FLOORS THAT SHINE

In the last two years, the Covid pandemic has forced us to look at life & our surroundings quite differently. From working virtually from the comfort of your homes to dramatically moving towards online channels for your basic needs, the pandemic has changed it all. As frequent lockdowns continued to impose restrictions on movement, forcing people to stay locked in their homes, families have started reimagining their homes to give thema a new vibe & make it a more pleasant space.

While walls were the first choice for many to bring back life and vibrancy through colours amid the gloomy pandemic situation, most of the enthusiasts have given a relook at their floorings to spruce up their homes with some marvellous elements.

With home improvement taking centre stage in the new normal, flooring trends have evolved, noted Subrata Basu, Vice President Design, NITCO

• Need for Covid sanitization resistance tiles - Consumers and builders alike are looking for tiles that are resistant to sanitisers and easier to maintain without losing their charm.
• Grey is the new cool - Tiles inspired by stone and especially available in Grey color are getting very popular. Grey being the most versatile neutral, that's neither black nor white has become arguably the most popular!
• Wood can never go out of fashion - There is an intrinsic warmth that can be felt in an interior space when wood is incorporated into homes. Interiors with wooden elements mimic the effects of spending time outside in nature.

"NITCO's Made in Italy tiles are sanitization resistant and suitable for both floors and walls. These are also environment friendly. NITCO has a huge variety of grey floor tiles inspired by cement and natural stones. There's a wide variety of NITCO floor tiles inspired by wood and available in multiple sizes and design options like natural face, geometric and herringbone styles," Basu said.

Flooring Trends

Floor tile design trends have undergone significant changes in the past few years. "Modern day flooring combines functionality with aesthetics without compromising on the quality. While we have witnessed vintage trends making a comeback, we've also seen an influx of consumers who are willing to experiment with new designs that are in the market," said AV Mallikarjun, AVP Sales, Aparna Enterprises.

Some of the popular floor tile design trends that have emerged in the past year;

• Customization is the trend to stay: Gone are the days when single design tiles were used in the entire house to make it look spacious. Technological innovations have paved way for digital printing on tiles which enables manufactures to print almost any design on tiles while maintaining other features like scratch & stain resistance, sheen levels etc, making them ideal choice for customization. House owners today can play with separate tile designs in different spaces of the house, matching with the interiors.
• Marble designs will always be in demand: Marble exudes elegance, which is one of the primary reasons why it always stays in demand. Customer preferences have shifted from traditional marble tiles to Glazed Vitrified Tiles with marble finishing as they are cost effective and much more sustainable maintenance wise. Tiles with marble finishing is everything elegant about traditional marble minus the hassle of maintenance
• Beauty of wood patterns: Wooden flooring is splendid to look at. However, floor made of natural wood is a luxury that the environment can no longer afford. Wood finish vitrified tiles are an effective solution which combines the aesthetics of wood and the added benefits of durability of vitrified tiles. Wood finish tiles have been one of the most on-demand tiles in 2021
• Experimenting with colours: A home is representative of the homeowners' personality. One of the prominent ways this comes through, is by the use of colours in these homes, right from the walls to the tiles. Today contrasting shares of black, brown, light blue, pastel green tiles are all in demand, each colour represents a different look and feel. The advancement in technology has ensured that tiles are available in contrasting shades and they make the space look unique and stylish

Technology in Modern Flooring

Flooring trends keep changing throughout the years as technology allows a larger variety of flooring designs for their remodeling project to meet the growing aspirations of homeowners. Using advanced technology, manufacturers are able to replicate an endless variety of patterns on different types of floorings to cater to the needs of their clients.

"With the advantage of ceramic technology offering new sizes, finish and replicating natural designs from color, texture true to life, NITCO has been at the helm of this with its unique design process wherein it uses its own natural marble and stone to replicate true to life designs and finish. Also with the evolution and high requirement on commercial application, NITCO has been spearheading in its R&D, developing new surfaces which are more stain resistance, chemical and crazing resistance than existing surfaces. The higher abrasion resistance quality makes NITCO the strongest tile in the industry having a 28000-330000 revolution pass standard which makes it R10 enabling it for high traffic and grip applications equivalent only to the best in the world," Basu added.

Way Forward

Flooring industry as a whole is poised for a period of solid growth over the next few years. The rapid development in the real estate has already changed the dynamics of the flooring industry as more and more developers are giving special attention to the material and patterns used for flooring. Additionally, technology, innovation and sustainability will have very significant influences on how homeowners select products. For manufacturers, product advancement will be an area of focus as a lot of attention will be laid on styling, performance, clean-ability and ease of installation while continuing to become even more environmentally friendly.

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