Lots of new looks are underfoot in flooring

What's underfoot in new homes today? The hottest trend is flooring that looks like something it's not.

There's hardwood that looks like tile, and tile that looks like hardwood. Then there's luxury vinyl that looks like leather, marble or limestone.

A cement-look tile is even finding its way into new homes. Metallic tiles are popping up for bathroom floors and accent walls. And a brick-look, which started gaining popularity as a wall tile, is now being used as a flooring option for more of a European vibe.

These looks are the result of new technologies used to create looks that had previously been impossible to do. Whatever you want, vinyl can create it. The leather-look vinyl is finding its way into the market and is gaining popularity as the flooring choice for man caves, game rooms and more.

Whether you choose cushy carpeting, rich hardwoods or tiles that look like something else, you'll be floored with the amazing selection of materials out there today. You can give your flooring personality with all the new styles, colors, textures and patterns that bring interest to the world of flooring.

Wood

Whether it's real wood or faux wood - wood reigns as the king of flooring, having long ago supplanting wall-to-wall carpet. Wood is the No. 1 choice of buyers for homes at Toll Brothers communities, said Amanda Newberg, design center manager for the builder. "With the cold winters in the Midwest, wood flooring looks and feels warm and cozy, and it has a softer look than tile."

Helen Velas, president of Elena Interiors, agrees. Her interior design company does work for several area builders, including furnished model homes for New Generation Signature Homes' communities in Woodstock and Plainfield.

"Wood is extremely popular. Many people use wood for the entire main level, upper halls on the second floor and on staircases. In the kitchen and living area, we see wide planks with some texture and a nice warm finish. It's a beautiful backdrop for any furniture, and it will never go out of style," she said.

"The price of wood has come down because we're buying it from all over the world. It looks more custom, and people can select from 5-. 7- or 9-inch planks."

Hardwood is also a popular choice at West Point Builders, said Pat Curran, president.

Hardwood flooring offers a cleaner look, is easier to maintain and is more durable than carpet, which needs to be replaced every eight to 10 years. It can be refinished periodically and lasts a lifetime.

Tile

Along with the popularity of larger wood planks, larger format tiles are stepping into the spotlight.

These larger than the standard 12-square-inch tiles make the space look and feel bigger and more open.

Porcelain tiles that look like wood are popular along with tiles that look like marble, limestone, slate or granite. Newberg said a lot of buyers at Toll Brothers communities like tile that looks like hardwood, and prefer the long plank tiles. And Curran sees some baths with the 12-by-24-inch pieces of tile that look like marble.

"Porcelain comes in all shapes and sizes and we're laying it in a variety of patterns, such as the warm herringbone pattern traditionally used in castles and mansions, one that complements a home's architecture or a pattern that simply catches your eye," Velas said.

Vinyl

When you think flooring, wood, tile and carpeting - maybe laminate - may come to mind, but vinyl? All vinyl is trending now and it is becoming one of the most popular and sought-after floors on the market.

With the newest luxury vinyl, planks look like wood, marble and natural stone. You can have the look of wood with easy maintenance because technologies are better than ever, giving your home a look that no one would guess is vinyl, Velas said.

How can porcelain or ceramic tiles look like real wood or stone? Inkjet printing technology makes it happen. At its most basic, the process is taking a photo of wood and printing it into the much less expensive vinyl flooring, usually in the form of squares or planks. If you can take a picture of it, you can make it into vinyl tile.

Vinyl is getting more luxurious and can replicate any type of hardwood - whether it's distressed, contemporary or more traditional.

Laminate

If you desire exotic hardwood floors in your home but want something that's easy to maintain and affordable, consider laminate. This durable, environmentally friendly flooring material has become so popular because of its authentic wood look.

Laminate hardwoods offer a variety of looks, and the quality of laminate floorings have improved so much you can't tell that it's laminate flooring unless you're right on top of it, Curran said.

Carpeting

For those who want the rich look and feel of carpeting, there are a lot of great choices in texture, different types of yarn systems, hundreds of colors, patterns, tone-on-tone prints, with velvety soft textures in luxury carpeting, Velas said.

The good news is carpeting is more stain resistant and more environmentally friendly than in the past because of its all-natural fibers and nontoxic dyes. It's also less expensive than hardwood.

However, with today's open floor plans, it's more common to use hardwood on the kitchen floor to unify the open space. Curran sees people selecting hard surfaces more than in the past for the main level in their new homes.

Those who favor carpeting tend to use it in bedrooms and on stairs.

Newberg says homebuyers still want carpeting in the bedrooms because it's plush and soft to the touch. And they also like to use carpeting on wood stairs to prevent slippage.

In fact, a runner on stairs is the only carpet Tammy Berry sees at Heritage Harbor Ottawa Resort community in Ottawa.

"We don't see anyone who wants carpeting. A lot of it has to do with allergies, and carpeting changes with styles, so people need to update it."