New Hot and Stylish Laminate Flooring Trends

Laminate flooring has been the best alternative to real hardwood flooring for many years. The laminate flooring trends have been closely associated with the hardwood flooring trends. When hardwood trends dictate that wood flooring color should be dark and warm, laminate flooring follows suit. This is usually a result of consumer demand.

Laminate flooring trends used to be solely about color; however, recent trends have incorporated flooring patterns, texture, and ease of maintenance and cleaning. The laminate flooring trend for the past year will probably remain the same for the next couple of years, meaning the trend remains relatively the same this year. You can expect to see more herringbone and chevron pattern laminate flooring, light color and cool undertones laminate flooring, and more distressed wood laminate flooring in the coming years.

In this article, you’ll understand the benefits of using laminate flooring. You will also have access to designs put together considering the laminate flooring trends, giving your home the classic, rustic, or modern look you desire.

Benefits of Laminate Flooring

Why do many homeowners prefer laminate flooring over solid hardwood flooring? The answer usually lies in one or more of the reasons you’ll see below.

Affordability

Laminate flooring is arguably the most affordable alternative to hardwood flooring. Of all the wood flooring options, including vinyl flooring, laminate flooring is widely used in residential apartments due to its lower cost in purchase and installation. In addition, many homeowners will readily opt for laminate flooring based on its lower price and style, which is close to real hardwoods’.

Good to Read: Wood Floor Color Trends

Ease of Cleaning and Maintenance

While water and insects are the biggest threats to real wood flooring, some laminate flooring is resistant to water and insects that may cause dust and disintegration to the planks. In addition, hardwood floors are easily damaged when water is allowed to pool on them. In contrast, some laminate floors are water and stain-resistant, hence their ease of maintenance.

They are also easy to clean as the floor surface does not absorb moisture and dirt; hence, they are easily wiped off.

Stylish

The real hardwood floor is desirable and adopted because of its stylish nature. However, whether you desire rustic flooring, a shiny floor surface, or a contemporary floor finish, laminate flooring can provide as much style as hardwood flooring.

Ease of Installation

One of the reasons for the widespread adoption of laminate flooring is the ease of installing the panels. The planks have tongues and grooves that fit together to hold them together. It is easy to install for those who like doing things themselves, and it does not require technical know-how.

Its ease of installation contributes positively to saving cost, which is why you may want to consider using laminate flooring for your home.

Related: Modern Laminate Flooring

Popular Laminate Flooring Trends and Designs

While many designs portray the recent laminate flooring trends, choosing one that suits your home and style can be difficult. This section provides you with different design choices that will help you adopt the recent laminate flooring trends according to your desire.

Waterproof Laminate Flooring

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One of the reasons for the widespread adoption of laminate flooring is its waterproof nature, giving it an edge over wood flooring options. It is suitable for use in any home but is primarily used in the bathroom and kitchen.

A waterproof laminate floor comes in different colors. Still, as per the recent laminate flooring trends, this laminate floor employs bright or dark surface colors with cool undertones. Usually, the floor surface has a glossy finish; however, recent trends have seen the floor finish ranging from low-gloss finish to matte.

Also, you may notice some patterns and designs on the floor; they may give wood, stone, or tile effects that do not affect their waterproof feature.

Stainproof Laminate Flooring

Stainproof laminate flooring is best used in homes where children are still growing and parts of the home prone to stains, such as the kitchen and dining area. However, you can use them for all aspects of the home, as they are easy to clean and are available in different designs. It is one of the leading laminate flooring trends options because it does not allow stains to adhere to its surface.

You can find stainproof laminate flooring planks with different designs and patterns than regular laminate flooring planks. However, the surface may be somewhat glossy, creating a surface that does not absorb stains. However, its subsurface may have other finishes, such as natural hardwood look, distressed wood look, and so on.

Its stain resistance is due to the laminate surface layer that does not encourage stain adherence.

Blonde Laminate Flooring

Further Read: Shed Flooring Options & Ideas

Bright colors with cool undertones are characteristic of recent laminate flooring trends, as with hardwood flooring trends. Therefore, using blonde laminate floor colors in your home will agree with the trend. In addition, the blonde laminate flooring specifies the laminate flooring color. Still, other features such as the texture, pattern, and finish may vary.

