Published: 19 August 2026
Flooring trends are often driven by predictions from designers and interiors experts. But what happens when we look at what flooring shoppers are actually choosing?
Direct Flooring Online has analysed anonymised and aggregated purchasing trends alongside Google search performance data to identify some of the flooring styles attracting significant interest among our customers and search audience.
Our analysis points towards two particularly strong themes in 2026: Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT) and herringbone flooring.
Most notably, almost one in three flooring items analysed featured a herringbone design, while more than six in ten were LVT products.
The results also suggest an interesting crossover between the two. Rather than homeowners having to choose between a traditional herringbone appearance and the practical characteristics of modern LVT, the two are increasingly available together.
Our analysis of aggregated flooring purchasing data found:
The findings relate specifically to Direct Flooring Online’s purchasing and search performance data. They should not be interpreted as representing the entire UK flooring market.
Herringbone has become one of the most recognisable flooring patterns in British interiors.
There has inevitably been debate about whether its popularity will eventually fade as new interior trends emerge.
Our purchasing data suggests there is still significant demand for the pattern.
Approximately 30.1% of flooring items analysed were herringbone products.
Perhaps more interestingly, the three best selling individual flooring products in the analysed data were all herringbone LVT designs.
That points towards an evolution in herringbone rather than simply the continuation of traditional parquet flooring.
Historically, herringbone is closely associated with wood and parquet floors. Today, the same distinctive pattern is available across several flooring types, including LVT, laminate, engineered wood and solid wood.
For homeowners, this means choosing herringbone no longer necessarily means choosing a traditional wood floor.
Instead, shoppers can consider the appearance they want first and then choose a flooring material according to their budget, room, installation requirements and lifestyle.
Luxury Vinyl Tile was particularly prominent within our purchasing data.
Approximately 62.3% of flooring items analysed were LVT products.
The figure relates specifically to Direct Flooring Online’s aggregated flooring purchasing data and should not be extrapolated to the entire UK flooring market.
Nevertheless, it demonstrates the significance of LVT within our own customers’ flooring choices.
LVT is available in a wide range of formats, including straight plank, herringbone and stone effect designs, as well as glue down and click installation systems.
That versatility means shoppers aren’t necessarily choosing LVT because they want their floor to look like vinyl.
In many cases, LVT is being used to achieve the appearance of another flooring material.
Wood effect designs, for example, can reproduce characteristics associated with traditional timber flooring while using vinyl construction.
This distinction becomes particularly interesting when we look at herringbone.
One of the clearest findings from our analysis isn’t simply the popularity of LVT or herringbone individually.
It’s the intersection between them.
Our three most popular flooring products were all herringbone LVT designs.
Herringbone LVT combines a flooring pattern traditionally associated with parquet and real wood with the characteristics of modern luxury vinyl tile.
Herringbone LVT is now available in different installation formats, including glue down and click systems, giving homeowners considerably more choice within what was once a relatively specialised flooring style.
This may help explain why herringbone has proved resilient as an interior design trend.
The visual pattern has remained recognisable, but the materials used to achieve it have evolved.
Consumers can now consider herringbone across several different price points, constructions and installation methods rather than treating it as a style restricted to traditional wood flooring.
Purchasing data only tells part of the story.
We also analysed Direct Flooring Online’s Google Search Console data to understand the flooring subjects associated with our organic search visibility.
Rather than publishing commercially sensitive absolute traffic figures, we grouped search queries into broader flooring themes.
The data showed particularly strong interest around LVT, with consumers also searching extensively for subjects relating to:
This indicates that flooring shoppers aren’t simply searching for colours and styles.
They are researching how flooring works, how it should be installed, what it costs and which type is appropriate for their home.
That matters because two floors with a similar appearance can have substantially different constructions and installation requirements.
It can be tempting to begin a flooring project by choosing a colour or pattern.
However, appearance should only be part of the decision.
Before buying a floor, homeowners should also consider the room, subfloor, installation method, maintenance requirements and expected level of traffic.
