Six Hardwood Flooring Updates to Warm Up Your Home This Fall

 

Open entryway with wood floor and staircase, with view of living room. Horizontal format.

As the cool, crisp days of autumn approach, there’s no better time to consider updating your home with beautiful hardwood flooring. Hardwood floors not only add warmth and timeless elegance to your home, but they’re also durable and can increase the value of your property. With the upcoming holiday season, it’s the perfect time to refresh your space and create a cozy, inviting environment for family gatherings.

As both an interior designer and a general contractor, Carole Lee can help guide you through the process of selecting and installing the perfect hardwood floors for your home. Here are six types of hardwood flooring that can make your space shine this fall:

  1. Wider Plank Hardwood Floors

Wider planks are a popular trend in hardwood flooring, offering a more open, seamless look. These floors are ideal for creating a rustic, yet modern feel. Wider planks, often made from oak, walnut, or other hardwoods, can make a room appear larger and add a sense of continuity. They’re perfect for living rooms, dining areas, and open-plan kitchens where you want to highlight the beauty of natural wood grains.

  1. Oak Hardwood Flooring

Oak is one of the most traditional and durable hardwood options available. With its distinct grain pattern and ability to withstand heavy foot traffic, oak is a fantastic choice for high-traffic areas like entryways, kitchens, and hallways. Oak comes in both red and white varieties, with white oak offering a more neutral tone that pairs well with autumnal decor. Oak is a strong hardwood, making it perfect for families who want flooring that will last for decades.

  1. Walnut Hardwood Flooring

Walnut is a luxurious, darker wood that brings warmth and sophistication to any space. Its rich, chocolate tones and smooth grain make it an excellent choice for more formal areas like dining rooms or home offices. Walnut is slightly softer than oak, but its aesthetic appeal makes it a favorite for those looking for a more refined look this fall.

  1. Cherry Hardwood Flooring

Cherry wood offers a beautiful, warm red hue that deepens over time, making it a unique and vibrant choice for hardwood floors. Cherry is a softer wood, meaning it’s better suited for lower-traffic areas such as bedrooms or living rooms. If you’re looking to add rich, natural color to your space without the need for additional staining, cherry is a stunning option.

  1. Gray-Stained Hardwood Flooring

Gray hardwood floors have become increasingly popular for their modern, sophisticated look. This finish can be applied to various wood types, including oak and maple, providing a contemporary twist on traditional hardwoods. Gray flooring works beautifully in kitchens and living areas, offering a neutral backdrop that complements both cool and warm color palettes, making it ideal for the autumn season.

  1. Hickory Hardwood Flooring

Hickory is one of the hardest domestic woods available, making it highly durable and ideal for busy households. Its dramatic grain pattern and natural color variation add character to any room. Hickory works well in open-concept spaces where its striking appearance can be showcased. Its durability makes it perfect for homes with pets and children, providing both beauty and resilience.

Each of these hardwood flooring options offers its own unique benefits, from timeless beauty to unmatched durability.  As someone who can manage both the design and installation, Carole Lee can ensure your new floors are not only stunning but also installed to perfection. Ready to give your home a seasonal update?  Contact Carole Lee Interiors today to schedule a consultation and start your fall flooring transformation!

2021 Trends in Hardwood Flooring

 

 

Hardwood flooring continues to grow in popularity and is one of the most preferred flooring types for homes. Ironically, this is followed by all sorts of products trying to mimic the look of hardwood flooring, regardless of whether it’s porcelain tile that looks like hardwood flooring or engineered vinyl planks.

But many homeowners still prefer the real thing and that is what we recommend. Hardwood floors are timeless, rich looking and a good investment for your home.  If well maintained, they last for decades.  And you can refinish hardwood floors to update the color or sheen as trends and preferences change. There are so many options to choose from, it can sometimes be daunting. But a good rule of thumb is to choose something you like rather than only something that is on trend.  However, if you can do both, that is ideal.   Here are a few ideas hardwood flooring trends for 2021 to consider.

 Dark and Cool Toned

The trend towards darker tones continues to grow with cool tones preferred. There is a move away from warmer tones with red or red/brown undertones and a preference towards browns that are purer and more natural.  For those looking to go darker, there are blends of ebony and dark walnut to true black. While black or ebony floors may look stunning, they do require more maintenance to keep them looking clean.

 Gray and Gray Blends

Gray flooring has been on the rise and you can see it everywhere you go in wood, tile that looks like wood and gray vinyl planks that look like wood.  There are a range of hues, from charcoals and greiges to brown grays.  This is a newer tend and one to watch but may not be the best selection if you want a warmer looking space.

Light, Natural and Muted

The opposite of the popularity of dark woods is the choice of light or natural looking flooring.  But the theme is consistent with dark woods in that homeowners still prefer cooler tones that drown out the yellow hues. Light hardwoods have a distinct advantage when it comes to keeping them clean as they tend to show less dirt than darker hardwoods.

Natural Looking Floor Finishes, Sheens and Textures

Matte and satin finishes are the most popular sheens, while semi-gloss and glossy sheens are dated and a bit more difficult to maintain.  Flatter finishes have become more popular. And mate and satin finishes are practical, easy to clean a and with proper care look better longer.

Wide Plank Flooring

Wider planks will naturally make room look and feel larger and more spacious.  Not only are wide planks wider, but they are also normally longer than the more common sized flooring planks.  The combination of width and length tricks the eye into b believing the area looks larger than it actually is. So, it you’re trying to make a small space look larger, consider wider plank hardwood floors.

Carole Lee Interiors provides services in both selection and installation of all types of hardwood flooring.  Give us a call today to set up a consultation.