The trend toward "multiculturalism" is more significant than ever as consumers are exposed to a wide range of global influences and ideas. The Internet, media and rapid growth in international travel have been driving our global exposure.

This "Global Perspective" is an eclectic design trend that borrows from other cultures. It mixes elements and color in a new way to create a look that is both new and intriguingly familiar.

Designers pick up on a niche, international influence, and then it becomes mass culture.

Interior designers begin to see these global trends reflected in the home and in the built environment, and incorporate them in their work. Everything begins to fit together.

Designers in North America tend to refer to Europe as where design trends start. Europeans refer to the Far East. The BRIC countries (Brazil, Russia, India and China) and Latin America also continue to affect design. But what happens is, every time someone looks somewhere else, they interpret what's going on through their own eyes, their own design paradigm, and reinterpret it. Design trends are in a constant state of change.

The perception of multiculturalism will continue to evolve as the once-foreign influences become more mainstream. Blending and layering ideas from different regions and countries create cross-cultural styles. To satisfy the consumers’ continuing fascination with international flair, Armstrong has introduced exciting new products into its hard surface flooring portfolio that embrace this trend.

For example, a new resilient flooring design, Kahiki™, is a cross-cultural inspiration incorporating the unexpected mixed media of wood and grout in a unique printed visual. Armstrong’s new Natural Fusion™ pushes the envelope in style and performance to redefine luxury and moves resilient flooring into a broader, more fashionable, innovative category with worldly designs like Beijing Slate and Mediterranean Walnut Cherry.

Hardwood flooring is seen virtually everywhere and in every room of the home. The interior design community continues to influence consumer demand for unique hardwood flooring choices. Armstrong™ Hardwood Flooring by Hartco® brings affordable designer-quality choices not only into the home but also throughout the home with the Valenza™ Collection. The inspiration for Valenza™ comes from nature and then builds on cutting-edge interior design trends. The solid hardwoods in the collection combine exceptional quality with the natural beauty of exotic species, including Cabreuva, Jatoba, Kempas, Lapacho, Pradoo, Pangali Ironwood and Sakura, in active, unusual grain patterns. These same visuals are available in both solid and engineered construction so consumers have the opportunity to use their choice of hardwood on any level of their home. Armstrong’s laminate line also features realistic and exotic wood visuals like Jatoba, a Central and South American wood.

While exotics continue to be an important interior look, we consumers also are discovering domestic species other than oak and maple. We like to call these "domestic exotics." This would include cherry, yellow birch, walnut and hickory launched recently as Turlington American Exotics by Bruce® Hardwood Flooring.

Look for these specific trends

Patterns: Heightened trend toward realism and natural images across all hard surface flooring categories. Inspiration is taken from nature. Improvements in manufacturing processes amplify real and perceived depth in resilient and laminate. When it comes to hardwood, the consumer desire inclines toward active graining, as well as depth of color –– whether natural or stained. Surface treatments such as hand-scraped, hand-sculpted and distressed bring an artisan quality to hardwood flooring.

Colors: Earth tones and tinted neutrals provide a balanced range of color for interior coordination. Depth of rich colors, such as chocolate browns, blacks and other deep colors in hardwood has emerged and will be an enduring trend. Scale: Increasing the size of tiles and laminate and genuine hardwood planks creates a more expansive look. It also means fewer seams and grout lines, and easier installation.

Style: Casual elegance is the pervasive style, a mix of luxury and "mass-tige" (as in prestige), or good design at a good price. Lifestyles and demographics are driving the casual/elegant interior trend.