Extreme surfaces! The 2012 laminate flooring trends – between wood and stone

Pine is a pale wood – or so we thought. Nowadays, it can be found in medium brown shades with subtle white effects. Elm is an expressive wood in dark beige tones, now it becomes darkly with reddish brown effects. The new 2012 laminate floors reflect a never-before-seen variety of extreme surface finishing styles that allow the creation of the most unique designs. They all have an absolute authenticity of haptics and colour effects in common, which frequently even lets the floors appear more interesting and life-like than the wood after which they were modeled. However, this cannot only be said about wooden decors, but stone designs as well.

Pine is a pale wood – or so we thought. Nowadays, it can be found in medium brown shades with subtle white effects. Elm is an expressive wood in dark beige tones, now it becomes darkly with  reddish brown effects. The new 2012 laminate floors reflect a never-before-seen variety of extreme surface finishing styles that allow the creation of the most unique designs. They all have an absolute authenticity of haptics and colour effects in common, which frequently even lets the floors appear more interesting and life-like than the wood after which they were modeled. However, this cannot only be said about wooden decors, but stone designs as well.

This development was made possible by Embossed in Register and novel methods of surface treatment. Coloured, bleached, etched, whitewashed, oiled, waxed – there is a large range of possibilities to modify decors. The goal is always to give surfaces that little something extra, thus increasing the quality of the decor and the laminate floor. Against this backdrop, stone decors, which have been far less popular than wooden decors, will receive a lot of attention in 2012. Slate, marble or granite – they all stand out due to their natural designs and expressive textures, which create novel designs on the floor. Textured surfaces are also a key term for wood. Along with the all-rounder, oak, particularly softwoods, such as pine, lark and elm will be in the limelight in 2012. As mentioned, with altered colours and modified designs.

The design extremes are also applied to formats. The country-house plank, with or without a V-joint, remains en vogue; however, it can be found more and more often as long or narrow planks. The trend is moving toward decors with a consistent pattern direction, which creates a particularly homogenous, elegant appearance of the floor. Three-strip planks are also re-gaining popularity, but reflect a completely different perspective than before, as part of the new surface designs. For tile designs, large, rectangular formats are preferred, which create a spacious effect in larger areas. However, the new surfaces do not only polarize in terms of format, but also in their degree of glossiness. Completely matte or high gloss is the current topic of interest. Thus, elm wood with modified colours, in a matte oiled design may become the trendsetter of 2012. Will it take the place of oak?

Creative metal and textile surfaces

Metal and textile decors are another topic that will set the 2012 design trends. They come in large square or rectangular tile formats that are perfectly suited for places such as loft apartments or offices. Full advantage of the versatility of metal designs is taken with zink, chrome and copper tones and partially man-made used effects. Textile decors are shown in many different grey tones, which are particularly striking in combination with white furniture. The popular black and white theme of the interior design world remains current. Other creative decors impress with geometric or floral designs in strong pink, neon green, blue or black and white. All made possible by modern digital printing.