Ear to the ground: Forte flooring on the current trends in wooden flooring

As our dreams get bigger, so do our houses. According to Gaius Piesse from Forte Flooring, people are turning their eye to larger home designs, with a greater focus on open-plan living. That has resulted in some exciting new trends for flooring – so what has been popular of late?

Thinking big
Piesse explains that because of this focus on larger living spaces, wider and longer planks have become more commonplace. Standard flooring planks were once 128-135 millimetres wide, but now 190mm is the new norm. He even deals with giant 340mm-width planks on a regular basis.
“With the larger spaces, the wider planks match the proportions of the space, and can give it certain grandeur,” he says.

The Manor collection from Forte highlights this, a luxury french oak range that is very popular for larger architectural homes.

Expanded patterns
The maximalist approach doesn’t end at the plank sizes – patterns are getting bigger and better as well.

“There’s been a big comeback for herringbone, and even chevron to a certain degree,” Piesse says.

As people develop a taste for specific geometric shapes in wider areas, Forte Flooring has begun importing enlarged versions of what they already stock. Available from June, these add elegant detailing to a feature of home design that has previously been left until last.

“Flooring patterns have been an afterthought in the past,” he adds. “Now, people are realising its importance. Interior designers often say to choose your flooring first – it sets the theme for your interior and you can make it much more of a feature nowadays.”

Features everywhere
In addition to feature flooring, wooden feature walls are a trend that Piesse has noticed emerging recently.

“They bring warmth and texture to a home, they’re a great point of interest. We’ve actually started a new brand, Helm, which consists of repurposed wood from old Chinese fishing boats for use in flooring and feature walls.”

You can also use standard flooring planks in feature walls, adding to your options when designing your home’s centrepiece.

Out with the old, back in with the old
The act of reusing old wood in new contexts, or using reclaimed products, is also extremely popular – and for good reason.

“You’re cultivating history in a new space,” Piesse says. “Especially in hospitality spaces, reclaimed products add such a huge depth of character, feeling, and warmth.”

“Reclaimed materials are actually priceless because of this. The wear and tear you get over time, it’s impossible to replicate.”

Understanding the popularity of reclaimed wood products, Forte Flooring have actually teamed up with Imondi, one of the world’s biggest and most respected providers of this kind of flooring. They have done work for Park Hyatt hotels, chain coffee shops, and even Jamie Oliver restaurants.

Being able to bring high-quality reclaimed wood sets Forte apart as a top-tier provider of flooring that perfectly lines up with modern trends.

They scour Europe for the latest designs, and bring them to the local market. Having already visited Germany, China and America this year, Forte are constantly researching what makes wooden flooring great, and where it might go in the future.