The floors of tomorrow will reflect what’s on the runway today

WHEN you walk into a room, your eyes do not move from top to bottom—quite the opposite. Your gaze Just as the clothes you wear make the tone, add the drama and create the mood in your home.

According to the World Floor Covering Association (WFCA), the - ing offer high-tech innovations, low-maintenance attributes and eco-friendly features. Below, you’ll latest styles to consider when it’s

Weathered and worn

Aged and vintage looks have main - wood with worn, heavily textured wood grain and the weathered imperfections that can only be achieved with years of use. For many, price has reach—until now.

Manufacturers today are building the patina of reclaimed wood into and engineered hardwood formats can have all the distressed and eroded character of products much older so each board has a unique look.

The same vintage looks are available in laminate and luxury vinyl tile (LVT). The surfaces are created using high-resolution digital imaging and state-of-the-art embossing techniques. Designed to minimize repeats, they’re almost impossible to tell from the real thing—and

Porcelain tiles feature salvaged looks such as oxidized metal and weathered wood. Tiles with dry, earthen textures and parched surface finishes in light to mid sun-baked shades and hazy grays are also popular.

The beauty of the weathered look is that it pairs well with all interiors, does a wonderful job of hiding blemishes, and works well with both soft and bold color accents.

Depth and dimension

spaces cozy and small spaces grand with long, wide planks and tiles.

Longer wood planks and largeformat porcelain tiles mean fewer seams and grout lines, lengthening smaller spaces such as hallways and bathrooms as the eye is not - ing. Fewer seams and less grout means easier cleaning, too.

Texture and pattern

The latest looks in LVT involve nature- inspired low- luster and

Also in step with toned-down which are steadily gaining ground among designers and consumers. Natural oils penetrate the wood grain for a satinlike, zero-gloss ap highly affordable synthetics offer a more delustered look that mimics more expensive natural materials including wool, silk and cotton. The matte surface also works to mask vacuum marks and footprints.

Learn more

FurtherinformationandpracticaltipsareontheWFCAwebsite,www.WFCA.org,and blog,FloorTalk.wfca.org. NorthAmericanPrecisSyndicate.