TOP FLOORING TRENDS FOR 2022

2022 is bringing in a whole new era of floor trends. Some will carry over from 2021 while others gain in popularity, and together they’ll form a unique set of flooring trends that will embody the new year. People are now investing time, money, and attention in their living spaces more than ever. With the rise of remote work, they’re spending more time where they live and want their space to be as open and inviting as possible. Simplicity and subtle elegance are the main themes that will continue in the new year.

Hardwood Flooring

50 Floor surveyed 1,558 people in the United States and asked which floor material they would choose if they were to redo their floors in 2022. An overwhelming majority — 48.14% — voted for hardwood flooring, while 16.87% voted for laminate, 12.87% for carpet, 12.2% for luxury vinyl and 9.91% for tile.

As the most popular choice by far, hardwood flooring is poised to continue as a top trend in 2022. Its natural look has broad appeal, and it also offers several benefits, including:

• Elegance: A hardwood floor gives an added layer of elegance to a home. It can make a room appear warmer and more open, and it’s a great way to add some aesthetic value.

• Durability: Hardwood floors are also highly durable. With the proper care, they can last a very long time. Hardwood is great for areas with high foot traffic and can withstand a lot of wear. If parts of the flooring need repair or replacement, you can remove the boards in question while the rest of the floor remains in place.

• Versatility: One of the best aspects of hardwood flooring is its ability to coordinate with a wide range of themes, looks and color schemes. Its simple, natural look easily fits with existing accessories and decor. There is also plenty of variety to choose from when it comes to hardwood floors, so if you’re looking to coordinate with a current design, you’re sure to find a great option. You can choose from colors, textures and designs to find the floor that works for you.

• Low maintenance: Though many people think of hardwood floors as high-maintenance, they’re remarkably easy to clean. While carpeting requires involved, constant care, hardwood floors are simple — sweep up once in a while to remove dirt, and they’ll look as good as new. Since hardwood is so durable, it’s also much easier to clean up spills, and you’ll have less to worry about.

Recently, engineered hardwood flooring has also been growing in popularity. This flooring is made from a combination of durable wood and high-grade plywood that are compressed and layered in a criss-cross design, allowing the flooring to stand up well to humidity and moisture. It’s great for those looking to put hardwood in their bathrooms, kitchens or basements.

For those who love the appearance of hardwood but want a cost-effective option, luxury vinyl plank flooring is an ideal alternative.

Whatever variation you prefer, it’s clear that hardwood is here to stay in 2022.

Finish

In recent years, homeowners have shown marked preferences for floors that have been treated with finishes. Traditional flooring options with little additional detail are becoming outdated — now many are looking for something that adds some personality and modernity to their home.

These finishes will likely become popular in 2022:

• Smoked: This unique wood finish results in a shadowy, grayish tone that reflects the popular use of gray in modern home décor. You can usually still see the warmer undertones of the wood beneath the finish, making this a popular choice that will suit a variety of designs in 2022.

• Bleached/whitewashed: A bleached or whitewashed floor opts for lightness instead of darkness. It’s a great way to open up a room, emphasize natural light and create an open, airy space. This look produces a versatile, minimalist wood that works great for busy, bustling rooms and quiet spaces alike.

These are two very different finishes that will be popular choices in 2022. Both finishes create a natural, versatile look that reflects the design trends of the modern era.

The top textures of 2022 will likely reflect the popular look of rustic, worn designs. You can create this rustic look in many ways, but three common types are hand-scraped, distressed and brushed:

• Hand-scraped: This type of floor is scraped by hand, meaning that no one plank will be the same. It adds some unique character to your floors with a one-of-a-kind texture.

• Distressed: Distressed wood is designed to look almost historic, with burns, scratches and marks that give the impression it has been around a very long time. Many people love this weathered, ancient look. Distressed wood floors are the perfect addition if you’re going for a rustic theme in your home.

• Brushed: A brushed texture is another way to achieve this weathered look. Brushed surfaces are great for people with an irregular cleaning schedule, as this texture hides dirt very well.

Rustic textures like these add a weathered, natural look to your floors. They add depth, as well, and can match many different themes of interior design.

Width

Flooring with wide wood planks is a new trend growing more popular with every passing day. Narrow planks are becoming outdated, while wider and longer individual planks are taking over. But why?

