The type of flooring your clients choose for their new home has a significant effect on the visual atmosphere of the residence. In 2014, hardwood flooring is showing increased popularity among current residential home building flooring trends.
In kitchens and larger rooms with open floor plans, hardwood flooring has been a popular choice for the last few years. For example, in 2012, solid hardwood and engineered hardwood together accounted for a third of kitchen floor installations, as noted in a Builder Practices survey. The annual Builder Practices Survey is conducted by Home Innovation Research Labs and covers trends and practices in the construction industry.
The survey also noted that 12 percent of first-time homes and 40 percent of move-up and luxury homes installed hardwood flooring in the kitchen.
Hardwood floors provide a warm and natural look for homes that other popular flooring, such as ceramic tile, can’t match. Tile still accounts for the largest percentage of flooring choices, but hardwood runs a close second.
In addition to the pleasant visual aspects of hardwood, this type of flooring offers strength, toughness and durability. It’s not uncommon for hardwood floors to last as long or longer than the functional life of a typical home.
Hardwood flooring installations in 2014 are being influenced by the Belgian style, an architectural movement characterized by the mixing of contrasting visual elements, such as light and dark colors and rough and smooth textures.
The Belgian style also combines natural and polished textures to achieve a look that suggests a raw, unfinished feel.
Hardwood material is also increasing in size. For example, the width of hardwood flooring planks is often 9 to 10 inches in 2014, compared to an average of 6.5 inches in 2013 and before.
Construction Monitor serves construction industry professionals in and around Boston with detailed building permit and construction start data. Contact us today for more information on home building flooring trends and what types of flooring are appropriate for your new construction project.