“Floors are the single biggest visual element in a home. They set the mood and tie the house together. In kitchens and, increasingly, great rooms, putting the floor to work as a warm visual element is paramount.

Open floor plans present a challenge when specing flooring. Great rooms lend themselves to a monolithic look for which wood floors are well suited. “Running the same species, the same color, through the entire floor of the house creates a seamless look for open floor plans,” says Sara Babinski, principal designer for hardwood and laminate at Armstrong.

Hardwood—still less common than ceramic tile—accounted for one-third of kitchen floors installed in new homes in 2012, according to the most recent Builder Practices Survey by Home Innovation Research Labs. While tile remained steady over the past eight years, hardwood snapped up 13 percent of the market share and is the fastest growing material in the category.…”

To read more about floor trends of 2014 click the link below:

“Natural Insticts: Flooring Trends for 2014”

Builder Online
March 2014
By: Sandra Malm

http://www.builderonline.com/flooring/kitchen-flooring-trends-2014.aspx