Kirschbaum und Birke: Die Trendsetter der Saison - Mittleres Farbspektrum wird bei den Hölzern an Beliebtheit zunehmen

Wide colour variances, creative pattern, interesting effects: no other floor covering offers so many design ideas like laminate flooring. It seems like the variety of decors is trying to out do each other prior to the change of this millennium. Trendsetters in the timber area are clearly cherry and birch. Light wood grains are still in demand but will be increasingly overtaken by mid-range and dark chocolate tones. Especially mid-range tones will be increasingly popular with the consumer, as will all yellow reddish tones, meaning that trend to warm and fuzzy structures will continue.

The colour range for the year 2000 contains natural colours with strongly dotted white tones ranging to eggshell colours which is complemented by warm beige, vanilla and even mud tones. Another topic are the yellow tones which become increasingly creamy and warm, partly tending to orange. The dominant China red, which can be easily combined with light timbers and anthracite, is also "on the cards". Dark brown combined with white chocolate with cream seems to be specifically suitable to build up an elegant and slightly under-cooled atmosphere, creating great contrasts. Another interesting variance is the combination of strongly yellow and blue tones, which reminds one of the colours of the seventies.

When it comes to pattern the classical and elegant 3-rod-version, seem to give way for irregular patterns, which give the illusion of a true wooden floor. Not only dark but also light timbers in new appearances are shown and complete the decor variety. "Like parquetry" is a topic of the season in which laminate flooring appears more and more like real parquetry. There is a good deal experimenting with fish bone patterns and other parquetry-like structures that demand a high degree of production skills of the decor printer, increasing the level of quality of laminating flooring even further.

Rock formations and fantasy decors remain a special topic. Marble and granite in light or dark colour variances will always find admirers for certain applications, but there is no mass trend in sight. What was presented as fantasy decors over the last few years convinced the creative designers. Olive, pasta or paprika decors have been used as creative elements in the flooring arena. This was also true for metallic effects in various forms documenting the spectrum of ideas of fantasy decors. Hot favourites will be nuts and bolts decors, which - rightly applied - will set pleasant accents for flooring admirers. Brandnew: A decorative self adhesive skirting that can be applied onto already laid laminated flooring, enabling you to fulfil design ideas any time. It will be interesting to see with what else the leaders of this industry will come up with over the next few years . . .