A bedroom and a busy hallway place very different demands on a floor.
Kitchens, bathrooms and utility areas introduce additional considerations, particularly around moisture.
Consumers should therefore check the manufacturer’s room suitability information rather than assuming that every floor with a similar appearance will perform in the same way.
Installation requirements can vary significantly between flooring products.
LVT, for example, is available with different installation systems, including glue down and click formats.
Knowing which system you’re buying is important because subfloor preparation and installation requirements can differ.
Subfloor condition can have a significant effect on a flooring installation.
The floor should be assessed before installation begins so that any necessary preparation can be identified.
Depending on the flooring and installation system, the subfloor may need to meet specific requirements relating to stability, dryness, cleanliness and flatness.
Identifying potential preparation requirements before purchasing can help avoid unexpected problems during installation.
The advertised price per square metre is only one component of a flooring project.
Depending on the flooring and installation method, homeowners may also need to consider preparation materials, adhesives, underlay, trims and professional fitting.
A cheaper product isn’t necessarily the least expensive solution if it is inappropriate for the room or requires unexpected remedial work.
Homeowners should also account for cutting and wastage rather than ordering exactly the measured floor area.
The appropriate allowance depends on the product, room and installation pattern.
Herringbone installations can require particular consideration because of the pattern and the cuts involved.
Trends can be a useful source of inspiration, but we don’t believe a homeowner should choose a floor simply because it is fashionable.
A floor can remain in place for many years.
The better question is therefore:
Will you still be happy with it after the trend has moved on?
The continuing popularity of herringbone is interesting precisely because the pattern has survived numerous changes in wider interior design.
What’s changing appears to be the range of materials through which homeowners can achieve the look.
Our data suggests that LVT is playing an important part in that development.
The Direct Flooring Online UK Flooring Trends Report 2026 combines anonymised and aggregated first-party purchasing trends with analysis of Google Search Console performance.
Direct Flooring Online analysed aggregated product purchasing data and classified flooring according to identifiable product characteristics, including flooring type and style.
For the headline flooring analysis, identifiable non flooring products were excluded, including accessories and other products that did not represent a finished flooring purchase.
Identifiable samples were also excluded from the flooring analysis.
The analysis was conducted at an aggregate level.
No customer names, addresses, postcodes, email addresses, telephone numbers, payment information or other personally identifying information have been used or published.
We have also deliberately withheld commercially sensitive information including:
Percentages have been rounded to one decimal place.
Google Search Console data was analysed to identify themes in the searches associated with Direct Flooring Online’s organic Google visibility.
Queries were grouped according to relevant flooring terminology.
Some search categories can overlap. For example, a query concerning herringbone LVT relates to both herringbone and LVT.
For that reason, thematic search categories should not be added together.
Absolute click, impression and traffic totals have deliberately not been published.
This research analyses purchasing patterns and search behaviour relating specifically to Direct Flooring Online.
It is not a representative survey of every UK household and should not be interpreted as measuring the entire UK flooring market.
Instead, the findings provide first party evidence of flooring purchasing patterns among Direct Flooring Online’s customers and the flooring subjects associated with the company’s Google search visibility.
Direct Flooring Online is a UK flooring retailer supplying private and trade customers across mainland Britain.
Our ranges include Luxury Vinyl Tile (LVT), laminate, engineered wood, solid wood, herringbone and parquet flooring, alongside flooring accessories and installation products.
We provide product information, samples across eligible ranges and practical guidance designed to help customers compare flooring types, styles and installation methods.
Journalists covering interiors, property, home improvement, renovation, consumer affairs and flooring are welcome to contact Direct Flooring Online for additional information.
We can provide:
Additional aggregated information from the research may be made available to journalists where doing so does not compromise customer privacy or disclose commercially sensitive company information.
Media contact:
Matthew Haestier
Direct Flooring Online
matthew@directflooringonline.co.uk
Source: Direct Flooring Online – UK Flooring Trends Report 2026
Suggested citation: Direct Flooring Online UK Flooring Trends Report 2026
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