Fashion Is The Rule At Surfaces

Anaheim, CA, Dec. 7--Homeowners are starting to think of their floors as a fashion statement. "Gone are the days when you install flooring once when the house is built and leave it there until it wears out or you move away," said Chris Davis, chief executive of the World Floor Covering Association in Anaheim, CA. "Homeowners are thinking of their floors as something that reflects who they are and their sense of style." The industry unveils the latest flooring styles each January at its annual Surfaces trade exhibition in Las Vegas. "It used to be that the manufacturers set the trends," Davis said. "But the past four or five years, with all the consumer interest in decorating, it's the consumers that have been calling the shots." Like a fashionista scouring for the latest must-have trends, homeowners are seeking out textured carpets, wood in unusual varieties, and marble that's tumbled, not smooth. Lolly Hauptman is owner of the Arvada-based Saddleback Design and president of the Rocky Mountain Flooring Association, a trade association for flooring retailers and installers. She sounds more like a fashion writer than an interior designer when she talks about the latest trends in floor coverings. "Vinyl is out. Plush is passé," she said. "And people are over having everything beige, beige, beige." Hauptman and Davis agree that individuality is in. "People don't want what everybody else has--they're always looking for something different," Davis said. "It's not that we have dramatically different products on the market, it's just how they're being presented." Although its popularity has slipped in recent years, carpet still covers more American floorspace than any other type of flooring. In the past 15 years, carpet has gone from 80% of the marketshare to about 65%, Davis said. Since rugs are included in the carpet category, the decrease in the amount of carpeting being used is even more dramatic than those numbers reflect. Carpet accounts for about 40% of the sales at Guy's Floor Service, said owner Ed Routzon. The company, which has been in business for 62 years, provides floor coverings for about 40 builders along the Front Range. "The carpet itself hasn't changed a lot, but there are waves of what is stylish," he said. "Right now, there's a lot of interest in textured carpets and carpets with designs." Like carpet, wood is a perennial favorite being presented with new design twists. "For the longest time Red Oak is all you saw," Davis said "Now we're seeing people head a little further into the forest to try something new." In all there are more than 100 species of trees used for wood flooring, Davis said. Some of the new popular woods include Australian cypress, hickory and cherry. "People started to branch out because they wanted to match their cabinets, and cabinets are coming in so many different types of wood," Hauptman said. "Some of the woods, like oak, have a very strong grain, and you want to watch so that you don't have competing grains between your floors and your cabinets." Dunn has noticed an increase in the demand for "distressed wood," which is usually recycled from old barns or railroad ties. "It give homes a rustic look that appeals to a lot of people in Colorado," she said. Stone continues to grow in demand faster than any other type of flooring, Davis said. "Stone isn't just for the kitchen and bathroom anymore," he said. "Even on a modest budget, people put stone in places like their entryway where it will make a dramatic statement." While many people go for stone because of its durability, the surface actually is susceptible to damage. Shawn Weaver, owner of Colorado's Marblelife franchise, is dedicated to stone refinishing and repair. "People don't realize that household products, like certain cleaners, and even hair spray, can damage the finish on stone," he said. "And stone can be chipped." Porcelain tile is gaining in popularity, specifically through body porcelain. "The pattern is present all the way through, so when you chip it, the chip isn't readily apparent," Davis said. "Porcelain is also popular because it can look like anything." Vinyl may be down, but it's staging a comeback. "When you have a product like vinyl that has been stagnant in the marketplace, its manufacturers find ways to advance it and make it new again," Davis said. New advances in vinyl include a product that incorporates Stainmaster. There also has been much effort put into new designs. "The designs on the new luxury vinyls are unbelievable," he said. "There are some patterns that you would swear are stone, but when the baby falls on it, it has the give of vinyl." Speaking of posers, the newest of the new are laminates that look like brushed metals. The simulated metals look like stainless steel and can incorporate dots or other patterns, Hauptman said. "From what I've heard, there won't be any dramatic new products at (Surfaces) this year," Davis said. "What you'll see is products that have been around with more of a design element: carpet in new weaves and patterns, new vinyls that mimic other natural products, and new and unusual types of wood."

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