, inlays and medallions create an opportunity for a space to become even more unique. These flooring features give the room a beautiful, custom focal point that will only further complement your stunning hardwood floors.

Wide Plank Floors

If your aim is to make the flooring look classic but a bit more unified, wide planks is an excellent option. New hardwood planks are often an inch wider than the traditional or old-school planks. With fewer joint lines, you can feature some of the more interesting aspects of the wood itself, especially the grain.

Wide plank is more contemporary feeling. It works in modern homes as well as colonial / farm homes. It visually opens up small space and creates spacious visuals. It also allows you to see more of the board – more of the character and story each piece has to tell. We haves widths up to 18” wide and lengths up to 12’ long. Rift & Quartered and Rift Only are great options for the stability needed here with wide plank. You can use a solid piece of wood if it is the right cut!

Reclaimed Wide Plank Floors: Reclaimed wide plank floors are extremely popular right now. They are repurposed from places like old barns, houses, and industrial buildings. Their character marks and signs of wear-and-tear bring a rustic appeal to the space. They are great for cafés, restaurants, and homeowners who want a hip, trendy look in their floors. Some popular reclaimed species include pine, white and red oak, and chestnut.

This trend has also been around for a while, but no everyone does it well. Most of the pre-finished materials seen on the market are all done with a machine and has a pattern once the floor is down, the result hardly looking vintage. While reclaimed floors truly are vintage, they can be expensive, but we have some options to make your new floor look older. This also is a great option for restaurants and homes with a lot of traffic, kids, dogs, etc. It holds up and any additional marks just add to the beauty.

Lighter Woods and Stains: The other extreme for 2021 leads you to lighter woods and stains to match. Blonde or light woods like white oak, maple and ash could be a wonderful addition to any room. Although lighter wood types may seem to be warm, the current trend pushes away from warm yellow and orange, toward cooler styles. The paler the wood and the stain, the cleaner the appearance. Use blonde woods to contrast dark walls and furniture, and to present a seamless view of the commercial space.

White Oak: No doubt the hottest flooring species right now. The White Oak Tree is our national tree. The tree is a symbol of strength & beauty. The lumber and flooring embrace those qualities as well. The greatest attribute is how versatile it is. Depending on the cut and grade it can fit into the most formal, traditional setting to a rustic hunting camp, to very modern upscale city apartment. White oak takes stain well – we have seen it from bleached white to a dark walnut, almost black.

Classic Species: As part of the trend surrounding rustic looks, species that have been traditionally favored in the American market––such as white oak, American cherry, and walnut––are recently making a comeback. Instead of gravitating towards exotic wide plank species, some homeowners are tending towards simpler, classic varieties of wood that have been mainstays in American homes for several decades. Although they’re simple and traditional, you can still make them your own by opting to stain them, but sometimes it’s best to let their natural beauty speak for itself.

Matte Finishes: Fortunately, the trend in finishes help you to keep the space looking cleaner with less work. Finishes with a high gloss are on their way out, which is a practical move. The more reflective the finish, the easier it is to see dirt or blemishes. This trend is even more useful for commercial areas with bright white lighting. Finishes in satin or even matte provide a layer of protection to the flooring without drawing too much attention away from other parts of the building’s interior.

Parquet Flooring: This is the trend that we’re most excited about. Good old fashion parquet flooring coming back into high fashion here in the US. It can be used in a small entry setting, formal dining room, or throughout the whole home. Ever travel to Europe to old Chateaux and mansions? The floors are full of beautiful artisan woodwork. Your home doesn’t have to look like an old castle though, the herringbone can work in a contemporary setting as well.