Fresh off a tour of the hottest industry flooring and finishes shows, the team at Guhde Flooring America & Design Studio reveals the latest musts in design

By Patricia Nugent

The designers at Guhde Flooring America & Design Studio are fresh off their travels during industry trade show season, which culminated in a whirlwind trip to Las Vegas for The International Surfaces Event, where manufacturers from all over the world showcased the next level of product innovation.

“We’ve been in the flooring and home renovation industry for a long time, 67 years, yet we still enjoy finding fresh inspiration, emerging trends and novel ideas at these annual events,” says Office Manager Monica Guhde-Rosa. “Our clients appreciate staying ahead of trends, too. Through our complimentary professional design services, they can shop from a broad selection of lines that check the box of one-stop shop for kitchen and bath renovation, as well as whole-home overhauls, including flooring, cabinetry, countertops, tiles, lighting, showers, tubs and hardware.”

Throughout the design process, the focus is on creating living spaces that are reflective of the homeowner’s unique sense of style and personality.

Designer Trend Alert
“Many of the styles we saw at the show were trending toward a sleeker, more modern feeling,” says Monica. “And there’s an emphasis on lighter, neutral shades and natural elements like stone and wood.”

For flooring, Sales Manager Shawn Rosa reports that advancements in laminate flooring, both in its appearance, durability and price point, made a huge resurgence at the show.

“Laminate styles are more sharply defined than ever, and it’s rivaling luxury vinyl, with all the big makers updating their lines,” he says.

Another interesting trend in tile they saw at the show is different types of herringbone patterns, with similar or complementary colors and finishes mixed in a final floor or backsplash scheme.

Kitchen and Bath Designer Jillian Brickman reports cabinetry styles are trending toward the mid-tone wood stains, with contemporary door styles and the introduction of more colors. “One line we offer has even incorporated cayenne reds and canary yellow into the complementary colors,” she notes.

Counters are trending lighter and continue to mimic marble, with fluid veining throughout. Movement and texture within a counter are appealing. Cambria Quartz has launched several designs with satin finish and an embossed metallic inlay that adds a pop of color and interesting texture, she adds.

Room to Explore
The Guhde family unveiled their own show-stopping state-of-the-art merchandising system called Room to Explore recently.

“The goal is to make the often-daunting design and product selection process more streamlined, user-friendly and fun,” says Monica. “Selections are grouped by colors and styles within the categories. For instance, if someone loves the look of maple wood, the displays group together complementary products for that. The products are no longer grouped by manufacturer, as you’d find with traditional merchandising. Our clients are already loving the simplified experience.”

Trying Things on for Size
One of the components to Room to Explore is a room visualizer located within a kiosk at the showroom. The technology is called PXP, Product Experience Platform.

“It’s amazing,” says Shawn. “People bring a photo of the room they’re renovating, and the visualizer uploads it, then it will create what the room would look like with whatever flooring they are considering. It’s really a game-changer. Sometimes if I’m at a job and I know the homeowner is between a couple choices, I’ll take a picture of a room, then send them the different possibilities along with the estimate.”

Guhde Flooring America & Design Studio is located on the terrace level of the Platinum Center, at 7200 Center Street, Suite 100, in Mentor. Access and parking are in the rear of the building. Backed by the buying power of a 500-store nationwide retail flooring group, Guhde Flooring America offers its clients some of the lowest prices, best warranties, and widest selection in the industry. Call 440-639-1990or visit GuhdeFlooringAmerica.com for more information.

Let There Be Light
Sometimes a product advancement comes along that is jaw-droppingly dramatic. Such is the case with a line of stunning, lighted, 3D tile called Radiant. Unveiled by Emser, the patented line integrates narrow chambers set within porcelain tiles to contain LED lights.

“Since the tiles can be used in wet areas we see using them as shower walls, wet bars, and around pools, bathtubs or hot tubs as well as for kitchen backsplashes,” says Guhde Sales Manager Shawn Rosa. “Looks this bold are usually seen at high-end hotels or resorts. It’s so new, we haven’t started using it yet in renovations, but I think as soon as people know it’s available for the homeowner, they’ll want it. The lights can even change colors, blink or slowly fade to dim. We can also see them adding a high-end touch to an accent wall or fireplace façade. The tiles come in a variety of designer-forward colors and styles. Our favorite is Beach, which looks like a light natural wood grain akin to bleached driftwood. It would fit perfectly with coastal or Scandinavian décor.”