Warming to wood

Wooden floors are becoming an increasingly popular option throughout the region. It's just a case of pinpointing the right species, style, colour and type for your space, says Selin Arkut

Although marble and tiles have traditionally dominated the floors of commercial spaces in this region, wooden flooring is definitely gaining in popularity. “Locally, I believe the attraction of wood flooring is beginning to supersede the tradition of tiled and marbled floors – customary in most new and existing properties in the region,” agreed Pauline Madani, managing director of Nordic Homeworx, a Swedish-owned company specialising in the supply and installation of Kährs real wood parquet flooring in the region.

“There is increasing demand for aesthetically pleasing, as opposed to purely functional, interiors. There is such a wide variation of choice in products that just about any style, furniture or décor can be complemented by a real wood floor, and people are beginning to realise its real attraction. Furthermore, real wood flooring will not only add to the beauty, but also to the value of a property,” she added.

Wooden flooring can give a room depth, warmth and a unique look and feel – and it is durable and hard wearing at the same time. “A solid wooden floor from Junckers adds authenticity and warmth to a room,” commented Jesper Haulund Hansen, group marketing manager of Junckers, one of Europe’s largest manufacturers of solid hardwood floors. “Available in a wide range of species, structures and patterns, the floor is the first piece of furniture in a room.”

On the dark side

However, designers opting for wooden flooring can sometimes be overwhelmed by the number of species, colours, styles and potential lifespans to choose from. “The character of the wood is important for the overall impression of the floor. Graining, figuring and colour variations give the floor a lively look, while a calm impression is achieved with an evenly toned floor,” said Madani.

Designers can also consider using wood in combination with hard stone or tiles, as this can introduce an interesting set of contrasts. As will soft textiles or carpets, which can accentuate the smooth surface of a wooden floor. “A contrast will always add an interesting aspect to the space,” Madani continued. 

According to Nick Gregory, managing director of Austrian Woodfloors, the sole agent for brands Admonter and Vito, dark woods are emerging as a particularly popular option in this region. “One of the main trends I have seen throughout this region is the interest to move towards dark woods, teamed with creamy, light coloured furniture. With a contrast like that, the room in question looks very noble,” he said. 

“Mocca is one of our most popular dark wood lines. Many people have dark floors, this isn’t a new phenomenon. However, they are usually stained. The difference with our products is that we put the top layer of our floors into a kiln, reaching temperatures of up to 250 degrees. As the sugar in the wood caramelises, its shade naturally darkens.”

“This also aids in making the product suitable for bathroom use, as this particular treatment makes the wood shrink from its usual size and the pores subsequently close, not allowing any moisture to get in,” Gregory continued.

So solid

Another noticeable trend is a move away from shiny laminates, towards matt, natural finishes, using a choice of either solid, hardwood or engineered wood, said Gregory. “Laminates are essentially planks of artificial material with pictures of wood on them. These are short-term solutions. If you want something for two or three years then laminates are fine. However, it won’t last. What’s the benefit if you need to change it every three years? This is a long-term investment so engineered wood is definitely the way forward. In Dubai and across the region you tend to have high humidity outside and low inside – this is where engineered wood is much more efficient than solid wood. This is because even a 1% moisture change can make a huge impact on the wood – we limit this to only 10%,” he added.

Solid wood also has its advantages. At Nordic Homeworx, 1-strip products, where the surface and board is sawn in one piece, are popular. “Using this method gives a totally natural feel, emphasising the full character of each species chosen. The knots and variations in colour and grain give the floor a certain uniqueness that only 1-strip can provide. 1-strip is ideal for larger rooms where the dimension of the boards is in keeping with the overall space, and aims to the give the feel of stripped and varnished floorboards,” said Madani.

“In addition, Kährs uses stains to further enhance the colour that nature has provided. From light, white lacquered or white old to dark, deep and exotic colours, today the consumer has more design opportunities than ever before.”

Junckers has aimed to further widen the scope of choice with its collection of coloured floors, Soul+Collection. “When everything surrounding us oozes of personality and individual expression, there is no reason why the floor should not also do so,” Hansen maintained.

“Junckers’ focal point is floors with a strong personal expression. Instead of sticking to a tight and natural palette, Junckers gave the floors a significant dash of colour. The eight spectacular standard colours include, for instance, the loud red HotSalsa and the elegantly toned down SpicyPepper. The structure and the knots of the wooden boards appear clearly through the coloured surface, giving a distinguished play between the natural and the colourful.”

A positive response to the collection has led the company to launch its new line of Reflection colours. “The coloured surface has been given a brand new treatment, resulting in a quite unique metallic expression, creating associations to metallic cars. The charcoal grey becomes metallic grey instead. As with the other Soul+Collection colours, the natural structure of the wood appears under the surface. It is cool elegance on a visible base of warm nature. The play is beyond compare and gives your home, a shop, restaurant or office an extremely trendy character.”

Natural attraction

While grain, stain and colour are decisive factors for any wood purchaser, sustainability considerations also come in to play in a very significant way. “We see an increasing amount of clients requesting environmental certifications in order to achieve the LEED qualification of their buildings. Wood is more environmentally friendly than other building materials. It plays an important part in counteracting climate change,” explained Madani.

“An increased use of wood products would stimulate the planting of new forests, resulting in a reduction of carbon dioxide. If using wood can reduce the amount of pollution in the air while creating an upscale feeling in even the smallest setting, why choose any other material?” she asked.

In order for a product to qualify as green, it must have certain characteristics, and bamboo flooring fulfills a number of those. “Eco-tile is a brand we’re actively promoting. Made from strands of woven bamboo, this product is up to 50% harder and denser than other products, providing great protection from things like high-heels – making it perfect for commercial applications,” said Santosh T.S, managing director of In-Step Trading Co.

“Its most important characteristic is that it is resource efficient. Bamboo is a sustainable material – and rapidly so. It replenishes itself up to twenty times faster than some hardwood trees, repeatedly sprouting from the same plant to maturity in just four to six years,” Santosh added.

But cost considerations still come into play, Santosh pointed out. And although there has been a strong tendency towards environmentally friendly products, “it disappointingly hasn’t caught up enough,” he maintained. “If a wooden floor costs even just one dollar less, some, if not most, people will buy a product that has no grading or certification whatsoever,” he argued.