Flooring trends lean to rustic, seasonal looks

Whatever the style or budget, there are flooring options to capture a buyer's attention and imagination.

"When considering floor-cover options, comfort, low maintenance and color are what the informed consumer is looking for," said Tammy Bearden, residential interior design consultant for Bearden Carpet Supply.

Darren Pearce, president and general manager of The Carpet Shoppe Inc. concurs.

"The consumer wants performance, a family-friendly product and lots of color options." Both Bearden and Pearce said that today's customer is better educated about making floor-covering decisions.

Choices begin with whether to go with a hard or soft surface.

"Ceramic tile and hardwood flooring are hard surfaces and are referred to as life-time products because of their wear-ability and durability," said Bearden. "The key word for consumers is low maintenance. Today's home may feature tile in the wet areas such as the kitchen and bath, hardwood in high-traffic pathways like entries and halls, and sections of carpet in the living room and bedrooms."

Carpet remains the most popular choice for floor covering because of its price and warmth. "The most expensive carpet is still less than a moderate tile or wood floor," said Pearce. "The specialized labor costs are higher on installing a hard-surface product."

According to Bearden, the average costs for installing the main types of floor covering are approximately $20 a square yard for carpet, $5 a square foot for tile and $6 a square foot for wood.

The latest trend in carpet is frieze, which looks similar to short shag. The fiber is twisted and has longevity twice that of a plush or texture, according to Bearden. He said low-level loop Berber is still popular.

While traditional neutral carpet colors are popular, customers also are considering other shades.

"Tan, khaki and gray remain popular because they are so versatile. We also see a lot of the soft greens," said Pearce. "However, people are looking for richer, deeper, darker shades. They're not as afraid of richer tones."

Bearden also is seeing a trend toward seasonal autumn colors like reds and spices. "You can never go wrong with natural colors," she said. "Nationally, the trend is for anything inspired by nature: old wood, stone and slate."

Ron Middleton, owner of Middleton Homes, said the trend in upscale homes is to use more wood and masonry and less carpet. Middleton specializes in building one-of-a-kind homes.

"Our clients prefer antique-looking wood in a medium tobacco color and travertine marble or French limestone," Middleton said. "The preference is for a natural look with lots of imperfections. These types of surfaces assist us in creating a little more relaxed atmosphere, which gives a durable service while providing families with the comfort and warmth they want."

Rod Brown, director of operations for Phoenix Hardwood Floors Inc., said customers prefer rustic-looking materials.

"People are looking for knots and mineral streaks in the wood they choose. Wider planks with more character that give a French country feel are popular," Brown said. "Wood is often preferred over tile because it has a warmer look. We're tearing out a lot of kitchen floors and replacing the tile with a wood floor, or even a custom mix of wood and tile patterns."

While oak is still the standard for wood flooring, wood mills are finding a challenge in keeping up with the demand for hickory. There is also a greater demand for Australian cypress and bamboo.

"Customers are seeking more character and color variation for a more natural look," said Steve Smith, store manager for Classic Wood Floors.

For many years 2-inch wide planks were standard wood floors. Today, the wider planks ranging from 3 to 7 inches are the more popular choice with consumers.

Size also is a determining aesthetic factor in new tile floors. The trend is toward larger tiles up to 21 inches in natural stone and antique-look finishes. The latest trends in tile, said Bearden and Pearce, are porcelain tiles with the look of slate and weathered stone. An emerging trend is for metallic tile finishes to be used as accents.

The flooring experts agree that there is an increasing consumer demand for custom design. Whether they choose carpet, tile or wood, people are requesting special inlays and borders to personalize the look. With so many designs and options available, there is an increase in the skill level and experience needed to install floor surfaces.

"People want and expect experienced, relaxed help," said Bearden.

Said Pierce, "Service is the name of the game."