Interiors

“Floors are a very integral part of the home, and homeowners are definitely paying more attention to them,” says Christine McKinlay, ASID, of John Cannon Homes, a luxury homebuilder in Manatee and Hillsborough counties.

The bottom line: beauty is essential—and so is easy maintenance.

“Homeowners no longer want to be slaves to their floors,” says Roberta Schaefer, who co-owns Etruscan Tile & Bath in Tampa with her husband, Jeff Levey. “We all work hard enough during the day.”

THE LATEST WORD ON HARDWOODS
For centuries, hardwood flooring has brought unrivaled beauty and character to residential interiors. Today, in addition to traditional hardwoods such as oak, maple, hickory, cherry, pine, pecan, beech, birch and walnut, exotic woods like Santos mahogany, Brazilian cherry, Lapacho and Amendoim have become top sellers.

Because of their exquisite color variations—some boards cut from the same tree will be lighter and others darker—exotic woods are installed with natural rather than stained finishes and then sealed with a protective coating, which lessens, but will not prevent, scratching.

Another notable trend in hardwood flooring is a move toward wider planks.

“Twenty years ago, two-and-a-quarter-inch planks were popular,” says Bob Buckalew of Weiss Hardwoods in Largo. “Today, planks are up to five-and-a-quarter inches in width and provide overall continuity to the floor.”

Hand-scraped hardwoods are also making headway. These floors are intentionally gouged with grooves and ridges to create a distressed look that doesn’t show new dents or scratches, making them an excellent choice in high-traffic areas.

LAMINATES: AN AFFORDABLE ALTERNATIVE
The second-leading national flooring trend, says Allen Wolfe of Wolfe Flooring, a predominantly commercial flooring company in Temple Terrace, is laminates.

No longer limited to basic wood look-alikes, laminates are now available in exquisite patterns that replicate natural stone, ceramic tile and exotic wood. Easier and less expensive to install than hardwood floors, laminates are durable, stain- and fade-resistant and easy to maintain.

Originating in Europe about two decades ago, laminates quickly gained popularity in the United States because they can be placed easily over existing flooring. Installed in planks, laminates “float” over a layer of foam, which is added for a cushion of softness.??

NATURAL STONE:? THE EPITOME OF ELEGANCE
Incomparably beautiful, natural stone floors in limestone, travertine and marble or slate continue to reign.?

But nowadays, these flooring materials are used throughout the home, not just in kitchens, bathrooms and foyers, says Stacy Lieberman of Gulf Tile, a stone and tile supplier with nine locations in Florida. Although pricey to install due to its mud-set application, natural stone is extremely durable, ages beautifully over time and can add significantly to the value of a home.

In new-home construction, design experts report that granite, which is virtually indestructible, now ranks as the No. 1 choice in natural stone flooring.

THE ENDURING BEAUTY OF TILES
Ceramic tiles are still popular, especially in rectangular shapes, bigger sizes (24 by 24 inches or larger), and innovative textures and designs. But the buzzword in tile flooring today is porcelain, says Lieberman.

Available in matte, unglazed and high-polished finishes, porcelain tiles are generally more durable and damage-resistant than ordinary ceramic tiles because they’re fired at extremely high temperatures. If quality porcelain tile chips, it’s less noticeable because the color and pattern permeate the entire tile.

Porcelain tile offers homeowners an important advantage. “Because porcelain is more resilient and never needs repolishing, resealing, or excessive maintenance, the floor will last forever,” Lieberman says.

While a wide array of patterns and designs are available in porcelain, those that look nearly identical to wood and natural stone are especially popular.??

“Porcelain tiles that resemble wood are ideal for homeowners who want the look of hardwood, but not the worry of water issues, particularly if they have children, pets or a pool,” adds Schaefer.
In recent years, tile floors have become artistic masterpieces with the installation of mosaic floor designs.

Ranging in size from one-half inch to two inches, mosaic tiles are often made from glass, marble, slate or granite. They can be installed to create a breathtaking focal point in the center of the room or used to craft a ribbon of color, add a threshold or create a colorful transition between rooms.

