Domotex 2017 in Hannover, Germany, will showcase modern flooring design from the European laminate flooring industry.
While “country”, “urban” and “modern” are still the three dominant styles in living and furnishing trends around the world today, individuals seeking their own style still provide a lot of creative potential for interior design.
The colour palette for trendy, versatile oak decors predominantly features matt white, “greige”, light beige, creme and warm light grey hues; equally appealing are modern wood reproductions ranging across the spectrum from light to dark – inspired by maple, acacia, beech, alder, ash, spruce, larch, walnut and pine.
The vintage and shabby chic looks are still key themes in flooring, although the more extreme country-style surface structures are going out of fashion, with the visual appearance of laminate wood decors becoming overall more calm and reserved.
Due to its special moisture protection features, wood effect laminate flooring is also suitable for kitchens and bathrooms. Photo credit: Egger.
The vintage look is still a major theme in flooring. Photo credit: wineo / Windmöller
Special surface treatments on planks, such as oiling and brushing, are reflected in the way they feel and in their optical finish. New interpretations of classic stone decors – natural and stylish in appearance – are increasingly favoured. An example of this is the special surface effect on planks brought about by reflection from metallic tones, for which manufacturers use the latest technology. By applying innovative, industrial digital printing to decorative paper, it is possible to design entire laminate collections with wider variety and colour.
Laminate is now available with even more size options. Traditional country-style planks, wide and generously-proportioned, are still indisputably in number one position. This comes as no surprise since the larger sizing of these authentic-looking wood decors allows their perfectly-reproduced textures and natural play of colours to be better appreciated.
The traditional country-style plank still ranks among the bestsellers in the laminate range. Photo credit: Unilin/Quickstep.
Customers are also asking for contemporary, easy-to-maintain wood effect laminate floors in kitchens and bathrooms, as an alternative to the usual tiles. In keeping with this demand, the proportion of laminate boards with special water-resistance is rising. European manufacturers are offering more sophisticated products that incorporate modified HDF core boards.
