We covered what’s going to be popular in wood flooring this year in this post, but we wanted to take a deeper look into wood floor color trends specifically, because this is one area that is constantly shifting and changing. Over the years, we’ve seen a lot of different wood floor color trends surge in popularity, such as whitewashed floors, gray hardwood floors, and dark or black hardwood floors.
We see a few things possibly happening soon in the world of wood floor colors. Here are a few trends you can expect to see.
The end of dark hardwood floors?
Are dark hardwood floors still popular? Maybe not as much as they once were. We’ve covered the surging popularity of netural, matte floors, as well as gray hardwood floors, and while these color choices still remain popular, another color altogether is experiencing some more popularity: greige.
According to Kim Wahlgren of Wood Floor Business, “Colors such as dark gray and even black have given way to lighter hues, in many cases going away from straight gray to the range of tones many people refer to as greige.”
The color which designers refer to as “greige” is essentially a mixture of gray and beige. This color is much more versatile than straightforward gray flooring. “Greige is gray that has been warmed with beige’s warm undertones,” according to The Spruce. It’s considered a neutral and often relaxing color.
The depth and warmth of greige depends on the balance between gray and beige present in the tones––more emphasis on beige leads to a more relaxing color overall, whereas more gray will freshen up the color and make it appear more modern.
The way we can see the greige trend playing out is more people asking for greige or greige-like flooring colors. And for those who have taken the greige trend by the horns and incorporated it into different elements of their homes, we might see a surge in popularity of floor colors that aren’t necessarily greige, but rather will match up well with greige walls or interior elements. Oftentimes, this will be a muted, neutral, matte floor that takes a backseat in order to allow other elements in the room to shine.
Layering floor stains
According to Kim, “The overwhelming trend as far as color right now, both for prefinished and site-finished flooring, is layered color, usually with a subtle texture that reveals the colors in the layers.”
In order to achieve a layered stain, a contractor would put one stain down over the floor and then as many other stains as the desired end result calls for. In order to create a two-toned effect, the contractor would then hand-scrape or wire brush the floor to reveal the color that sits underneath the top stain.
Another option is to simply layer stains on top of other stains to create a completely new, custom color. Which leads us to the next trend…
Custom colors = 2020 #goals?
We also see custom colors experiencing a surge in popularity this year. Imagine having a floor in a completely custom color that was made specifically to suit you and your tastes? It’s the opposite of choosing a cookie-cutter floor from a big-box retailer, and luckily it can be achieved with ease. Mixing colors together to create a completely custom color for your project is something that contractors are able to do with many different lines or brands of floor stain. Many of these brands offer a few dozen stains, making endless possibilities for custom colors.
Make sure you’re selecting the right contractor for the job who can help you achieve your goals with the floor, while also taking the appropriate steps to manage your expectations for the project.
If you need help finding a contractor to work on your project, contact us––we have a huge network of reliable wood floor contractors around the United States who can help out with projects involving custom colors and much more.