Some flooring choices will never go out of style. Mid-toned woods and laminate, natural stone tile, and dark hardwoods are safe bets—other flooring styles trend in cycles. Right now, we’re seeing a big boom of light wood floors while previously popular flooring choices are making their way out.
Some outdated flooring choices for the year include gray wash hardwoods, patterned cement tiles, orange and red-tone floors, white painted wood, basic beige tiles, and carpet in the living room.
Gray Wash Hardwoods and Laminate
Gray wash hardwood and laminate floors spiked in popularity about ten years ago and held firm. In the past decade, gray floors, gray walls, and gray furniture were common design themes in many homes. In 2024, homeowners and designers are swapping out gray floors for more natural wood tones.
If you have gray wash floors in your home, tone them down by using a greige on the wall that will coordinate with the gray floors while adding warmth to the room. Also, utilize area rugs in the living room, bedrooms, and dining room.
Patterned Cement Tile
Patterned cement tiles will never be entirely out of style for certain design schemes like eclectic, maximalist, and boho. These bold patterns have made a big splash over the past couple of years, with DIYers even imitating the look by stenciling their ceramic tile and vinyl floors.
The problem is that patterns are often trendy, meaning you’ll grow tired of them in only a year or two. As a general rule of thumb, stay away from bold patterns in permanent fixtures like your flooring and backsplash. Instead, opt for a more neutral or classic floor and bring in patterns through swappable accessories.
Orange and Red Toned Hardwood
Red and orange-toned hardwood floors have been out of style for years and aren’t coming back anytime soon. The one exception is in traditional homes, in which redwoods work well.
You can tone down red and orange floors by paying attention to the color scheme in your space. Avoid using blue paint if you have orange floors or green paint if you have red floors. Since these colors are complementary, they’ll only intensify the red and orange hues. Also, consider neutral-tone area rugs to break up the flooring.
White-Painted Wood Floors
With the modern farmhouse trend came a slew of DIYers painting their wooden floors white. Not only are white-painted floors out of style, but they’re very hard to keep clean.
Those looking to source up their old wooden floors should skip the paint altogether. Instead, consider a natural stain that offers timeless appeal.
Builder-Grade Beige Ceramic Tiles
It’s hard to walk into a new-build house from the ’90s or 2000s without seeing a basic beige ceramic tile in the kitchen or bathroom. These tiles offer neutrality but are outdated.
If you want beige in the bathroom, consider tile planks that you can arrange in a modern pattern. Other options include light beige tiles that offer texture and a bit of contrast or wood-look tile.
Carpet in the Living Room
Carpet remains popular for bedrooms but has lost favor in the living room. Hard floors are most desired in common living spaces, especially since carpet poses cleaning challenges for families with kids or pets.
If you like the feel of a carpet under your feet, consider installing hardwoods and adding a lush area rug to the living room.
