Resilient flooring continues to be forever changing. Though vinyl is one of the better selling forms, resilient includes a host of other flooring types like linoleum, rubber and other composites.

Collectively, they are called resilient because they “give” when you walk on them and spring back. (Cork is a resilient, too, but because it is a wood product and often installed as a plank, FABULOUS FLOORS covers cork in our wood section. See Pages 16-17.)

Resilients by any name are known for being practical. Mainly, they have always been durable and great for young families, people with allergies or folks who have trouble getting around. These days that’s still important in the kitchen and bath and, of course, the nursery, but that kind of practicality can apply throughout the house for those of us with busy lifestyles.

Available in various widths from tile to planks to room size sheets, many resilients can provide a seamless installation, making them one of the easiest floors to keep clean and a great floor for kids to play on. It’s one of the reasons you find resilient flooring in health-care settings –– it’s hygienic. There are no places for dirt, grime or germs to hide, and it’s skid resistant.

A look at the settings on the next four pages should convince you that resilient flooring is not what you remembered. It’s definitely not wallpaper for your floor any longer.

First, there’s the fashion. Then there’s the functionality.

Modern surface finishes mean today’s resilient floors can take a lot of punishment without showing much wear. Compound that with the immense new color, texture and design possibilities, and it’s no wonder that resilient is becoming a popular floor fashion.

Unlike their industrial and often shiny-looking monochromatic ancestors, today’s resilients feature a full range of finishes and looks printed and embossed with such precision that they look –– and feel –– like the materials whose images are being portrayed. Manufacturers say it’s the difference of stenciled versus modern and very precise photo imaging.

Resilient has gone from a flat finish to texturized, sometimes with an embossed or groove-like look. Some grooves and textures appear so real that not even reaching down and feeling the product satisfies that it’s the image. Other times, they are actual, versus visual, textures. This is more typical with stone and tile fashions.

Far from mere practicality, resilient has taken on a look of luxury with endless design possibilities. Today’s resilient delivers the natural looks of upscale ceramic, wood and handcrafted designs in stone or marble at highly affordable prices. Think of it... resilient which looks a lot like carpet, or ceramic tile, stone and wood and is finding its way into rooms you might not expect.