Hardwood timber flooring design ideas

The flooring you choose for your kitchen, living, and dining rooms will be a choice you’ll live with for many years to come. This makes it important to weigh up both pros and cons of each option before settling on a decision.

We’ve done your homework for you. By the end of this article, you’ll be able to decide on a timber floor that looks great and suits you the best.

What is a Timber Floor?

As the name suggests, timber flooring is entirely made of wood, usually an Australian or local overseas hardwood. Timber has always been used as a favorite flooring material of most homeowners because of its beauty, durability, and versatility. Timber floors have become significantly more expensive over time, almost double since the last decade.

Popular Timber Floor Coverings

Solid Timber Flooring

Solid Timber Flooring, or Hardwood timber flooring, is unquestionably what comes to mind first when it comes to the classics. It has been used in industrial manufacturing ever since the 17th century and has never lost its popularity because it’s just as durable as it is beautiful.

Hardwood floorboards are manufactured from slow-growing trees so that the wood has a finer looking and more beautiful grain. They are also heavier and harder than other kinds of wood, thus justifying the high price tag.

Pros

• Premium – Solid timber flooring brings an authentic and premium experience to your homes. Real timber is a statement.
• Gorgeous – Real timber is largely considered to be the most beautiful of all flooring options – the natural grain patterns cannot be matched.
• Longevity – The lifetime of solid timber flooring vastly outstrips engineered or synthetic options as they can be resanded and polished multiple times.
• Valuable – Homes with solid timber are valued higher than those without, which makes hardwood flooring a great investment.

Cons

• Less Durable – The surface of real timber is not as durable as synthetic floor coverings.
• Less Water-Resistant – Wood floors are not as good with water as some synthetic options. You’ll need to take extra care in wiping away spills.
• Dearer – The solid timber flooring species can be quite expensive so you should carefully consider if you are ready for such an investment.

Engineered Timber Flooring

Unlike solid hardwood floorboards, engineered timber floors have a multi-layered construction. They are made from strips of plywood glued and pressed together with a thin veneer of real timber. 

These are more affordable than solid timber flooring, but they give the same look and feel because of the veneer finish. Just like solid hardwood floors, engineered wood floors can also be sanded down and re-finished when it gets damaged.

Pros

• Less Expensive – More affordable than solid timber floors as engineered flooring uses less real timber.
• Dimensional Stability – Engineered timber floors are very stable due to its multi-layered construction which limits swelling from moisture ingress
• Premium – Engineered floors look just like solid timber and offer the same premium look and feel.
• DIY Friendly – It is much easier to install than its solid hardwood counterpart. You can learn how through our DIY Installation Guide.

Cons

• Limited Refinishing – Have a shorter lifespan than solid timber floors since they cannot be resanded as many times.
• VOC Emissions – May emit fumes that may release smelly volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in lower quality options.

Solid Timber vs Engineered Flooring

If you’ve considered a natural timber floor then you may be stuck between solid hardwood and engineered timbers. Both floor types do have a great, nice and literally authentic look as timber floors.

Durability

In reality, both solid timber and engineered floors are made of the same wood material which means there is no difference in physical durability.

Winner: Tie

Longevity

Solid timber can undergo more sand and polish cycles (typically 4 – 5 times) whereas engineered floors can be sanded at most 3 times if any at all, which depends on the timber veneer thickness.

Winner: Solid Timber Flooring

Water Resistance

Some engineered floors come with a waterproof composite core, which makes them much more water resistant compared to solid timber options. Note that most are not water resistant.

Winner: Engineered Flooring (Sometimes)

Design

Engineered timber has a layer of real timber on the surface. This makes the ‘design’ every bit as authentic as solid timber. Both exude unparalleled natural beauty which cannot be replicated by synthetic options.

Winner: tie

Price

Since solid timber floorboards are made from slow growing trees, hence, harder and heavier. This makes them more expensive than the price of engineered timber flooring. 

Winner: engineered timber flooring

Installation

All solid timber floorboards must be ‘direct-stick’ installed with glue and nails onto the subfloor. Some engineered floors don’t require glue or nails which makes it much easier to install as a floating floor.

Winner: Engineered Timber Flooring (Usually)

Property Value

Solid timber flooring has the greatest impact on increasing home value and is a great long-term investment for luxury high-end homes. However, this type of timber floor has expensive supply and installation costs.

Although engineered flooring looks great by offering the same natural wood surface, homeowners aren’t willing to pay as much for a thin veneer of timber compared to a solid plank of timber.

Winner: Solid Timber Flooring

Hardwood Flooring Design Ideas For Your Home

There is one major benefit of natural timber flooring. It will never go out of style and bring you coziness for decades.

Wood Flooring Color Trends in 2021

In 2021, we’re moving toward the lighter end of the color spectrum. The lights are getting even more extreme with more white-washed, beachy looks.

But you’ll see some warmer, middle-of-the-road hardwood flooring ideas sneaking in, as well. Homeowners are increasingly using flooring to set the tone or feel of their home. They embrace the light, airy feel in their homes.

Wood Flooring Texture Trends in 2021

Not just for colors but textures, as well. In 2021, more and more floors where no two planks look the same, especially with the hand-scraped wood flooring texture.

• Hand-scraped – With scrapes and knots, your hand-scraped floor will look like it has been in your home for a long time. Essentially, the wood grain is more exposed, giving your floors a rustic look that still looks expensive and one-of-a-kind.
• Wirebrushed – wirebruhsed floors provide more texture. They are more subdued and streamlined but still rustic and unique. 
• Distressed – distressed wood gives your flooring character, which creates a spectacle in every room it’s installed. This makes your room cozier and more homey. 

Wood Flooring Layout and Pattern Trends in 2021

Whether you’re looking for complex, busy patterns or more simplistic layouts, sleek and upscale wood flooring patterns are popular to be considered in 2021.

Parquetry

Parquet flooring is formed by fitting together individual pieces or blocks of wood to create a floor with decorative patterns. Thus, you do not only get the inherent beauty of wood grain, you will also have a mosaic effect on your floor. 

When it comes to installing parquet flooring, this is a job for the professionals.  At one time laid with hot bitumen, today, parquet flooring is installed using a cold adhesive which gives a very stable result. Easy to clean and pleasing to the eye, parquet flooring is typically laid in hallways and bedrooms because it is a great alternative to tiles and is much warmer under foot.

Let FloorVenue Help You Find the Best Flooring For Your New Home

At FloorVenue, we have been helping homeowners like you design and build the house of their dreams for so many years. As you work out your plans for your custom new home, don’t hesitate to reach out to us for assistance choosing your solid timber and engineered timber flooring colors and options. Try out our Flooring Range and Designs today!