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2023 Trends in Flooring Design And Materials

2023 Flooring Trends

Flooring is one of the most important elements in any home and the type of flooring you choose for your home or any interior setting can be a significant mood and comfort enhancer. Bold patterns and neutral colours inspired by nature will be trending in 2023 and if you are planning your next renovation or remodelling project, the following flooring trends will help you to decide the best flooring choice for your home or office.

Natural and Neutral Colours

Homeowners are leaning toward more natural, minimalistic, and neutral floor colours that are versatile enough to complement a variety of living spaces from kitchens to bedrooms. Shades of cream, honey, and white can be used in luxury condos and homes and these shades create a relaxing atmosphere that can be customized to each individual’s preference.

Rustic Textures

Flooring trends are not only about the colour; different textures also have an appeal. Rustic floors can be hand-scraped or wire-brushed to reveal some texture or they can be made from reclaimed material. Rustic flooring has a calming effect on the viewer with its natural texture and surface. Rustic textures can add depth to any room and they work well in lodges, farmhouses, cottages and any interior where a natural appearance and vibe are preferred.

Wide Plank Floors: Hardwood And Laminate

Wide planks allow one to see more of the grain and variation in each piece of wood and this creates a floor that is interesting yet subtle at the same time. It makes an ideal backdrop for commercial spaces and helps to create a homier environment for residential spaces. Wide plank flooring can be sanded smooth for a contemporary look or it can be rustic or reclaimed.

Wide plank laminate flooring is usually used as a substitute for hardwood floors. These planks are manufactured to imitate the look and feel of a solid hardwood board, and laminates can be altered to provide the perfect blend of unique shades and beautiful wood grain patterns. 

Vinyl Flooring

Vinyl floors are available in options that look almost identical to solid hardwood and are water-resistant and their durability has made them a popular choice for many homeowners. Vinyl can be installed in a home office space, the kitchen, or even in bedrooms. Vinyl planks can be manufactured in a variety of different styles and colour choices which makes them a superb substitute for hardwood floors.

Herringbone

Herringbone styles in oak shades are trending in 2023, rather than grey and white tones. White oak is a popular wood species for its versatility and functionality. White oak has creamy undertones and adds a subtle warmth to spaces and it is naturally water-resistant. If you are planning to install flooring for open-plan spaces, use wide planks or oversized herringbone designs. Smaller spaces should use a smaller-sized herringbone in a light shade as it will make the room appear bigger and more spacious.

Solid Hardwood Flooring

Hardwood flooring is a timeless classic and still maintains its place in the 2023 flooring trends. It is functional and aesthetically pleasing and when made from solid planks, hardwood floors can be refinished with a new stain colour and sheen as trends evolve. While there are many types of flooring available, very few materials have the lasting durability and popularity of hardwood flooring. 

Our flooring experts at Smith Bros Flooring are happy to help you find exciting and new flooring options for your interiors. Contact us today to find your next floor trend.

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What are my Colour Options for Hardwood Flooring?

Colour Options

Hardwood flooring is a classic choice with timeless charm. Manufacturers of hardwood floors constantly improve and change their flooring to keep it interesting, trendy, up to date and able to withstand the challenges of modern living. Today’s flooring is not your parent’s wood floors! These floors come in a wide range of styles, sizes, finishes, species and colours. How do you know which hardwood colour options to choose? The following is information about the many choices to help you decide what is best for your home.

Natural and light tones: These classic hues are similar to those found in raw wood and show off the natural characteristics and beauty of the wood. Choosing natural tones sometimes means not using any stain at all. Finish these shades with a clear coat to enhance the appearance of the wood itself and protect it from wear and tear. 

  • White: White tones are a popular design trend and look great in a wide variety of locations. White ash flooring has a natural, subtle variation with dark knot holes visible letting the character of the wood shine. White oak brightens any room, allows for unlimited decorating options, fits any décor and creates a warm, comfortable home.
  • Blonde wood colour is a versatile choice and goes well with contemporary, traditional and rustic-style homes. It makes a room appear large and open, especially if you use large planks. Choose from oak, maple, bamboo and/or ash.
  • Honey: Flooring with honey-coloured tones adds warmth and richness to a room. It’s a great alternative to the more traditional golden tones, while still giving you a natural colour palette to work with. This flooring matches most interiors, creating an inviting atmosphere. Honey wood floors are light enough to give you many of the benefits of blonde wood (making your room look larger and more open) while providing the rich warmth that comes from a slightly darker tone. You can find honey wood floors in many popular wood species.
  • Caramel is a richer, warmer version of blonde wood, ideal for homeowners seeking an option that is easy to maintain and that will complement any décor. It’s the natural tone of many hardwood species and is easily available. Carmel is a classic, timeless hue.

Whitewashed and bleached: These flooring hues have become an increasingly popular hardwood flooring trend due to their clean and modern look. They bring a beachy feel to your home. The light stain enhances the beauty of the natural wood while making the flooring colour more consistent. They help a room feel fresh and modern. 

