Floors
by Mary Beth Schwartz
When the winter months bring on the chill, we look to make our indoor spaces comfy cozy. One way to add warmth and style to the homestead is to update flooring. I recently chatted with the Tanja Kern, Editor of Floor Trends. Kern shared with me some of the top flooring trends for 2017. Let’s take a look.
Hardwood
In the area of hardwoods, Kern noted some interesting changes. “Trends in wood floor finishes continue to evolve in response to advances in technology, fashion, and consumer demand,” she said. Lighter colors, textured surfaces, and lower luster finishes are playing up the raw, natural beauty of wood. According to Kern, creativity in product development among suppliers is opening up design possibilities and offering today’s consumers more options that ever before to showcase their personal style. “Three of today’s hottest trends are longer, wider planks, wire brushed surfaces, and cerused visuals. We are seeing more of the natural character of the wood. There is a trend toward minimal applied distressing and decreased saw marks. However, we are seeing less uniformity with more of the natural of the grain, knots, and splits showing.”
Tile
With tile, Kern said the question is not what is trending in the category, it is what is not trending. “There are so many ceramic and porcelain tile sizes, styles, and designs on the market. Some of the top looks we are seeing include the evolution of porcelain tile that emulates the look of wood looks (the natural look of wood grains or wood grain looks colored with lush blues and greens); the interpretation of modern materials such as concrete; tiles that emulate natural stone; large format and plank sizes; slightly warmer color palettes that move from light to dark; and slightly textured and metallic looks. Kern added that encaustic cement tiles or porcelain tiles that emulate the look also continue to be a trend.
Vinyl
Kern pointed out that luxury vinyl flooring has become one of the fastest growing categories in flooring. Advancements have taken place in terms of design as well as performance. There is room for more growth with manufacturers investing in technology and domestic production. “Homeowners today are looking for the perfect flooring solution that has the appearance of natural hardwood or stone, but is practical enough for today’s busy lifestyle. They want the look and feel of hardwood, without all the maintenance and costs associated with it.” Kern added that these products are offering great durability and scratch resistance surfaces.
Carpet
With the rise of hard surface flooring, Kern said that there is an increased use of area rugs and runners to add softness, texture, and acoustical benefits to spaces. Kern pointed out that stair runners are moving towards more contemporary and simpler patterns. Carpeting continues to get softer, and technology has increased stain resistance and durability of these flooring products. “People are going for broadloom carpets that are cut specifically to the size they need for the space. In terms of carpet, we are seeing elegantly nuanced neutrals, various textures, and tone-on-tone patterns that add depth and beauty to a space.”
Color Design
According to Kern, gray remains in favor as the fresher neutral. “The trend started on the West Coast and has been embraced across the country. Tones range from light pebble colors to deep saturated charcoals. Gray tones complement many design styles and palettes and can go cool or warm,” she concluded.
Carpet, Floor, & Countertops
Abram W. Bergey & Sons, Inc.
Entering four generations, Abram W. Bergey & Sons, Inc. has been in business since 1950. Covering residential and commercial clients in Bucks and Montgomery counties, along with surrounding areas, the company offers carpeting & area rugs, vinyl flooring, countertops, bamboo & cork flooring. They also sell hardwood flooring, laminate flooring, as well as tile, including ceramic, porcelain, and natural stone. “Trending right now is luxury vinyl planks and porcelain planks. These planks give the look of hardwood flooring, yet are more durable and water resistant,” pointed out President Randy Bergey, Abram W. Bergey & Sons, Inc.
At Abram W. Bergey & Sons, Inc., they cover everything for sales to installation. “We are committed to upholding the highest standard of business practices. We build long-term relationships with our customers. We specialize in finding the right products for our customer’s individual needs, with quality workmanship at competitive pricing,” Bergey added.
Abram W. Bergey & Sons, Inc. is located at 311 Main Street in Harleysville. They have over 15 trained specialists to install their products at your home or business. You can call them at 215-256-8846. For more information, visit their Website at www.bergeyflooring.com. You also can log onto Houzz to see some of their favorite projects.
Hardwood Plank Flooring
Colonial Plank Floors
For over 14 years, Owner Rick Spengler has been offering homeowners handcrafted, hand-finished hardwood plank flooring in a Colonial or farmhouse style. His wide plank flooring has been installed in 250-year-old farmhouses, restaurants, offices, and newly constructed homes. “Our handcrafted flooring is designed to add a sense of tradition and warmth to your home or business.”
With clients from Maine to Arizona, south to Georgia, and everywhere in between, family run Colonial Plank Floors recently produced their seven hundredth flooring project. Their shop is located in Colmar, north of Philadelphia in Montgomery County. “We create planking using historically true methods from the eighteenth century. Our planks are crafted from solid, kiln dried hardwoods from Pennsylvania and surrounding states harvested with environmentally friendly practices,” Spengler noted. He went on to tell me that his craftsmen take great pride in their craft. In fact, much of the cutting on the wide planking is done by hand using eighteenth century tools, just as it was done in the past. “Our finishes are one hundred percent hand applied and hand rubbed to achieve a look that cannot be duplicated by sprayed on stains and finishes.” The plank floors are characterized by long boards, up to 13 feet, an average of nine feet. They are prefinished with European oil. Width of the solid wood flooring, predominantly in white oak, is six to 10 inches.
