Look what appears to be moving back into the house. Actually, it never really left. Carpet remains a top seller in the flooring market. But it’s inching its way back into the creative décor conversation, moving away from practical applications into artistic endeavors. With more designs, patterns and color options, homeowners are viewing carpet as more than an element that adds warmth to a space or anchors a room. With today’s offerings, designers are utilizing carpet as an active design participant.
Bathrooms bookend our daily routines and as more homeowners prefer this space to mirror a spa-like experience, bathrooms are benefitting from attention to details like never before—the floor is no exception. Trend alerts call for mosaics. Utilize a variety of shapes. Think chevron, herringbone, small squares, subway tiles and contrasting forms, or create a mosaic that personally speaks to your design sensibilities.
Classic black isn’t just reserved for the little black dress. Paired with white, black is making its mark throughout residential spaces, including the floor. This color duo can serve as a neutral, welcoming in other colors as accents. Hit the floor with bold, black and white (and other colors) graphic designs, allowing the floor to skip its second fiddle status and move to the top of the décor impact list.
Some homeowners continue to embrace a natural vibe, utilizing Mother Nature’s design primer as inspiration. Consider fumed wood flooring, which provides an alternative to stained wood. Fumed wood is placed in a chamber with airborne ammonia (note: ammonia is not directly poured onto the product), resulting in a color change. To some, this provides a more visually authentic outcome.
Others prefer eschewing glossy floors by choosing bleached wood products. Bleaching (or blanching) removes artificial dyes or stains, giving the wood a white-washed appearance while allowing more visibility of the wood grain.
Many home owners prefer environmentally-responsible flooring. If knowing where products originate is your priority, and sourcing natural, renewable, recyclable or repurposed materials is your thing, hold your ground, and ask your designer or retailer for detailed product information.