  • Whitewashed wood is a popular trend. It creates a rustic, farmhouse aesthetic; an artistic worn-out look with the darker wood peeking out from underneath. This flooring is matte and subtle. Whitewashed flooring makes your home look brighter, bigger and more relaxed.
  • Bleached wood pairs well with casual interior design, adding a light airy feel. It’s a great choice for both modern and farmhouse kitchens. This method works well with white and red oak, with the white oak creating a contemporary look and the red a more traditional style. 

Dark wood flooring has been popular among homeowners for centuries. It has a timeless and authentic feel, rich and full of character, making a space feel upscale and luxurious. From deep browns to black hues to dark reddish browns and even shades of grey, dark hardwood floors are elegant and sophisticated.

  • Browns: Dark brown hardwood flooring brings style and sophistication to your home. It pairs well with light bright interiors and suits most styles of homes, including rustic cottages and modern houses or apartments. It can be elegant, modern, rustic and/or wild, all while bringing warmth to your space. 
  • Black is trendy but can be difficult to maintain as it shows every scratch and speck of dust. Reserve this hue of hardwood flooring for low-traffic areas and homes with no pets or children. 
  • Grey is neutral and goes with any style of décor. It can be dark, light or have blue undertones. It can be highly patterned and textured. This hue hides dust, bumps and scratches and has a calming effect, making it ideal for rooms where you want to relax. Try a dark grey hardwood for a formal dining room or a light hue for a child’s bedroom. 
  • Greige is a combination of grey and beige, yielding a different shade than flat gray. It offers the minimalist feel of gray with the depth of beige. This hardwood hue can be used in any room. The rustic charm of this shade works for modern and contemporary households. Greige adds a fresh look to bedrooms and gives living rooms and entryways a feeling of luxury.
  • Rich red and red-brown: With a lot of colour variation, these tones become the focal point of a room. Keep the rest of the decor simple and your hardwood floor will give the space a style boost. 

Rustic: Reclaimed wood flooring has a natural patina as, over time, wood takes on a dark rich colour, depending on its environment and its use. Rustic flooring offers character that lets you use a wide range of other colours and wood tones in the room.

Hardwood flooring is versatile and comes in a range of styles, sizes, finishes, species, and colours. Wood flooring stains and textures have evolved and can be used to complement any interior design, architectural style, or colour palette. Have fun choosing the best colour(s) of hardwood flooring for your home!

Looking for quality hardwood flooring? Need help determining the best colour and style for your home? Interested in exceptional service and advice? Contact Smith Bros. Floors, one of Canada’s oldest hardwood flooring companies that is family-owned and operated. We use industry-leading flooring and finishes because we want your flooring to last! With a tested crew of installers and finishers and a lifetime guarantee on workmanship and longevity, Smith Bros. quality cannot be beaten! We provide exemplary customer service, from site visit, to quote, to installation and follow-up. Call us at 403-255-7791 for a free consultation.

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Choose the Right Flooring for Your Kitchen

Kitchen Flooring

Every room in your home deserves practical, durable, and beautiful flooring that suits your style. The kitchen is no exception. This room is the heart of the home, an important space for cooking, socializing, working and entertaining. It experiences a heap of foot traffic, many spills, frequent stains, temperature fluctuations and continual cleaning. You want the flooring in this room to be easy to maintain, comfortable to walk on and be able to last for years. Your kitchen floor has a big job to accomplish! So what is the best flooring for a kitchen? Which flooring choice meets your needs, goals and budget? The following is information about a variety of types, materials, colours, styles and textures available for your kitchen. The options are vast!

What should I consider when shopping for kitchen flooring?

  • Durability: Do you have children and/or pets? Do you spill sauce, drop pans and splash oil often? What type of wear and tear will your kitchen floor encounter? These questions help you decide the durability you require in your choice of flooring.
  • Style sense: Choose flooring that complements the style of your kitchen, whether it’s rustic, contemporary or country. Consider the colours, textures and patterns already present in the room in your walls, cabinets, and counters. 
  • Comfort: Look for flooring with a bit of softness and resilience. You want it to be comfortable to stand on for long periods.
  • Ease of cleaning: Kitchen floors get grimy! Choose a material that’s easy to clean as well as water and stain-resistant. 
  • Cost: Choose flooring that you can afford, taking into account delivery, installation, possible underlay and removal/disposal of the old floor. 

What types of flooring can I choose from?

Natural stone (granite/slate/marble) comes in a variety of colours and patterns and has plenty of character. It’s durable, long-lasting, easy to clean and not slippery. However, stone is pricey, expensive to repair when chipped and needs to be sealed following installation and re-sealed at regular intervals. With proper care stone is a beautiful and tough surface for your kitchen. Avoid limestone (tends to scratch) and travertine (is porous).

Porcelain tile comes glazed or unglazed. Glazed tiles come with a glass-like coating that can be made in any colour and can look like just about anything, including fabrics and marble.  Unglazed tiles have the natural earthy colour of the clays used to make them. Porcelain tiles are waterproof, durable, can handle just almost any stain and some are certified to be slip-resistant. However, installation is difficult (requiring specialized tools) and your subfloor must be completely level.  

