By Luanne Kadlub
Sometimes the best way to start anew is from the ground up, or in the case of a remodeling project, from the floor up.
And until the world becomes a safer place in which to travel, many homeowners are now using their vacation funds for home remodeling projects that had once been left on the back burner until who knows when.
Those projects – be they a whole-home redo, turning a bedroom into a home office (or yoga studio) or reimagining that ho-hum master bath into a luxurious spa – all need the perfect flooring.
So to help make sense of flooring trends for 2021, we checked in with one local expert.
Kelley McDonald of McDonald Carpet One in Boulder said, “We always tell people to have fun with their projects, to think out of the box and to open their vision to try and do different things.”
For instance, she suggested, “Try a bold, vibrant color or install the hardwood on diagonal, put vinyl plank on a wall as a backboard for a bed. The possibilities are endless with today’s advancements in technology.”
Her best advice? “Don’t be afraid to jump in.”
When looking at all of the flooring choices, LVT – luxury vinyl tile – jumps to the top as today’s preferred flooring choice not only because of how well it replicates hard-surface flooring materials, such as stone or wood, but because it holds up well to everyday family life.
LVT has a solid rigid core, which is how it differs from regular vinyl flooring.
“Luxury vinyl is one of the most well-known pet-friendly floors,” said McDonald. “It comes in waterproof, stain-resistant and scuff-proof styles, so there is no need to worry about a dog getting stuck in the seams or cat scratches on the boards.”
Other 2021 flooring trends
Wide planks
The wider you go, the fewer the seams in your floor. Five inches is considered the standard “wide” plank, but other options range from 3 inches to 20 inches in a variety of species, with some floors mixing different widths for an even more upscale look. Want more drama? Longer boards 7- to 11-foot in length will get you there.
Hardwoods
If you want a hardwood floor that’s on trend, you’ll want to look at hardwoods in lighter colors, such as white oak with a natural finish. If you prefer darker wood, gray/brown planks will be more to your liking.
Tile
Tile remains a top choice for water-prone areas such as kitchens, mudrooms and bathrooms, and now includes tile that resembles hardwood, marble, stone, terrazzo and concrete along with decorative and encaustic styles. The latter are ceramic or concrete tiles in which the pattern or figure on the surface is a product of different colors of clay.
Carpet
Say bye-bye to beige and boring. Instead, look for natural and eco-focused carpets, bright colors and jewel tones, and lots and lots of patterns, from geomatics to stripes.
> McDonald Carpet One, 6367 Arapahoe Road, Boulder, 720.432.2916, mcdonaldcarpetoneboulder.com