With the start of each renovation project, it’s easy to get caught up in the fun details of colours, furnishings and finishes. The aesthetics of your home are obviously of great importance and should reflect your personality, as well as how you live. We constantly explore design magazines and Pinterest for inspiration and the latest trends to give us a direction for our next renovation. Not wanting to compromise, we aim to create a magazine-worthy look in our homes, while being true to our budgets. When designing a space, many of us look to fabrics and colours as our inspiration… why not look down and get inspired by your floors instead?

Overall aesthetic

Flooring is one important aspect of your home and should not be overlooked. Whether you consciously notice or not, flooring can make a large impact to the overall aesthetic of your space. When it comes to the more permanent finishes in your home, such as flooring, it is important to find materials, styles and colours that suit your functional needs, while complementing your style and budget.

For several years, we have witnessed a huge expansion in flooring products. With advancements in quality, durability and applications, as well as colours and finishes, there seems to now be endless choices to suit all budget levels. We are all familiar with traditional hardwood and engineered flooring. Traditional hardwood, due primarily to the installation method, is not a customary option for condo living. Engineered wood, on the other, hand can be a great option for condo flooring. Much like natural hardwood, engineered wood floors add wonderful warmth and elegance to a space, but with the added benefit of being lighter in weight for condos and have varying installation methods that are just not suitable for solid hardwood. Engineered also has the added benefit of reduced shrinkage and expansion that is more customary with solid hardwood, offering greater stability with less warping and gaps.

Softer and warmer tones

Trends have been moving more towards softer and naturally warmer organic tones for flooring. Rich walnuts, lighter natural white oaks and a resurgence of rich, deeply saturated espresso browns to name a few. While the lighter tones are a perfect neutral foundation that integrates well with anything from a more minimalist, modern style to traditional, these warmer yet richer tones can create a sense of luxury, drama and sophistication.

With technological advancements, “faux” flooring options look more and more like the real thing, and can be a less costly option for your home. They are not only highly durable with waterproof options, but beautifully texturized to appear natural looking, while being low maintenance.

Laminate, which has been around for a while, is a hard surface flooring that is manufactured using material such as medium or high-density fibreboard to form the core.

Luxury vinyl, on the other hand, is a soft surface flooring product that is flexible. It comes in a variety of installation options, providing not only a great look, but comfort as well. Luxury vinyl is available in an abundance of fantastic options that have the look of wood, stone or other natural material.

Vinyl composite core is a flooring option that combines the best features of laminate and luxury vinyl. Boards are rigid planks that click together like laminate, but are constructed from a water-resistant vinyl composite material that gives them the flexibility of vinyl flooring that can be installed anywhere – even bathrooms and laundry rooms. By using longer, wider boards for your flooring, regardless of the product type, you are not only creating a more contemporary feel that draws inspiration from European design, but it can also give the illusion of making your space appear larger – especially if you continue the same floor throughout your entire space. This is especially alluring in smaller spaces such as condos, so don’t be afraid to think big in your flooring selection.

Wood floors

As for “wood” floors, we should not eliminate parquet as an option. Parquet flooring is pretty much a mosaic of wood pieces combined to create a pattern. The most common patterns for parquet are basketweave, diagonal and herringbone. Parquet flooring was trendy in the 1970s and 1980s, however, we have seen a resurgence in recent years. The modern version of parquet is a classic, luxurious “Euro” look that is durable and affordable.

Flooring often does not get the attention it deserves. In fact, given all the options available, it could be the basis of design for your space. Beautifully worn, 100-year-old floors tell a story of their previous life while still inspiring a vibe of eclecticism and current design trends. Herringbone floors feel elegant, sophisticated and well-curated. Warm toned, wide-plank floors can create an inviting and cosy vibe, while the lighter blonde tones can convey a more contemporary feel. Whatever style, texture and colour of flooring you choose, let it inspire the look and feel of your home.