2020 Hardwood Floor Color Trends
Since we specialize in new homes, I am often asked what the preferred colors for hardwood floors are, when building new or updating your home. As usual, there is no easy answer…it all depends. Are you choosing the color because you love it? Considering how the color will affect your resale value? Is it easy to maintain? Or maybe all the above variables?
Nationally
Hardwood floors remain the most popular flooring choice nationally. Even so much that wood floors are often mimicked with products such as porcelain tile or vinyl planks.
Real hardwood is stylish, warm, timeless, natural, and can last over a century. Hardwood floors can be refinished as to color and style as preferences change. Hands down, hardwood floors improve a home’s value.
It is important that you choose the flooring based on what you love, not on what the current trend may be. Having said that, 2020 trends will be very similar to 2019. Very dark colors and very light colors are the most desired, which illustrates a big swing in preferences. This makes sense when you break it down.
Your selection will depend on the type of home you have and how you use it.
Darker floors offer a very rich traditional look but are also great for modern architecture as the dark color hides most of the grain found in oak. Think True Black, Ebony, Dark Walnut, or a 50/50 mix. A dark floor looks and feels very luxurious because it is! It is for homeowners who want the ‘look’ and don’t mind the high maintenance of a dark floor (darker floors are prone to showing dust, scratches, and anything lighter than their dark color). On the practical side, it is usually well suited for a home with no children or pets. If you have kids and/or pets, you should expect to need extra help with maintenance.
Lighter floors that are popular include cooler tones of greys and a blend of grey/brown and pure browns with no red undertones. A lighter floor requires less maintenance since dust and scratches won’t show as much.
So what’s out? Redder and warmer tones are less popular. Stay away from red, red/brown, or yellow undertones.
Locally
We are currently working locally with RMS Flooring (their showroom is on Milpas Street). I interviewed them to learn about local trends as well. They have found that local trends line up with the national trends. Darker colors feel more natural to their clients and they find that a lot of their clients choose dark oak and dark walnut colors. The popular lighter colors provide a beachy rustic feel (the “barn” look) and are a great option for those with children and dogs. They don’t sell many white floors currently. The most common plank width chosen is
7 ½”.
Can’t decide? Try a blend of both, with a darker color combined with a bit of lighter hues for easier maintenance. Dark walnut, antique brown, coffee brown or walnut blends are all available.
As far as traditional wood floors vs. engineered wood floors, RMS sells approx. 70% engineered wood flooring vs. 30% traditional wood flooring. They install both, so these are good local statistics. Traditional floors will run at least double the cost of pre-engineered floors and are not recommended for slab foundations.
In conclusion, I’ll circle back to the beginning of this article and recommend that you “choose what you love”. For our new home, I think I am going with a wire-brushed white finish, a 7 ½” plank!
