Top Flooring Trends Across the Decades

Over time, flooring trends are always changing and adapting to new and emerging trends in design. Some flooring trends like wood floors have endured for generations, while other trends like shag carpeting only remained in favor for a brief time. It is important to make note of the flooring trends that have remained in favor over the years and how they are changing to become more affordable and readily available. Let us look back on some of the most influential flooring trends throughout the decades. 

1950s to 1960s: Linoleum and vinyl were used to create various fun and colorful patterns, making homes and commercial spaces unique. These products were available in wide sheets to create a seamless installation and were designed to mimic ceramic tiles and natural materials like stone, typically in white or neutral colors only. 

1970s to 1980s: Vinyl and linoleum were still commonly used floor coverings during this decade, along with a new product called laminate flooring. As the popularity of colorful flooring remained prevalent in the 70’s, these flooring materials were now available in vibrant colors and artistic designs.  

1990s: Wood flooring made a big comeback and was again highly popular during this decade. This was specifically true as it relates to the lighter species of wood like Oak and Maple. At this time wider plank flooring also became a leading trend. 

2000s: Light wood was going out of style with darker wood flooring now rising in popularity. Overall, flooring trends began to make an industrial shift which resulted in distressed and worn looking wood floors. And the big story for this decade is LVT (luxury vinyl tile) and vinyl plank flooring. Both were introduced on a wide-scale and quickly became more common than real wood flooring. 

2010s to 2020s: LVT and vinyl planks continued gaining in popularity as a top flooring trend, which continues to this day. Within this LVT and LVP trend is the popularity of matte or satin finishes put on LVT, along with the introduction of a broad array of colors and textures. As for colors, all things gray still dominate current flooring trends to this day. Emerging trends that have also taken hold in the 2020’s are waterproof flooring and healthy and sustainable flooring.