Surface Trends — The Top 10
1. The Color Blue
A denim-like blue was chosen by both Pantone (Classic Blue) and Sherwin-Williams (Naval) as Color of the Year for 2020. We’re seeing it everywhere! Blue is pure design bling for cabinets, walls, ceilings, and other accents.
2. Sleek, Sumptuous Slabs
No longer just for kitchen countertops, quartz and porcelain slabs mimicking marble are showing up on cabinet fronts and walls. Thanks to a new product from Geoluxe®, we’ll start to see engineered marble surfaces extend to outdoor surfaces, too.
3. Solutions that Simplify
Time is money. Brilliant product introductions are those that can be easily and quickly installed by most anyone—not requiring skilled laborers. For example, Daltile’s RevoTile™ is a revolutionary, patented, porcelain tile floating floor system that installs in just three easy steps 1) place underlayment, no mortar required 2) click tiles together 3) grout immediately, no wait time. RevoTile installs 2X faster than traditional tile, saving builders time and money.
4. Hygienic and Hands-Free
We’ve all become a lot more diligent about keeping our homes clean and safe. Watch for advancements in food-safe and easy-to-clean surfaces designed to reduce viral and bacterial growth. Hands-free solutions for faucets are fairly common already. A few brands offer a hands-free refrigerator door opening. A focus on adding features that enhance wellness while still looking contemporary and beautiful stands to pay big dividends for product developers.
5. Luxe Laminates
Laminate flooring has become a go-to affordable wood flooring alternative thanks to tremendous advancements in technology. Today’s laminate floors are stronger, exceptionally realistic, some are even waterproof. But laminates are not just about mimicking wood on the floor. They are also finding uses on other surface areas of the home. Formica’s 2020 Living Impressions collection, is painted by hand—a first for the brand—the two marble finishes in the mix (there are six patterns total) look extremely lifelike. Compare Carrara marble that goes for about $40 per square foot, to Formica’s alternative that clocks in around $2 to $3.
6. Streamlining
The move by some manufacturers to offer more complete solutions streamlines the selection, scheduling, and payment processes. Wilsonart customers, for example, can now specify made-to-order cabinet doors, drawer fronts, and components from a company that also makes countertops, floors, and just about any type of engineered surface.
7. Outside-the-Box Innovations
PITT Cooking is an innovative cooking concept where burners are directly integrated into your countertop. With all the technical parts hidden below the countertop, it not only gives your kitchen a unique and elegant look, but it also enables burners to be placed further apart. From now on, you will always have enough space for all your large pots and pans to cook independently, all at the same time. PITT Cooking Systems’ burners can easily and safely be combined with any countertop material except wood.
8. Three Dimensional Details
From curved ridges to beveled surfaces, manufacturers are experimenting with texture and dimension that raises the bar in interior design.
9. In-Style Tile
Geometric hexagons, polygons, and cubes are seen in tile patterns or in the shapes of the tiles themselves are a hot commodity.
10. Walls and Ceilings Are Your Canvas
Look up, look down, look high and low, every surface of the house is being used to add an accent, make an art statement, or add definition to an open space.
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