Top 12 Hardwood Trends for 2016: (#2)

Yes, gray is hot when it comes to hardwood floors. This cool tone has grown in popularity and we get more and more requests for gray, especially among our higher end and more fashion forward customers. We also get tons of phone calls from across the country on how to refinish hardwood for that gray look.

Gray is more expensive as you need to use a higher grade water borne poly such as Bona Traffic HD. We see all sorts of mixes from light to dark gray (it’s best to test). We also have some customers that mix in a touch of gray with darker brown stains.

You can also get pre-finished gray floors. Generally gray looks best in maple and birch which are a bit more expensive than oak. But, there are now plenty of oaks in the marketplace. If you already have oak in your home, I’d recommend that you stay with the same species so that you can match the floors (even if you refinish later). Maple and birch are more challenging and more expensive to refinish as they are closed pore woods.

White wash is also making a comeback, believe it or not. But, it’s often done in a more contemporary way with a touch of gray or wire-brushed (more on that later). Or, it’s done as a steep contrast with white in some rooms and a deep ebony in others.