You can call Owner Rick Spengler, Colonial Plank Floors, at 215-997-3390. His shop is located at 151 Discover Drive, #104, in Colmar. For more information visit www.colonialplankfloors.com.
Fair Trade Rugs
Ten Thousand Villages
Store Manager Bonnie Moyer flips through the hand knotted rugs she has in her Ten Thousand Villages store located at 781 Route 113 in Souderton. A hand-spun wool Kazak tribal with bold geometric patterns. An intricate floral Persian with more colors than the eye can count. A naturally dyed, hand-spun wool Chobi Natural Dye Tribal in a stylistic floral pattern. Each corner lifted reveals another rug more stunning than the last. “Artisans make their own artistic and technical decisions. Just as we wouldn’t ask a painter to make 150 copies of the same painting, we wouldn’t ask our knotters to knot 150 of the same rug.”
All of the rugs at Ten Thousand Villages are hand knotted in Pakistan by fairly paid adults. Arranged by size, Ten Thousand Villages in Souderton has rugs in both classic and contemporary patterns, from sizes ranging from 2’ x 3’ to 10’ x 14’, including hallway runners.
The Ten Thousand Villages Rug Room is a partnership between Ten Thousand Villages and Bunyaad, a fair trade artisan group in Pakistan. Bunyaad means “foundation” in Urdu. Over 50 percent of the rug artisans are women. According to Bonnie Moyer, Bunyaad provides a foundation for women by paying them a living wage to knot heirloom quality rugs on looms set within their homes. Women can work on the looms around their other household chores, like caring for children, preparing meals, and tending their home. Work on the looms gives women year-round stable employment that they have control over. With this income, women are finding increased financial independence and can financially contribute to the success of their family. They are able to send their children to school and plan for the future. Having a wage-earning skill gives these women a sense of pride as well as an avenue to true social change for themselves and their family. “When you purchase a rug at Ten Thousand Villages, you not only acquire a beautiful piece of functional art, you also support lives, culture, and education in Pakistan,” Moyer said.
Ten Thousand Villages is a non-profit, fair trade retailer with more than 100 stores in North America. All products sold at Ten Thousand Villages are fairly traded, a system that offers artisans a fair living trade for their work. Each purchase provides income for skilled artisans and their communities in Latin America, Africa, and Asia. Ten Thousand Villages has been in the fair trade movement for over 60 years. You can visit the Souderton location at 781 Route 113. The store number is 215-723-1221. For more information, visit http://rugs.tenthousandvillages.com.
Hardwoods & Carpets
Roy Lomas Carpets & Hardwoods
For over 60 years, Roy Lomas Carpets & Hardwoods has been serving the Tri-State area. Since 1956, the company’s customer base has grown to include homeowners and businesses in the outlying Philadelphia suburbs, South Jersey, and Allentown regions.
Roy Lomas Carpets & Hardwoods maintains 35,000 square feet, which includes a designer showroom, remnant room, and numerous warehouses, where hundreds of flooring styles are always on display and allows for warehouse-direct purchasing. The designer showroom features full flooring samples of the latest styles and colors of both residential and commercial carpet, vinyl, hardwood, and laminates. Next to the showroom, there is a 5,000 square foot carpet remnant room and a 25,000 square foot warehouse, housing more than 600 carpet remnants and hundreds of rolls of carpet and vinyl flooring at close-out prices. Here customers can buy “Warehouse Direct.” Some of the brands featured include Armstrong, Aladdin, Beaulieu, Bruce, Congoleum, Dixie Homes, Fabrica, Hollytex, Karastan, Mannington, Masland, Mohawk, and Shaw.
In keeping with the Go Green Movement, the company offers a variety of flooring options that are more environmentally friendly. The family owned company not only emphasizes on recycling, but gives back to the community. Roy Lomas Carpets & Hardwoods has donated products to charities such as Habitat for Humanity, the Extreme Home Makeover television show, and to victims of natural disasters such as Hurricane Katrina. The company has received numerous Best of Houzz Service Awards.
Roy Lomas Carpets & Hardwoods prides itself on customer service and features a full-time service department. Throughout the project, customers will receive such services as free floor measurements, professional floor installation, and cut and binding services for custom area rugs and runners. Customers can visit Roy Lomas Carpets & Hardwoods at 2150 Detwiler Road in Harleysville. Their phone number is 215-256-9575. On the Web, you can visit their Houzz page or their website, www.roylomascarpets.com.
Mary Beth Schwartz is a freelance writer who contributes to regional publications.