
What goes around comes around, and when it comes to flooring, what’s old is new again with wood flooring. After years of simply-designed wood and pre-fabricated flooring dominating the house design industry, 2011 is seeing a return of some retro flooring designs, such as oak and parquet hardwood flooring.
Popular in the 1970s and 1980s, parquet and oak hardwood flooring is coming back into style as homeowner’s begin to crave the rich and comforting feel of oak and the crafty and homespun feel of parquet hardwood flooring. Parquet is recognizable by its inter-woven wood patterns, in which short planks are laid both vertically and horizontally. Though the parquet design has been seen little since the late 1980s, custom builders said they are seeing the requests for parquet hardwood flooring increase. For the budget-savvy, parquet can be an inexpensive flooring choice, especially if you comparison shop on hardwood wholesale flooring company.
“It has a very warm feel, and we are seeing customers want to bring more warmth to their home’s design elements," said Chad Scott, a Michigan-based custom home builder. “For the last 10 years, we’ve seen a lot of modern design and very simple lines. That’s still popular, but people are starting to add more classic and traditional American designs to their homes.”
In addition to parquet design flooring, one of the biggest trends in flooring is oak. A classic choice, oak hardwood flooring is as elegant as it is everlasting. Oak is one of the most durable of all woods and it is making a comeback.
“For a while, laminate flooring was very popular, since it looked like wood but costs much less,” Scott said. “But now people are starting to look at something that will last and will look great, even as it ages.”
Well-laid oak hardwood flooring can increase the value of a home, Scott said, and will outlast most all of the other woods. In addition, its color and texture adds warmth to any room and blends easily with many different styles of home décor. And unlike trendy woods, such as bamboo or Brazilian cherry, oak is likely to outlast the ever-changing trends in home design. Though oak is a more expensive wood, bargain hunters can find great deals online with a wholesale flooring company.