The biggest flooring trends in 2024

Cormar Carpet Company

Can you tell us how your brand stays up to date with the latest flooring trends?

As a company, we continue to invest in new products. Over the past 12 months, six new ranges have been successfully launched into the trade, with more planned for the coming year. Reflecting the increasing interest in textured loop pile carpets, we have started off the year with the addition of a brand-new synthetic loop range, Primo Textures. The first of its kind for Cormar, this exciting new addition has broadened our award-winning product portfolio with an exceptional addition to the loop market.

What do you think is the most important factor when designing new up to date flooring? 
As nebulous as it sounds, the ‘feel’ of a carpet is so important, how it handles the first time a consumer touches it. First of all, a carpet has got to look good, but that all important ‘handle moment’ is critical. It has to feel substantial, that it will wear well, but it also must have an appealing handle.

Will there be any flooring trends that we saw in 2023 following the industry into 2024?
Texture remains a key theme, adding an additional element of depth to homes. Stair runners using textured carpets are becoming increasingly popular as a way of adding style, safety and comfort to a staircase. Complementary of any décor thanks to their neutral colour palette, the natural hues of a wool loop carpet warm up any space and work well with the surrounding interior, making it a great long-term choice. Made from 100% Pure New Wool, Cormar’s wool loop ranges, Fairisle & Malabar Two Fold, are a great option for stairs and hallways, making a design statement while also being practical and inviting.

F. Ball and Co

Can you tell us how your brand stays up to date with the latest flooring trends?
We have a dedicated liaison manager, who is the link between floorcovering manufacturers’ and the F. Ball technical department. We have a contact at each one of more than 200 international floorcovering manufacturers who provide samples of all of the floorcovering types they produce for our technical service team to test compatibility with our range of adhesives.

Attending flooring and design exhibitions, as well as other trade events around the UK and the world, helps us keep abreast of developments in floorcovering and interior design trends and other sectors.

We engage constantly with flooring contractors to understand their day-to-day needs and how we can make life easier for them. This includes through our network of regional technical representatives, who provide advice on using F. Ball products and feedback on issues facing contractors.

What do you think is the most important factor when designing new up to date flooring?

It very much depends on the requirements of use and the particular environmental conditions. Style might be particularly important in residential settings and certain public spaces, but all floorcoverings should meet minimum durability requirements.

The longevity of floorcovering installations is supported by the F. Ball guarantee, which states that the company’s products will perform for the entire lifetime of floorcoverings as long as advised subfloor preparation and floorcovering installation processes are followed.

Of course, sustainability is an increasing priority. Not only is there an ethical and business case for considering the use of more sustainable products, it is increasingly a factor in the specification of products used in both public and private sector projects.

Will there be any flooring trends that we saw in 2023 following the industry into 2024?
Flooring contractors continue to face pressure to complete projects to ever more exacting time constraints, frequently while making allowances for other trades. Fortunately, fast-track flooring installation products, including smoothing compounds, waterproof surface membranes and adhesives, have dramatically cut the time in which it is possible to install floorcoverings.

We are also seeing underfloor heating and cooling systems increasingly installed as part of refurbishments in both domestic and commercial environments. While all F. Ball smoothing compounds can be applied over underfloor heating systems incorporated into the subfloor, it is advisable to allow between 5 - 35mm of a specialist smoothing compound above pipes installed over screeds.

For this reason, F. Ball launched Stopgap 1600, a new fast-drying, fibre-reinforced smoothing compound that is formulated especially for use over underfloor heating systems, at The Flooring Show in 2023. The new product has been developed especially to be applied between 3 - 40mm to encapsulate retrofitted water-fed underflooring heating and cooling systems.

The popularity of Luxury Vinyl Tiles (LVTs) also continues to grow with the rise in quality and variety. This is why F. Ball promotes its System LVT range, comprising subfloor preparation products and adhesives that used correctly and in combination will guarantee optimum results when installing this type of floorcovering.