As a result of the pandemic and the trend to spend more time in our homes, from work time to play time, people are prioritizing comfort in 2022. This desire to curate a cozy home can start at ground level—with flooring. Carpet is an obvious pick, with many options focusing on texture and dimensional looks, as well as performance. For those who prefer hard flooring in their homes, we’re seeing several major trends in 2022, starting with real wood, and including wood-look options of laminate and luxury vinyl flooring. Read on to learn about the biggest flooring trends for the new year.

Finding Comfort with Carpet

When it comes to comfort in flooring, there’s one option that’s always going to come in at the top of the list: carpet. However, it’s not just about the soft landing that carpet provides. Today’s carpets are also about performance, with stain-resistance coming in at the top of many people’s flooring-must-have lists. We want our carpets to look good, and stay looking good through everyday wear and tear, entertaining, and use (and, sometimes, abuse) from pets and kids. For these reasons, many are purchasing a carpet with a stain repellent, such as Scotchgard or R2X, to prevent heavily trafficked areas from becoming dingy and worn, or opting for the inherent stain resistance of a Smartstrand carpet. Another consideration for choosing carpet is selecting one that carries a warranty for stain resistance, soil resistance and pet urine, so you know you’re getting durable product that will last for years to come. You can also look for a warranty against abrasive wear and texture retention, offering you peace of mind when purchasing your investment.

There are several other considerations that are shaping this year’s top picks for carpeting. Advances in technology and construction methods also mean that today’s carpeting is available in more colors and patterns than ever before. So, what are we going to be seeing down all the runways hallways in 2022? Well, for those who love neutrals, grey isn’t going anywhere. However, we’ll start to see the trend move away from cool greys and back to warmer neutrals, such as beige, cream, champagne and khaki. For neutral carpets as well as brighter colors, texture comes into play in a big way. In general, textures are big, colors are layered, and designs are more dimensional than we’ve seen before. Bold and bright colors and patterns are also available, in everything from florals to geometrics, bringing some carpets from the background and into the design foreground.

Natural materials are popular in all types of interior design, and the trend doesn’t escape flooring. Wool carpet is definitely an investment, but there are many advantages of this natural material that make it worthwhile for many. It’s environmentally friendly, resistant to allergens and dust, available in gorgeous designs and can last a lifetime.

Real Wood Flooring

There’s nothing quite like real wood floors, and they can be considered a sustainable option too. Crafted from manufacturers with high environmental standards, wooden flooring meets the needs of green living when harvested from ecological sources of timber in controlled forests, regularly replenished with trees to ensure lasting sustainability. Popular woods used to produce eco-friendly flooring are oak, maple, cherry, pine and walnut. These species feature tons of unique designs and patterns, and a combination of heightened strength, stability and endurance.

Wood-Look Floorings

Playing right in with the increased focus on value and performance, wood-alternative floorings—namely luxury vinyl plank and laminate—will continue to be popular picks in 2022. Luxury vinyl flooring, available in luxury vinyl plank flooring, offers convincing looks that closely mimic the hottest real wood look and texture trends for 2022. There’s handscraped planks that offer a unique, hand-crafted look with high plank variation. Wirebrushed looks offer a subtler look, while distressed vinyl offers a similar appearance and character of real wood that’s aged, worn and warm. Embossed, micro beveled edges and painted beveled edges also provide different looks with variation in realism and definition between planks. As for the wood species these planks resemble, you’ll find all the heavy hitters here: pine, oak, hickory, walnut and maple to name a handful. Another reason (or reasons!) LVT is popular now? It’s sturdy, durable and moisture-resistant. It’s also easy to install and maintain.

Laminate flooring is definitely not new, but advances in technology are allowing improvements that give it new life. On the top of the list, higher image quality allows extremely realistic looking wood patterns for those who love the look of wood, but want the performance and price of laminate. These floors are available in a huge selection of colors and patterns, resembling all the top wood species for flooring. Laminates also feature different textures that can impact the overall appearance of the flooring. A flat texture is just what it sounds like; while a wood-grain texture will resemble the classic appearance and feel of etched wood floors. Embossed texture takes it a step further, featuring ridges to resemble a more worn wood floor that’s rich in character and charm. There are also laminate floors available to mimic the handscraped look and feel of some of today’s most popular rustic wood choices.

Whether you choose a wood-look flooring, real wood, or opt for the comfort and style that only carpeting can bring into your home, an investment in new flooring will pay dividends in style and performance for years to come.