Hardwood floors is a durable flooring out of time. With proper care, wooden planks will last for decades and will not need to be replaced unless the stylistic concept of the living space has changed dramatically.
For all its versatility, even the most fashionable flooring may one day be obsolete. Colors, textures and ornaments that are out of line with modern trends negatively affect the holistic perception of the interior. So, let’s figure out what types of hardwood floors 2024 are now at the peak of popularity.
The main colors of hardwood floors 2023-2024
Natural shades are always in trend, they define the philosophy of hardwood floors as a natural coating. The leitmotif of this year is the Scandinavian style, which implies the use of white in all forms. The color of snow, northern clouds and frosty patterns on the windows is gradually losing relevance.
Next year, designers offer to take a closer look at new caloric solutions that have become more difficult, but have not lost their lightness.
Architectonics of brown
This color has many faces, like nature itself. A new floor trend is a mixture of at least 5-6 shades of brown on one canvas. The best candidates for a trend mix are chocolate, coffee, beige, walnut and chestnut. As accent inclusions are copper and terracotta.
Due to smooth transitions, a visual volume is created. The flat cover turns into a new hypostasis, playing with perception. Dawn haze, fog on a forest path or gas hurricanes on Saturn – the picture depends on the beholder.
Grey-blue aesthetic
Light halftones have undergone interior evolution. The whitewashed floor took on character. On a light background, a dark natural pattern appears, represented by shades of gray and blue. They can overlap or play on antagonistic contrasts.
Differently colored lamellas are a hallmark of modern hardwood floors. A floor with such a coating receives static dynamics. The movement that colors set seems to be frozen. The trendy novelty looks good in rooms with a small footage.
Warm metal sheen
Next year, designers suggest paying attention to warm colors, they are invariably associated with comfort, tranquility and the sun. Reflections of gold, reddish bronze and copper flicker through the dark background.
The use of varnish as a protective layer enhances the shine. Metallic shades always look expensive, so they attract attention. A floor with such a hardwood floors distracts from the imperfection of the layout and allows you to create any stop – from classic to urbanism.
Black
The most fashionable hardwood floors color next year is black. The main thing is to refuse a continuous paint layer in order to avoid a depressing impression. The effect of aging is the current trend. The reception looks best on wide slats, since there is enough “area” to show the play of halftones.
The best companion to black hardwood floors is white walls and furniture on thin metal legs.
Types of wood for hardwood floors in 2024
Next year, the preferences of designers have changed little – oak, maple, ash and walnut. No exotics like teak, bamboo, mahogany or iroko are foreseen. This approach is fully consistent with the current trend – the rejection of pretentious luxury against the backdrop of global world crises.
This leitmotif became the main theme at the Design Miami design forum in Basel, Switzerland (September 16-21, 2023) and stepped into the masses: from the mass market to exclusive salons.
Restraint does not come at the expense of aesthetics. Noble types of wood with a unique pattern and color are an indicator of good taste, and it does not need to be hidden. The key selection parameters are the style of the room, its permeability and purpose. Here is a clear instruction that will help you choose the type of wood for hardwood floors based on the parameters of a particular home.
Textures and trends
To make a hardwood floors truly fashionable, it is not enough to decide on a color palette alone. You should pay attention to the texture. In 2024, designers are advised to give preference to the following types of surface treatment:
Brushing
With the help of a stiff brush, the upper woody layer is removed, annual rings are exposed. The final effect depends on the type of wood and its characteristics. An ideal addition to the brushing procedure is toning. The treated surface becomes embossed, making the floor look unusual.
Aging
This is a painstaking process that results in elegant cracks and abrasions on the surface of the product. Imitation of traces of time creates a sense of belonging to significant events. The coating acquires an interesting texture and original design.
Pigmentation
Modern piece hardwood floors made by pigmentation is a current trend. Special varnishes and oils are applied to the surface, which emphasize the exclusivity of the selected tree species.
Rough finish
This is a complex processing, as a result of which the wood acquires a distinctive look. The surface is slightly uneven, sometimes with saw cut marks. This hardwood floors trend will be appropriate in a retro or eco-friendly environment with a sophisticated design, which is dominated by exclusively natural materials.
Smooth surfaces without visible textural changes should not be discounted either. They will never go out of fashion.
What coverage to choose in 2024
A properly selected protective coating changes the aesthetic qualities of the hardwood floors and determines its decorative role in the environment. Naturalness is the main feature of the upcoming interior year. The choice in favor of varnish, oil or impregnation depends on the expected effect.
Matte surfaces look modern, with a touch of rigor and restraint. The coating material looks attractive if the raw material is of high quality – without knots, sapwood and loose inclusions.
Hardwood floors with a deliberately shiny lacquer is a vestige that throws the interior back 50-60 years. It is better to refuse such a decision if there is no antique modular canvas on the verge of palace luxury in the room.
The satin finish is the perfect compromise. A barely noticeable shine is combined with all shades and looks noble on wood of any species. Do not forget about practicality: chips, scratches and dirt are not too noticeable on such a floor.
Read about the properties of varnish, oil, wax, as well as the rules for choosing coating compositions in this article.
Hardwood floors laying trends 2024
In order for the flooring to reach its full potential, special attention should be paid to the way it is laid.
Among the novelties of piece hardwood floors, which promise to remain relevant not only in 2024, but also in the next five years at least, are geometric patterns. An array in the form of hexagons, rhombuses, trapezoids turn into an original carpet that will surely attract attention. Such a room should not be overloaded with furniture and decorative elements.
Herringbone in various versions does not lose ground. Such a conservative layout looks like a win-win in old houses where you want to convey the spirit of the pre-war or Stalin era. Another option is a home whose owners prefer the classics. The universal geometric pattern will be relevant even after the next cosmetic repair.
Another current hardwood floors trend is diagonal laying. Such a floor looks spectacular and contributes to the visual expansion of space. In addition, diagonally mounted planks distract from architectural errors in the layout of the room.
Deck laying an array is appropriate in large rooms when you want to emphasize wood rings and curls. The coating looks as natural as possible and corresponds to the desire of the townspeople to bring notes of nature to the stuffy metropolis.
What type of board to choose
Designer and blogger Courtney Gregor from Closet Factory believes that modern wide plank is gradually replacing block hardwood floors. The main reason is ease of installation and high consumer characteristics. The width of the product is 15-30 cm, and the length can reach up to 6 m.
The choice in favor of a hardwood floors board, an engineered board or an array is determined by the characteristics of the dwelling.
If the task is to make a large room compact, to give it home comfort, then a wide and long board is the best solution. And for small apartments, where there is an acute shortage of space, short boards will be a godsend. Due to the geometric fragmentation of the area, they visually increase the footage.
When buying a product, you should pay attention to the presence or absence of a factory coating. The latter makes it difficult to give the floor individual features. An uncoated board provides a wide field for creativity. This is exactly what you need when creating an exclusive interior.
Conclusions
- Stop the choice on natural shades, contrasting experiments within the selected color range are not prohibited.
- Give preference to natural textures, the beauty of which is emphasized by brushing, planing, rough finishing or aging.
- Consider the area of the room: long boards for large rooms, short slats for small ones.
- Take a closer look at geometric patterns: rhombuses, trapezoids, etc. This layout looks extraordinary.