Ceramic tiles are made from clay and baked to a finish. They’re available in a wide variety of styles, shapes, colours, and patterns. Ceramic tiles handle spills, splatters, and messes. However, the grout used with these tiles stains, so clean up spills quickly. Ceramic has the least amount of options as far as looks but it’s extremely durable and has the lowest price-point in the tile market. Installation is difficult and requires specialized tools and the subfloor must be completely level. The glazed pattern and/or colour on this tile can be chipped, revealing the natural colour beneath. 

Hardwood is warm, beautiful, stylish and comfortable underfoot. It never goes out of style! This flooring combines durability with low maintenance. Properly finished hardwood is water-resistant but spills should be wiped up immediately. Hardwood floors can be slippery but some styles have hand-scraped or distressed finishes that provide extra surface area for traction. This choice of flooring is reasonably expensive and must be installed over a plywood subfloor. Depending on the thickness of your hardwood, you can sand and refinish your floors for an updated look, no need to replace the whole floor. Reclaimed, recycled, and environmentally sustainable choices are also available.

Engineered wood has a veneer of real wood backed by a layer of plywood or high-density fiberboard, making the planks stable and the flooring less susceptible to humidity and temperature. It’s less expensive than hardwood, features a scratch-proof finish, is easy to clean, durable and can be refinished when you need a new look. However, it is susceptible to fading, dents and scratches easily and may contain toxic chemicals. Keep in mind that, because the wood layer is relatively thin, there is a limit to the number of times you can refinish it successfully. Nail, staple, glue or even float engineered wood floors. Installation is a breeze!

Cork is waterproof, resilient and gives when compressed, making it a comfortable choice for kitchen floors. It has a textured surface, offering some slip resistance and, since it is made from tree bark that grows back, it’s a sustainable material. Cork comes prefinished, but needs to be resealed every 3 to 4 years to help prevent scratches and stains. Cork is naturally resistant to mould, mildew and termites and repels dust, hair, and other small particles from its surface. Because it doesn’t off-gas or shed microfibers, cork floors promote higher indoor air quality. Cork is also a natural thermal and acoustic insulator, which means rooms with cork flooring are warm and quiet. It resists cracking and abrasions and is impermeable to gas and liquid. It can be installed on uneven surfaces or over existing flooring. This material has one of the longest lifespans of any kitchen flooring options, lasting up to 40 years with proper care and maintenance! 

Linoleum is another green kitchen flooring option. It’s made from renewable, biodegradable cork powder and linseed oil and has no harmful VOCs. It’s a resilient flooring that comes in many patterns and colours, is available in sheets, tiles and panels, stands up well to foot traffic and is moisture-resistant. However, it’s a bit susceptible to staining. Lino can be installed over virtually any flat, dry, clean surface. It’s inherently antibacterial and antistatic, making it hygienic and easy to clean. It feels soft and comfortable underfoot. Make sure the product you purchase has a protective coating to guard against scratches and spills.

Luxury vinyl is 100% synthetic and comes in sheets, tiles and planks. The base layer is usually fiberglass, coated with PVC and a plasticizer. The resultant flooring is printed and embossed with a surface print (stone, wood, many patterns). Over this are placed multiple wear layers with a no-wax polyurethane topping. Vinyl offers a variety of styles and colours for those on a budget. It’s waterproof, stain proof, feels slightly soft underfoot and deadens sound. You can peel and stick, glue (permanently), lock and float, or loose lay vinyl. It’s a tough, durable flooring solution and can last up to 20 years. However, vinyl has a tendency to warp to any particles left beneath during installation, is not biodegradable and heavy furniture can result in scuffs and gouges that are difficult to remove.

Laminate is similar to luxury vinyl planks in look and method of installation. However, its core is made from wood byproducts bonded with resins. The surface is a hard, transparent plastic layer that covers the printed design. Laminate floors are warm, water-resistant, scratch-resistant, durable, easy to install, come in a variety of finishes, a diverse range of styles, colours, and patterns and are inexpensive. Mimicking hardwood colours and patterns is one of the selling features of laminate. Hand-scraped, distressed, rustic, and reclaimed looks are available. Most laminate floors can be clicked together and either permanently installed (glued down) or floated over uneven subfloors. Laminate is very easy to clean and maintain. Because laminate is an image, you cannot refinish your floors. This means when it’s time for a change, you will need to buy all new flooring. Laminate doesn’t degrade well in landfills and some options are made with chemicals such as formaldehyde which can release volatile organic compounds (VOCs). 

Many feet pass through your kitchen! Your flooring is exposed to moisture, spills, heat and scratches. Because the kitchen is a coveted room, the flooring needs to match its esteem while standing up to its use. Consider your kitchen flooring options carefully before buying. Make sure your choice meets your needs, matches your style and fits in your budget. Then enjoy your new kitchen!

Looking for quality flooring for your kitchen? Contact Smith Bros. Floors, one of Canada’s oldest flooring companies; family-owned and operated. We use industry-leading flooring and finishes because we want your flooring to last! With a tested crew of installers and finishers and a lifetime guarantee on workmanship and longevity, Smith Bros. quality cannot be beaten! Call us at 403-255-7791 for a free consultation.