• Visibility: One of the most straightforward reasons wide planks are gaining in popularity is because they allow you to see the grain of the wood. Gone are the days of bending down and squinting to see your floor’s unique finish. With wide planks, just glancing down allows you to marvel at the design and the character and uniqueness they bring to a room.

• Open feel: Wide planks offer openness and airiness that narrow planks don’t have. Because fewer lines are cutting through the floor, a wide plank design emphasizes simplicity and caters to the currently popular minimalist wave.

• Rustic: Since you can see the imperfections and grain of the wood, wide planks also cater perfectly to the popular rustic trend, which is all about weathered designs.

Wide planks embody simplicity and a rustic feel, making them one of the top flooring trends of 2022.

Going Classic

2022 will also see a return to classic designs that have been around for centuries. A notable design recently rising in popularity is parquet, a wooden floor arranged in a geometric pattern.

This classic design began in France in the 17th century. The unique, shapely design has caught on in America and is increasing in popularity. The classic parquet trend will likely be a popular trend in 2022 as an elegant addition to a home.

Colors

Colors are a great way to impact your home’s interior design. The flooring colors your choose set the tone for the rest of your room, so lay your base with purpose. Looking to designer and consumer trends can help you find a direction when selecting a floor color. In 2022, people will continue to open up their spaces with natural, modern colors to create an inviting look.

Designers’ Color Trends

Many of the most prolific designers are advocating for natural and modern colors in 2022. We’re beginning to see subtle shades that coordinate well with other accent colors become more prominent, and the trend is only going to grow. Simplistic elegance is set to continue as a central theme, and you’ll likely see these colors trending:

• White: White flooring can make a room feel bigger and add a light, airy feel to your home. Whitewashed décor with bleached flooring visible underneath reflects the weathered, beachy theme that’s becoming popular. Pretty much anything goes with white, so if you’re always looking for fresh new interior designs, this is the color that can allow you to do that.

• Gray: Gray has been around for a while, and it seems like it’s here to stay. It’s a versatile color that gives a home a modern, sleek feel that is simple and detailed. Gray floors will add depth and substance to a room.

• Beige: Floors with beige coloring have a natural and elegant look. Beige is also very flexible and can take on a vast array of shades.

• Greige: Another recently popular trend is mixing beige with gray, creating a color referred to as greige. It blends the modern aesthetic of gray with the natural, earthy tones of beige to create a shade that caters to many different tastes. Greige will likely become a top floor trend in 2022.

• Cool tones: Subtle blends such as blues and greens offer a varied design without becoming too overwhelming. These cooler tones add a sense of space and calmness to a home, as well as some personality.

Customer Color Trends

The lighter colors above are trending with designers in 2022, but what shades do consumers prefer? Our recent survey questioned homeowners to see which flooring colors they like in their homes. Survey takers chose their favorite options out of dark, medium, light, gray and white shades. Did homeowners’ preferences reflect the designer trend of favoring lighter tones? 

As it turns out, 2022’s designer trends are yet to stick with homeowners. Where designers are pushing for light colors that convey modern elegance, homeowners preferred darker shades for their floors. The top responses were medium and dark, with medium capturing roughly 35% of the vote, while nearly 25% of survey takers prefer dark floors. The preference for medium and dark colors shows that homeowners are clinging to more traditional styles in 2022.

Outside of medium and dark, the next highest colors were light and gray. These colors were in a tight race with light coming in at 17.85% and gray finishing with 17.66% of the vote. The lowest-rated survey response was white. Only 5.48% of homeowners preferred white floors. While designers see advantages in lighter colors, the light floor trend has not quite caught on with homeowners in 2022. 

Need Help Installing Floors in Your Home? Ask the Experts at Factory Flooring

What type of underlayment should you use? How many inches thick? How do you install it? And how do you avoid damaging your floors in the process? 

When you work with Factory Flooring, you don’t have to worry about these questions. Our team of professional flooring installers will handle all the heavy lifting for you — literally. All you have to do is relax and enjoy the savings on your energy bill. 

Need to get more flooring ideas first? Our design blog has dozens of articles to help you get started. Whenever you’re ready to tackle your insulation project, we’ll be here to help. Contact us online to get started, or call Factory Flooring at 469-583-7053