It’s no secret that the economic downturn of the past two years has impacted every industry, not the least of which is the building industry. It has been particularly difficult for us, in making custom reclaimed wood floors, because we have a more specialized product offering. So, I have given a lot of thought to the question, “What is the future of wood flooring?”
There are many different opinions; one, by Timi Bates, an interior designer in upstate New York, who says, “The future of wood flooring might not even include wood.” While this is humorous, I hope it’s not the case! Granted, with the green movement, there are many options for environmentally-friendly flooring, some of which may even loosely fall into the wood category, such as bamboo or cork.
shift towards urban living
And the demographic profile of today’s homeowners, their lifestyles, and the types of home they choose is shifting—trending away from the suburbs, and towards urban living; away from traditional designs and towards contemporary or industrial; away from more square footage and mass consumption, and towards a smaller space with socially conscious purchases. Read the rest of this entry »
