Both concern for the environment and the uncertain state of the economy influenced the flooring trends for 2012, as showcased at DOMOTEX

DOMOTEX - the world's leading tradeshow for floor coverings - drew to a close this January with a total of 45,000 visitors who attended to take in the latest flooring trends for the year. Due to increased interest in environmentally friendly and economical products, some of the biggest trends highlighted by 1,371 exhibitors over the span of four days were wider planks and scraped wood flooring - both of which go hand in hand with demand for natural, eco-friendly floors: the must-have traits for wood flooring in 2012. Natural curved wood flooring, which emerged as a hugely favored product innovation, follows the same theme of eco-friendliness.

"It wasn't nature that created straight floorboards: it was the limitations of technology," said Dutch flooring company Bolefloor, as they debuted naturally curved wood flooring during DOMOTEX Hannover.

Bolefloor claims this flooring is a return to a natural state: floors as nature intended. Optimization technology means savings of the natural resource. Not only is the surface aesthetically appealing, but it also allows more floors per forest.

Designers at Coswick Hardwood Inc. stated that consumer demand for wide plank hardwood flooring will increase in 2012, as a growing number of homeowners and interior design professionals favor the look of wide, natural wood flooring over narrow strips of traditional parquet. Coswick's new collection of wide plank hardwood flooring presented at DOMOTEX is called Arts & Crafts Collection and features seven designer styles of oak flooring with innovative eco-friendly oil finishes.

The trend for wider hardwood flooring was overwhelmingly obvious at the show. Among the new and innovative flooring products showcased by nearly 200 manufacturers, various styles of wide plank, natural looking wood floors were most common. Wider flooring planks start from 5" and go up to 7-8" or even wider, depending on species, finish and construction.

Tatyana Zhigar, principal designer at Coswick Hardwood Inc. said that the growing trend in flooring is for a wide plank, brushed in order to emphasize the texture of natural wood, and oiled in order to preserve its warmth.

"This means that the more the floor looks and feels like authentic wood, the better," added Zhigar.

Pauline Madani, Managing Director & Owner, Nordic Homeworx LLC, says that the general rule is that a wider plank can be more appreciated in larger spaces, while narrower planks are more suitable for smaller spaces.

"We have clients interested in both wide and narrow floors, but in the end it is a matter of personal taste and budget. With over 150 Kährs floors to choose from, our clients always find a floor suitable for them," says Madani.

For many manufacturers, achieving an effect of authenticity is done through lowering wood flooring grades and offering products that include a very high number of natural imperfections, swirls and knots - a whole spectrum of natural wood characteristics that make real hardwood flooring so unique.

Another prominent trend that reflects the preference for a 'natural' look is scraped wood flooring. The hand scraped wood finish is popular not only because of its character, but also because it can endure a rough-and-tumble household. For people with kids and pets - or simply active lifestyles - scraped wood flooring is the answer. It has a lot of character and can hold up under a good licking without losing its character.

"We have entire collections made up of floors that are all uniquely hand scraped to enhance the wood's structure," says Madani. "A great amount of manual work is put into hand scraped floors, providing a truly rustic character. One of our bestsellers is a fully hand scraped floor called Oak Oyster from Kährs Artisan Collection. However, one thing to keep in mind when choosing hand scraped wood flooring is that you have to be more aware with regards to the maintenance of the floor, as any large knots or dents can be more strenuous to rid of dust and dirt."

Aside from producing hardwood floors that preserve the authentic look and feel of natural wood, manufacturers increasingly opt in for using lumber that originates from sustainable forests, formaldehyde-free glues, as well as finishes that contain no toxic VOC emissions. This tendency is expected to strengthen throughout 2012.

Engineered wood flooring, constructed of sandwiched finished wood and plywood, is going to remain a popular choice in 2012 due to it durability in high-humidity areas. This flooring looks identical to solid wood flooring and can be sanded and refinished. But unlike solid wood that can twist and warp, this product stands up well in areas of moisture.

"Engineered wood flooring is the best alternative when choosing wood flooring for a residence or commercial space in the UAE," says Madani. "With fluctuating weather and immense humidity, engineered wood flooring performs the absolute best, while solid wood flooring could start warping and cracking. However, we recommend our clients to maintain a normal room temperature between 18°C and 24°C. The relative humidity of the air must be less than 60 percent before, during and after installation."

She adds that Nordic Homeworx exclusively supply and install Kährs engineered wood floors. Being engineered means that the floor is more even, stable and impervious to climate changes than solid wood flooring. Kährs flooring is also more eco-friendly than solid wood flooring since the core material is crafted from a fast-growing wood species, which means that there is less of a drain on natural resources. "There are no disadvantages with engineered wood flooring," states Madani confidently.

When asked whether consumers in UAE have any specific preference when it comes to wood flooring and whether any prevalent trends are observed, Madani says that that the market today is much more open-minded towards wood flooring and is choosing it over marble or tile flooring.

"Trends are constantly changing and choosing material can be difficult when thinking long term, but one thing is for sure, the use of sustainable and healthy products is here to stay," she divulges. "Preference in color is always changing as with any ongoing fashion trends, but we do still see a very large demand for classic walnut floors. However, the biggest demand we have is definitely for stained oak floors. We call oak the King of the Forest, and we mean it. From our over 150 wood floors, oak makes up approximately 80 percent of our collections, and is grown and harvested close to Kährs' factory in Sweden. It is the fastest-moving wood species for us, especially due to its versatility. It can be stained, hand scraped, brushed, etc. It can look anything from entirely rustic and country to city-sleek and modern. This is why most of our clients prefer oak over any other wood species."

Madani predicts natural and stained oak floors being the main trend in 2012. For residential projects, she sees a demand for natural and white-stained oak floors of both rustic and calm grading, whereas for commercial projects she sees the trend of dark-stained oak floors.

"I personally recommend raw, vintage Scandinavian flooring for 2012. Our latest collection, Kährs Craftsman Collection - a range of 1-strip oak floors - is characterized by their dramatic, rustic look and high designer value. The floors' natural and rustic look is the result of Swedish innovative spirit combined with 150 years of wood experience," concludes Madani.

As for what's falling out of favor, high on the list for Madani is red-colored wood flooring. "Over the years we have seen a steady decrease in interest red-colored wood flooring, for trends are moving towards the more natural, airy and Scandinavian floors."

NATURALLY CURVED WOOD FLOORING FROM BOLEFLOOR

Bolefloor curved-length flooring meets the true definition of unique: each floorboard is as individual as the tree it came from. No two Bolefloors are alike.

Bolefloor technology combines wood scanning systems, tailor-made CAD/CAM developments and innovative optimization algorithms for placement software developed by a Finnish engineering automation company and three software companies in cooperation with the Institute of Cybernetics at Tallinn University of Technology.

Bolefloor scanners' natural-edge visual identification technology evaluates 'imperfections' such as knots and sapwood near the edges or ends so that floors are both beautiful and durable. The process manages and tracks each board from its raw-lumber stage through final installation. Every board is cut using the finest in Homag woodworking machinery.

This flooring offers a design solution for almost any situation - residences, commercial spaces, retail environments, or display floors - and works in any setting where intimate, natural, and individual interiors are desired. This technology has also been employed to create walls and even ceilings.

The flooring comes in three quality grades: Select (with no sapwood or dark knots on the face plane), Natural (sapwood and small dark knots present) and Rustic (sapwood, dark knots and cracks up to 2mm may be present).

© Timber Design & Technology 2012