Wood Flooring Trends by Joe Szabo, Scottsdale Real Estate Team
Gray Kitchen Flooring – In Every Type!
Five years ago, you could have called the gray trend new or up-and-coming. But now? Is it even a trend anymore?
Well, if by “trend” you mean popular and relevant, then heck, yes! But it is definitely not a fad.
Gray flooring, particularly gray wood, has grown exponentially over the last decade. Although gray tiles, particularly in stone looks, are also very popular in the kitchen.
Gray has quickly become the most popular trend, not just for flooring, but for kitchens and homes in general. Gray cabinets, gray doors, you name it. And every shade of gray is still hot and trendy in the kitchen. For your floors and decor.
In addition to looking chic and trendy, gray floors set the tone of a cool, contemporary kitchen. They give you a neutral backdrop for decorating in virtually any color. Aquas, greens, bright bold colors or even black and white – they will all go with your sleek gray flooring.
I like to use the neutral backdrop to accessorize with my favorite kitchen appliances. I have a bright, sparkly cherry red KitchenAid stand mixer and I love it so much, I made it the centerpiece of my kitchen. Purchasing bright red appliances, decor and even dining room chairs.
Gray floors are the perfect backdrop for this kind of bold statement.
Will the gray kitchen flooring trend last in 2020 and beyond?
Gray will be hot and trendy for decades to come. I wouldn’t give it a second thought!High Color Variation Kitchen Flooring
High color variation is trending in wood (and wood looks) as well as tile. Wood looks typically feature color variation between planks, whereas high variation in tile typically refers to the amount of color variation in each individual plank.
Homeowners love the natural, rustic look that higher color variation provides. In nature, stone and wood aren’t so uniform; there are all kinds of inconsistencies.
Now, with modern technology, you can achieve these more random, natural looks with laminate, vinyl, engineered wood, ceramic tile, you name it! This makes your kitchen floor more of a statement piece and tends to pair best with a simple but contemporary decor.
Will the high color variation kitchen flooring trend last in 2020 and beyond?
The challenge with something bold like high color variation is it’s a very specific aesthetic. Wood looks will likely be trendy for the next decade or so. Although, I predict high variation kitchen tiles will stay trendy significantly longer.2020 Kitchen Flooring Texture Trends
In 2020, texture will be more prevalent than ever before. In addition to wirebrushed and handscraped wood looks, you’ll also start to see more distressed looks in the kitchen.
As I mentioned above, high variation is in! Not just for colors but textures, as well. In 2020, you’ll see more and more kitchen floors where no two planks look the same, particularly with handscraped looks.
But what does that mean for smooth looks? Don’t worry; we’ll get to that.
Handscraped, Wirebrushed and Distressed: What’s the Difference?
Okay, so the trends we’re about to discuss are similar and often confused with one another. Each textured flooring option comes with its own unique style and character. No 2 textured wood planks should ever be exactly the same and each of these 3 options has a distinguishing quality.- Handscraped looks feature long, ingrained scrapes with high variation between planks, making each individual plank appear handcrafted, unique and rare.
- Wirebrushed looks show subtle, intentional wire scratches leaving the appearance of exposed wood on the surface. These imperfections are smoother and more consistent than handscraped or distressed looks.
- Distressed looks are often mistaken for handscraped. Distressed looks, however, look as though they’ve been through a lot of wear and tear. You can expect to see the appearance of scrapes, burns, knots, wormholes and more, giving these floors an aged, antique look.
Handscraped Wood (& Wood-Look) Kitchen Flooring
This one is my favorite! Handscraped looks instantly make your kitchen look timeless and expensive. These are perfect for a rustic kitchen with plenty of character. They’re also a great backdrop for industrial kitchens, as well.
Because hand-scraped floors look truly finished, they are trendy not just with younger homeowners but with more established homeowners, as well. In fact, hand-scraped floors are almost guaranteed to amp up your home value.
You’ll see trendy hand-scraped wood looks in traditional wood, engineered wood, laminate, vinyl and tile. And, honestly, they’re all in! Each floor just has different advantages so it’s really up to you what you’re looking for.
Will the hand-scraped kitchen flooring trend last in 2020 and beyond?
This unique, individual, handcrafted look will absolutely stand the test of time. It looks expensive, and people love expensive.Wirebrushed Wood (& Wood-Look) Kitchen Flooring
Homeowners are loving weathered wire-brushed looks. This trendy look adds character to your floor without looking unfinished.
Another bonus of wire-brushed floors? They hide dirt really well so you don’t have to clean your floors as often! And, if you’re anything like me, that is a huge selling point. Especially in the kitchen.
In 2019, wire-brushed floors were the leading trend in textured flooring. However, moving forward, I anticipate that hand-scraped and distressed looks will knock them out of the running pretty quickly.
While the wire-brushed floors are cool, if the trend towards imperfections and character continues, distressed and hand-scraped wood will likely have more to offer in both variety and character.
Will the wire-brushed kitchen trend last in 2020 and beyond?
While I don’t think it will last forever in the entire home, I do think wire-brushed looks will always have a place in the kitchen. Especially with their ability to hide dirt. However, if you want a seamless floor throughout your home, I would recommend going hand-scraped instead.Distressed Wood (& Wood-Look) Kitchen Flooring
I am a sucker for floors with character and it’s no secret that distressed floors have a whole lot of it!
Wirebrushed floors are like a traditional pair of jeans. While they likely have something that sets them apart and makes them different, they’re pretty average, not screaming individuality.
But then you have distressed floors, which are like your one extra special pair of jeans with OMG-so-much personality! The ones you don’t want to admit to anyone how much you paid for them. The ones that always make you stand out in a crowd.
So you can understand why I am such a fan.
Setting the tone with a floor that looks almost historic instantly gives you an envy-inducing kitchen. Distressed floors make a great pairing with brick backsplash, slate-look countertops, stacked stone, farmhouse sinks, basically every other hot kitchen trend going at the moment.
Will the distressed kitchen flooring trend last in 2020 and beyond?
This is a look that will divide people. Like the debate over which 90’s boy band is the best: NSync or The Backstreet Boys (obviously the latter…). I do believe distressed looks will continue to be popular, particularly with younger generations. However, I don’t anticipate it will spread quite in the same way as hand-scraped and wire-brushed looks. If you’re looking at longterm resale value, I would choose hand-scraped looks.Reclaimed Wood (& Wood-Look) Kitchen Flooring
Reclaimed wood textures are meant to tell a story through your floor, because the wood has been used before as barn wood or pallets. Plenty of wood-look flooring options are also now rocking those reclaimed wood textures. That’s great for you, because you can get this trendy look without paying for the real thing.
With a reclaimed texture, you’re getting the highest level of detail. We’re talking knots, nail holes, color variations, and even more. You can expect a flooring with personality when you get reclaimed wood or wood-look flooring.
Just like distressed floors, reclaimed wood textures mesh really well with the farmhouse look, exposed brick, and minimalist styles.
Courtesy of The Home Depot
