Trend alert! What’s hot in wooden flooring

Wooden flooring is a hot trend in interior design right now. No matter which room you walk into, wide planks, dark tones and natural grains are creating a lasting wow factor. Specially Engineered Oak  – it is seen now everywhere and with so many wonderful colours and shades – this floor can never go our of fashion. 

Why is wooden flooring so hot right now?

From the moment it’s laid, wooden flooring adds sophistication, richness of colour and texture to any interior. But it doesn’t stop there; real wooden flooring is quite special in its ability to look better and better with age. You simply can’t say the same for carpets, tiles and other flooring choices. 

Choices, choices

With all the wooden floors on the market, how do you know which wooden flooring product to choose? First, you need to know the difference between solid wood and engineered wood. Engineered wood flooring is made up of several layers of tightly compressed thin hardwood. Amongst its many benefits, engineered wooden flooring is suitable for underfloor heating (perfect for winter!) and extremely durable. There’s also a difference in size; most solid wood floors have a maximum plank width of 160mm, while some engineered boards are available in wider planks. Wide planks are a rising trend in UK interiors thanks to their ability to make a space look bigger.

Once you’ve chosen the type of flooring you want, you need to choose the species of flooring. Weigh up the suitability of hardwoods, such as walnut, oak and maple, against the softwoods like pine. Explore how their tones and grains will work in your particular space. Think about foot traffic and how durable you need the wooden flooring to be. The harder the floor, the better it will be able to withstand the demands of your space. 

What’s in vogue?

If you want to follow the hot trends, choose wide planks and dark woods. Oiled finishes are the top sellers. But when it comes down to it, you need to choose the right wooden flooring for your space. For example, long planks work well in large spaces, while short, wide ones make smaller rooms appear more spacious. Much like paint colours, consider a pale wood to brighten a dim room. And of course, sustainability is the hot topic so be sure to look for the Forestry Stewardship Council (FSC) stamp on solid wood flooring. 

For more inspiration and advice on wooden flooring contact our ESB team!