McKinlay of John Cannon Homes also recommends pre-made mosaic medallions that are more economical for the average homeowner. Made from half-inch tiles that are specially cut into scrollwork, floral, or bird patterns, they are “extremely detailed and absolutely stunning,” she says.?

THINKING GREEN
For the environmentally-conscious consumer, several flooring styles offer optimal earth-friendly properties.

Bamboo, for example, is harder than oak and maple and is now produced with more intricate detail and in darker shades to complement any d?or.

“Bamboo is a strong floor and less expensive than hardwoods,” says Buckalew. “During its peak cultivation period, bamboo grows up to 18 inches a day and recycles itself very quickly; you can actually hear the cracking and popping as it grows.”

Cork flooring is naturally hypoallergenic and mold- and mildew-resistant. Made from the bark of the cork oak tree, which is extracted without damaging the tree itself, cork flooring offers appealing variations in tone and shade and comes in a wide array of colors.

With its durability and natural sound-absorbing properties, cork flooring is often installed in high-traffic areas and media rooms, where it effectively minimizes reverberating bass sounds.

Linoleum is another natural flooring option that is experiencing a renaissance. Developed from linseed oil, limestone, cork, wood flour and tree resins, linoleum is exceptionally quiet, warm, shock-absorbent, hypoallergenic and durable. What’s more, it requires minimal maintenance.

Don’t be fooled, however: This is not the same linoleum you may recall from your grandma’s kitchen or your elementary school cafeteria. Patterns have been upgraded and the flooring is hand-cut and crafted to create innovative, artistic designs.

Concrete is still another environmentally-friendly flooring option that has made the transition from bland to brilliant, thanks to the fine craftsmanship of companies like Morr Services.

This St. Petersburg-based firm uses a decorative application to create an innovative floor by engraving, dyeing and polishing new or existing concrete.

“Concrete can be engraved and dyed to duplicate an emblem, NFL logo, family crest or any artistic design,” explains Teresa Morrow, who co-owns the company with her husband, Eddie. “Once completed, you could swear it looks like ceramic tile.”

Maintenance is also a big plus; a concrete floor only requires sweeping, says Morrow. “After the floor is polished to a matte finish or a high-gloss shine and sealed, it doesn’t have to be retreated for three to five years.”

PLUSH LUXURY
When softness and warmth take precedence, carpeting is still a classic flooring option. Available in almost limitless colors, patterns and textures, carpeting is now predominantly used in the primary “comfort zone,” the bedroom.

Color is now the biggest trend in carpet, designers say. Look for vibrant shades of aqua and orange, as well as traditional blues and beiges. Freize (free-zay), a semi-shag carpet, is currently a favorite for its textural interest.

Nubby berbers continue to dominate while patterned carpets embellished with bamboo, oversized medallions or cheetah and leopard prints also captivate attention for an eye-catching focal point.?

ILLUSIONS OF GREATNESS
Many of today’s flooring selections and installation techniques make small rooms appear noticeably bigger. Here’s how:

Limiting the number of flooring styles makes a home feel more open by creating room-to-room continuity.

Lighter shades of carpet, wood, tile or stone also open up a room. “Floridians always want to project volume with lighter floors, which push the walls out,” says Bob Buckalew of Weiss Hardwoods in Largo. “If you choose to go darker, you ‘dungeonize’ the room by bringing the walls in.”

Larger ceramic tiles—20 by 20 inches or even 24 by 24 inches—and thinner grout lines make any room look bigger. Plus, larger tiles are more aesthetically pleasing, designers say.

Another top trend, wider wood floor planks, has the same spatial effect. “Floors with narrow planks tend to look very busy due to the natural patterns in the wood,” says Buckalew. “Wider planks give a floor more consistency and will make a room look larger.”

To increase a room’s visual size, design experts also recommend a final, simple-to-execute “floor plan:” lay larger pieces of flooring on the diagonal.