2017 Flooring Trends: This Year’s Top 5 Trends & More

Don’t make the outdated choice when you update your floors – use these 2017 flooring trends to choose something durable and stylish that will stay in style the lifetime of your floor.

It’s that time of year. Holiday music is starting to play on the radio, holiday party invitations are coming up left and right, and the end of 2016 is approaching at lightening speed. Is it just me, or does it seem like, after summer ends, the rest of the year just flies by?

The new year often comes with new goals and, if you’re lucky, new tax return and yearly bonus money that you can spend investing in all the things you’ve been wanting to do in your home. If you’re ready to update your home, you know that update begins with the floor – the foundation of your house. It sets the tone and the color scheme for everything else you want to accomplish.

We’re here to help you find the latest, greatest flooring trends and prepare to tackle new styles in 2017. There’s nothing worse than spending your savings on a new floor only to have it go out of style in less than 5 years. If you care about keeping your home current, you’ve gotta do the research and see not only what’s in now, but what will stay in for the next 20 years,

Staying With the Flooring Trends

Flooring trends don’t change nearly as often as fashion (thank goodness), or even other home decor, but we are in a period of evolution thanks to advancing technologies.  Think about how quickly we went from flip phones (please tell me you remember flip phones!) to smartphones — that is what’s happening with flooring technologies. We can now do more than ever before with lookalike flooring options and low maintenance flooring options.

In this post, we’ll take a look at broader flooring trends; looks that are in style for nearly all types of flooring. Don’t worry! If you want something a little more specific, we’ve got you covered. Check out our specific trends pages to find out exactly what you’re looking for.

  

Okay, let’s take a look at trending flooring in 2017.

What are the Top 5 2017 Flooring Trends

1. Wood-look flooring. This is nothing new. Wood-look tile, vinyl and laminate will continue to soar through 2017 and beyond.
2. Wide plank flooring. Longer and wider planks are becoming available with modern technology. These large planks are only growing in popularity.
3. Blond flooring. Bright, beautiful blonde wood and wood looks are new, trendy and exciting.
4. Gray flooring. Gray is still new enough to be trendy, but soon it will become a classic staple.
5. Flooring made in the USA. Americans are becoming more and more concern with buying things made, grown or both in the US. Flooring manufacturers have taken note and are now offering USA-made options across the flooring market including wood, laminate, vinyl and more.

Related post >> 12 Ideas for Eco-Friendly Flooring

What Other Experts Are Saying

When it comes to trends and style, we want to make sure you’re getting a well-rounded opinion. Here’s a look at what other industry experts are anticipating in 2017:

Wood Flooring Trends

“For 2017, we don’t see any slowdown of the current preferences for wide plank in gray tones with extremely low-sheen finishes.” – Kim Wahlgren, Hardwood Floors Mag, Editor

Tile Flooring Trends

“What is cool about the tile trends right now is the actual thought and science behind large format and plank tiles. For example, we have our thin tile line called Expanse which is a 6 ft x 10 ft—and they’re commercially rated! By making thin porcelain tiles like this- you can install them anywhere (elevators where weight is an issue)- use in commercial spaces (where wear and tear is an issue) or that massive accent wall that needs a bit of help. Needless to say, large format tiles are definitely what’s hot right now!” – Trish Baden, Emser Tile

Laminate Flooring Trends

“Laminate flooring continues to improve in both performance and appearance, and I think we will see more and more homeowners choosing laminate over other flooring options. The most popular styles of laminate flooring planks will continue to mimic hardwood floors, with lighter colors, wider planks, and dimension in the appearance becoming more and more popular. As the process for creating laminate floors becomes even more streamlined, I imagine we will start seeing a drop in the price per square foot for laminate floors as well, without sacrificing any of the quality, which will only lead to an even greater increase in their popularity.”  – Cindy Weinstock, The Flooring Lady

Vinyl Flooring Trends

“The race to the bottom(Price wise) is over. It’s now time for manufactures to stay focused on making better looking product lines. 2017 is sure to be the year for more realistic visuals. Better technology is constantly being created and used to make vinyl flooring look more like real hardwood. Whatever you see trending in engineered hardwood, wether it be a rustic oil finished Oak or a more contemporary smooth maple the vinyl flooring industry will be quick to create a visual that will be nearly impossible to tell apart from the real deal. ” – Carly Notcha, US Floors

Carpet Flooring Trends

“While traditional carpeting is not expecting to show tremendous growth in 2017, the one area that continues to grow rapidly is the area of carpet tiles. Not only are  carpet tiles continuing their uptick in the commercial sector, one of the fastest growing channels is the use of carpet tiles inside the home and main street businesses. Foss is uniquely positioned with an array of carpet tiles that are easy to install, can go over any surface (including carpeting), and allow the consumer to become their own designer …. both in the home or small business.” – Brian Warren, Foss Manufacturing

Across the Board 2017 Flooring Trends

Some trends are so hot you will see them in almost every type of flooring from tile to laminate. Here is a look at what’s trending across the entire world of flooring in 2016.

Wood Look Flooring Trends

This will come as no surprise to anyone who has looked down in the past 5 years, but wood look flooring is hot, hot, hot, and only getting hotter. That’s why we’re calling it the #1 flooring trend in 2017.

Once upon a time, you had to buy expensive solid hardwood to get the chic, elegant look of wood flooring. The lookalike options often looked cheap, sounded hollow, and just didn’t measure up to the real deal.

This is the biggest advancement in the flooring industry. You may think that solid hardwood has simply gotten less expensive because it seems like everyone has it these days.

It hasn’t.

The truth is, floors such as tile, laminate and, yes, VINYL have seriously stepped up to the playing field, delivering realistic, affordable and low maintenance wood looks. You can expect to see the wood look flooring trend continue well into the next decade.

