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As modern homes have progressed from straw thatch to brick and mortar to engineered substrates on the exterior, one thing has remained consistent on the interior: people still love natural elements.

And what better way to express that sentiment than through flooring. Over time floors have taken a big step from being insignificant to being a dynamic part of the room. Floors share the biggest responsibility in setting the tone of a room and making the room seem comfortable. Most people will never remember what your drapes looked like, but they will still be thinking about that marvelous Travertine foyer on the way to re-evaluate the floors in their own home.

Of course, like any other part of home design, flooring styles change with trends, and manufacturers are always trying to create something new to capture the market. But natural elements, or at least those that appear natural, are tried and true. Whether your preferred flooring is a plush carpet to sink your feet into, a warm, golden wood, or a textured, colored stone, chances are you either have it or you want it. Even manufacturers of man-made elements like linoleum, laminate, and synthetic fibers have tried to imitate the look and feel of classic surfaces found in the natural.

WOOD

Used as a flooring substrate for centuries, real wood floors offer beauty and practicality. Obviously durable, easy to clean, warm underfoot and a good thermal insulator, wood floors add an element of elegance and purity to a home that is hard to rival using other materials. Today’s variety of wood species on the market offers a grain, hue, or texture that complements just about any decorating style. Similar in appearance and durability, laminate flooring has quickly risen in popularity, but real wood floors offer a comforting, solid sound and feel that laminates can’t compete with. Hardwoods can also be refinished many times, creating a floor that will last decades.

Traditional woods like oak, cherry, pine, and more recently maple have held a significant corner on the hardwood market. However, in the past few years flooring companies have begun offering several new species of wood and consumers are loving it. Two of the most popular wood surface in home decorating today are bamboo and cork. Both are environmentally sound, and neither are limited by color.

Used as flooring by Asian families for centuries, bamboo is a great choice for those who are environmentally conscious. The fastest growing plant on earth, bamboo offers 25 times the yield of hardwood, yet is much more renewable. It can be harvested without killing the plant and replenished with low impact to the environment. Its hardiness means no fertilizers required and no pesticides. When properly harvested, bamboo provides a harder surface than both Red Oak and Rock Maple.

Bamboo can be purchased in natural blonde, which reflects its true color and grain, or smoked which is a darker, richer version that is achieved by smoking the wood. Bamboo in its natural state can be stained a variety of colors. Whether you prefer texture or not, you’ll be happy to know that bamboo is manufactured both horizontally showing its characteristic nodes and vertically offering a more even color and grain.

The great thing about cork is its comfort underfoot. Cork is made of millions of air cells acting as a natural cushion, and it has the added benefit of being pleasantly warm compared to tile substrates. If you are thinking of a classroom bulletin board, fear not. Manufacturing technology has come a long way improving this product for use as a flooring material. It is non-absorbent and will not trap dirt or fungus, and it is rugged enough to withstand heavy traffic.

Made from the bark of the Cork Oak, it too is renewable because the tree does not have to be killed to harvest the bark. Cork is now available in a range of colors as both planks and tiles. Like traditional hardwoods, it can be finished and refinished as well as stained, bleached, and painted. Its ability to be inlaid and installed as tiles makes it a designer’s dream when it comes to creating patterns and borders.

In addition to trying out new flooring substrates, homeowners are continuing to experiment with the old standbys. Since wood lends itself well to texture, many people are opting to push its texture to the max by choosing hand-scraped and distressed hardwood floors. Hand stressing techniques simulate old floors created before the invention of modern sanding methods. Distressed floors can also be manufactured by machine at a cheaper cost, but they lack the originality of hand-scarred wood. As a result, many flooring companies are now offering both options for installment.

STONE

Prized for its magnificent glamour and performance, many homeowners are turning to stone for natural contrast. Like a wilderness carpet, stone presents a unique approach to flooring as no two pieces are ever identical. Its sister, ceramic tile, is still a close competitor due to its easy care and unusual designs and patterns. But for those who prize natural beauty, stones like marble, granite, slate, quartz and limestone reign supreme in the eye of the beholder.

Large format stones are growing in popularity. These pieces can be tricky to install because they are usually thin compared to their face dimension and thus have a tendency to crack. There are, however, plenty of safe techniques for preparing and installing these stones, so consulting a qualified professional is a great place to start.

Home designers are also experiencing an increase in the request for stained concrete floors. Less expensive and open to artistic design, concrete can be scored, dyed and textured to resemble tile, stone and other hard surfaces. The scores in the concrete can be cut geometrically or organically making its design possibilities limitless. Dyes create fantastic patterns in colors from flat to iridescent, and it is the ultimate surface for durability and traffic.

FIBER

Remember the sculptured carpets of the 60’s? The 70’s brought forth an abundance of glorious shag and rich color. The 80’s ushered in the return of looped carpet like the ever-popular Berber. Today anything goes and everything is an option.

Carpet, still the most used floor covering in the nation, comes in a huge selection of color and ranges from natural, plush fibers to synthetic, industrial coverings. Man-made fibers have gained the largest percentage of the carpet market due to their improved durability, stain-resistant features, and affordable costs, but natural fiber carpets, like wool, are luxurious and elegant. They are also a renewable resource making them environmentally friendly. For the most part, natural fiber manufacturers have aimed their focus at creating area rugs that give the consumer real fiber quality at an affordable price.

Decorators are still seeing a trend toward lighter colors and low-profile weaves. Sculptured carpet made its return a few years ago and remains a popular choice with consumers who prefer carpet over other flooring materials. In addition to pastel colors, delightful retro colors like chocolate and kiwi are hitting the scene. If concern for stains is preventing you from purchasing a carpet you admire, you should know that most manufacturers are now using solution dyed fibers to weave their carpets and rugs. This process gives fibers extraordinary stain resistance.

Another interesting technique that has returned with gusto is carpet tile. Many improvements have been made in the quality of this material. Quality combined with its capacity for creative patterns is turning consumers’ heads. Products like Vizni with TacFast® are easy to install and combine the soft comfort of carpet with the design versatility of ceramic tile. The choices may vary, but classic surfaces remain staunch in their appeal to consumers. Wood, stone and fiber are here to stay, and with modern manufacturing techniques they are only going to get better.

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