Blonde floor colors may be mixed with honey, brown, or grey to form streaks and patterns on the floor surface. However, according to the trend, the undertone has to be cool. So it could be grey, causing the color to be darker or white, making the blondeness of the floor surface appear brighter.

Gray Laminate Flooring

Arguably the commonest wood flooring color option, including laminate flooring, gray laminate flooring suits a wide range of walls and furniture in homes. It can have different finishes, and it exudes class and beauty. In addition, it can come as the waterproof or stainproof laminate flooring.

Most gray laminate flooring planks adopt the real oak hardwood look, giving it a white undertone, helping its dark grey appear whiter and cool. Also, you may notice that some gray laminate floors are darker than others. While the general trend leans toward a cool undertone and bright colors, dark colors are not exempted. However, they also have cool undertones.

Whitewashed Laminate Flooring

Bright colors in laminate flooring can be achieved by whitewashing already existing flooring. While the existing floor may be dark-colored or somewhat bright-colored, you can change things up in your home and follow the trend by whitewashing the laminate floor.

A whitewashed laminate floor reduces the visibility of your laminate floor’s stone or wood effect. As a result, it exposes the floor to stains if done by yourself. However, you may find some laminate floor planks that have been whitewashed but have laminate coverings over their surfaces, making them stain and water-resistant.

Whitewashed Laminate floors are suitable for any part of the home and go well with many wall and furniture colors. It also makes natural lighting an option in your home due to its high reflective ability and feature.

Dark Laminate Flooring

While many homeowners may opt for bright colors with a cool undertone, some will prefer dark colors with cool undertones that make them appear darker or lighter, depending on the color. For example, dark laminate flooring is suitable for brightly painted walls, making the latter the room’s focal point.

Dark laminate floors serve as a good canvas on which other home features can exhibit their beauty, such as furniture and walls. In addition, these floors can have different finishes, ranging from matte to glossy, low-glossy, or satin finish.

Also, they may have patterns such as herringbone or chevron and have the appearance of imitation tiles, stone, or wood. In accordance with the recent laminate flooring trends, dark laminate floors with cool undertones may be the best choice for your home if it agrees with your style.

Distressed Wood-Look Laminate Flooring

Shiny laminate floors and wood flooring may not be your choice of wood flooring look. Instead, you can have distressed wood-look laminate floors to have your home floors look like they have been in use for some time and resemble real wood.

This laminate floor employs the old look of wood that has been in use but is under good maintenance. It combines with dark color, usually with a white undertone, to pronounce the grains and stains on the faux wood surface.

Distressed wood-look laminate floors are suitable for residential homes. They can be waterproof or stainproof, preserving that look for longer and making cleaning and maintenance easy. Also, you can find them in wider and longer planks for easier installation.

Bamboo Style Laminate Flooring

The common laminate flooring designs imitate wood, stone, or tile looks. However, the commonest wood look you will find with laminate flooring is the oak-style look. The bamboo style laminate flooring is a new trend in laminate flooring that is different from what many are used to.

The characteristic bamboo print on the wood floors is made of laminate materials placed over the subsurface laminate flooring layer. The color of bamboo-style laminate flooring varies from brown to blonde and gray. The finishes are the same as you will find in other laminate floor finishes.

They are easier to install with wider and longer planks than the regular laminate floor planks. Also, the white undertone of the bamboo-style laminate floors makes them ideal as part of the recent laminate floor trends; you can expect to see more of them.

Acacia Style Laminate Flooring

Acacia-style laminate flooring, like bamboo laminate flooring, is part of the new laminate flooring trends that use alternative wood designs to achieve wood flooring. Many homeowners have been looking for new designs other than those imitating oak, maple, and other hardwood floorings, hence, acacia laminate flooring.

The acacia laminate flooring is characterized by light brown color with a cool undertone. Imitation wood grains and stains are apparent on its surface, and a high gloss finishes to pronounce its brightness.

It is usually waterproof and stainproof, and it can be used in any part of the home. If you are tired of the oak wood look of laminate floors, the acacia style is one laminate floor style you should consider.

Final Thought

Laminate flooring trends are similar to hardwood floor trends in color, pattern, texture, and finish. You can expect to see laminate floors with dark or bright surface colors and cool undertones. Also, patterns such as zigzag, herringbone, and chevron will remain in trend for some time. However, you will find other wood prints, such as acacia and bamboo, in laminate flooring in the coming years.