>> Check out all our options in wood-look Laminate, Tile and Vinyl.

Parquet Flooring Trends

I know what you’re thinking.

You’re imagining the tacky, dated, 1970s parquet wood flooring. You’re ready to click the little X at the top of your screen because you think we must be off our rocker over here at FlooringInc.

Let me explain. Parquet simply means geometric patterns. And not just in wood flooring! In 2017, expect to see parquet patterns, particularly herringbone (which is not the same as chevron – see above), in wood, vinyl, tile and more.

Is this trend going to stick? Maybe.

You see, parquet flooring is a specialty type of thing that will not appeal to everyone. Tile patterns are certainly not going anywhere, but beyond that? I wouldn’t expect to see too many of these layouts lasting the test of time.

If you want to hop on board the parquet flooring trend, we suggest either going for a hallway, entryway or bathroom, or trying it out with a temporary flooring solution that will be easy to change with the current trends or your mood.

Related post >> Eye-Catching Tile Patterns

Wide Plank Flooring Trends

It’s no secret that larger planks and tiles make your room look bigger. Small, cluttered pieces, like subway tiles, can look great, but they often become busy and make your room look small.

Expect to see wide planks not just in wood, but laminate, luxury vinyl planks and tile as well. These large planks look modern, elegant and expensive in any room in the home.

Are you thinking about jumping on board? Well, you should!

Manufacturers are only trending towards even wider and longer planks. This trend will soon become a classic staple and will likely last the test of time.

>> Check out our wide plank options in Wood, Laminate, Vinyl, Tile, and Cork.

Large Tile Flooring Trend

Just like wide planks, I predict the large format tile trend is here to stay. They make your space look bigger, give you fewer grout lines (WIN!), and provide a beautiful, clean, modern look.

Think large format tiles is just for porcelain and ceramic? Think again! You can also go with a large format vinyl tile or groutable vinyl tile for a true stone look without the hard cold feeling.

Of course, we will likely reach a point, like with phones, where the size gets excessive. I have a feeling that may happen within the next 5 years or so. My advice: don’t get sucked in, but do go with the large format sizes currently available on the market.

 

Related post >> Laminate vs Vinyl Flooring

Flooring Color Trends

Color trends are typically not specific to a type of flooring; rather they extend themselves across the flooring market. Some of these have been around for years now while other are just popping up into the limelight.

Gray Flooring Trend

For the last few years, experts in the industry have tried to predict whether the sudden surge in gray flooring was a fleeting trend or a new staple. I think now we can safely say that gray flooring is here to stay, and you can expect to see even more gray, especially in wood-look flooring.

>>Check out gray flooring in Wood, Tile, Vinyl, Laminate and Carpet.

Espresso {or almost-black} Flooring Trend

People who like extremes are my kind of people. And the amount of these people seems to be growing.

It used to be that neutral was the thing. Now, people are looking to be bold, stand out and be seen. That is why they are looking for the darkest, espresso, almost black wood and wood-look flooring.

The deep, dark elegance of espresso colored flooring is likely to stick around for several years to come. However, remember that dark floors show dirt more easily, and can make your room look smaller and darker. While this color trend is likely to last a while, I think the next one on our list is really where it’s at for the long haul.

>>Check out espresso/black flooring in Wood, Tile, Vinyl, Laminate and Carpet.

White Flooring Trend

Extremes, right? Homeowners are straying from the neutral, predictable flooring colors and white is a flashy, new approach.

White floors brighten up your space and make the room look bigger. But will they stay in the limelight?

We don’t think so.

Expect white floors to be a here today, gone tomorrow type of thing (except when it comes to natural stone and tile) as we see homeowners trend towards blonde wood to achieve the lighter and brighter effect.

>>Check out white flooring in Wood, Tile, Vinyl, Laminate and Carpet.

Blonde Flooring Trend

Listen, if you’re going to go with one of these color trends, it should be gray or blonde. I mean, that’s just my opinion, but these are the two most likely to have the longest shelf life.

Why blonde? So many reasons! Light, bright blonde wood (and wood-look) floors make your space look big and bright. Unlike white floors, they are less likely to appear dingy and dirty, so they basically give you the best of both worlds!

Additionally, blonde is on the newer end of the trend spectrum so you won’t see too many homes that have gotten the memo just yet. That means, if you jump on board soon, you will look like a total trendsetter once it really takes off.

I anticipate we’ll see blonde wood and wood-look flooring for the next few decades and, possibly, beyond.

>>Check out white flooring in Wood, Vinyl, and Laminate.

USA-Made Flooring Trend

Without getting too political here, American Made is a hot and controversial topic right now. The desire for homegrown and American manufactured products extends beyond traditional items to flooring and home decor.

In fact, some homeowners will pay top dollar for that title. My brother is one of them. He searched high and low until he found a flooring option that was wholly manufactured in the United States. And he’s not alone.

Political trends do not disappear the way style trends do. You can bet that the people who believe strongly in this movement will not be changing their minds anytime soon. We predict that the demand for American Made (and grown) flooring will only increase with time.

>>Check out USA-made flooring in Wood, Vinyl and Laminate.

Related post >> Vinyl Plank Flooring Buying Guide

In conclusion

Did we miss anything? Leave it in the comments – we’d love to hear your thoughts!

As you can see, there’s a lot going on in the vinyl flooring industry right now. There are plenty of different, unique options trending that will likely stick around for years to come, which means your possibilities are endless.

If you want something hot that will last for the long haul, we recommend going for large plank, blonde or gray wood/wood-look.

If you’re looking to get started with new trendy flooring, here are a few of my favorites: