Design and innovation are catapulting the flooring industry forward. From advances in sustainable manufacturing and progress in product quality to creativity in design and improvements in installation, there is no end to the genius ideas that are propelling the success of flooring across categories.

This year, we invited manufacturers and distributors from all market segments, residential and commercial, to submit their latest flooring and installation product introductions to our inaugural readers' choice contest.

The flooring public voted for their favorite introductions—here are the winners.

Shaw Contract has partnered with renowned Hip Hop Architect Mike Ford to create a distinctive rug collection celebrating Hip Hop's 50th anniversary. Ford aims to position Hip Hop as design inspiration, exploring tactile experiences and spotlighting its genius. The collaboration highlights Hip Hop's textures, patterns and rhythms, showcasing its energy, optimism and rich history. This collaboration delves into the intersection of design and Hip Hop culture.

The collection showcases five patterns, each embodying a unique attribute of Hip Hop culture. The DJing pattern is inspired by the worn stack of records DJs would carry with them; the Breakin pattern pays homage to makeshift cardboard dancefloors from the 70s and 80s; the Emcee pattern reflects the artistry of rap lyrics through mathematical analysis; the Graffiti pattern celebrates the collective art and fluid lettering styles; and the Knowledge pattern represents the latest element of Hip Hop and translates the complexities of lyrical analysis into tangible design.

Adhering to Shaw Contract's 'People Together, Planet Forever' initiative, a portion of the collection’s proceeds will help fund future Hip Hop Architecture camps, which empowers underrepresented youth and further broadens Ford's work of using design as a tool to advance equity, justice and inclusion within communities.

This collection makes a striking aesthetic contribution to any commercial interior, introducing the vibrancy and energy of Hip Hop culture into the design space. Each rug in the collection possesses unique qualities, from the record sleeve-inspired textures of DJing to the artistic layering of “tags” on the Graffiti rug. The innovative concept of infusing Hip Hop's spirit into rug designs combined with Mike Ford's renowned architectural prowess results in a collection that is both visually appealing and culturally significant.

The rugs are available in three colorways and as 6’x9’, 8’x10’, 12’x15’ rectangular shapes and 11’ circular and continue to build on the Shaw Contract rug program. Rugs add a welcome warmth to commercial interiors which have trended toward more hard surfaces in the past few years. Shaw Contract rugs and this collaboration in particular, add a warm, residential feel to any space through their rich textures and warm colors.

SmartStrand is a soft, durable and easy-to-clean carpet that has been installed in more than 11 million homes.

Featuring All Pet Protection with a Lifetime warranty, SmartStrand has gone through plenty of tests over the years to prove its features and benefits. This year, Mohawk put SmartStrand through a BIG test at the Rhinory in Texas. After two weeks of a 4,000-pound rhino living on the carpet, SmartStrand proved once again that it can withstand all walks of life. SmartStrand stayed true to its original form and remained spotless upon being cleaned.

Tied to an even bigger cause, this demonstration is part of the new SmartStrand campaign to help Bring Back the Rhino. Along with unbeatable performance attributes, SmartStrand’s new Color Wall is an innovative way to help RSAs get shoppers back to carpet. The Color Wall effectively showcases that consumers can have it all. With SmartStrand, there is no need to settle when it comes to color, softness or durability.

SmartStrand is also environmentally friendly, made in part from annual renewable plant-based ingredients that consume less energy with fewer GHG emissions. SmartStrand fiber is OEKO-TEX certified free from harmful substances.

By intuition or by recipe, good food is like good design. It replenishes, energizes, calms. And Bentley is serving it all with its Culinary Collection.

The Culinary Collection comprises three signature styles: On the Block, From Scratch and Serve It Up. On the Block makes an impact with its deep texture, reminiscent of the nicks and grooves of well-worn butcher block—marks of the creator at work. Bringing spice to any space, From Scratch features a bold, large-scale, multi-directional pattern, while Serve It Up is more reserved. Its accessible style and pattern remind us that there’s elegance in simplicity.

Sustainably sourced and locally made, products in the Culinary Collection are manufactured with Bentley premium nylon, PVC-free, Cradle to Cradle Certified, NSF 140 certified, CRI Green Label Plus certified and are produced in a carbon neutral, LEED-EB:OM Gold-certified manufacturing facility. Along with Environmental Product Declarations (EPDs) and Health Product Declarations (HPDs), these products also carry Declare labels and have achieved Red List Approved status through the Living Building Challenge.

The Culinary Collection is intentionally designed to stand—and stand out—on its own but also work well with other products, inside and outside of the collection. Its color line, for example, is unique yet complementary to that of recently launched products, helping ensure designers have a connected, cohesive Bentley library to cover all aspects of their projects.

Importantly, Bentley’s Culinary Collection story extends beyond product. Every year, the company launches a social impact collaboration with an organization and mission close to its heart—and to its community in/around Los Angeles, with the hope that others will be moved to find similar organizations with like-minded values that are making a difference where it matters most: where we work, live and play. The annual philanthropic program ties back to Bentley’s signature product introduction—this year being the Culinary Collection. In 2023, Bentley pledged financial and volunteer support to Homeboy Industries, the largest gang rehabilitation and re-entry program in the world. With deep roots in Los Angeles, Homeboy Industries provides training and support to formerly gang-involved and previously incarcerated people, allowing them to redirect their lives and become contributing members of our community, such as through employment in restaurant, bakery, catering and food donation kitchens city-wide.

The Monarch Plank brand of wide-plank hardwood flooring was built upon the success of its flagship Domaine II Collection. Taking luxury hardwood flooring a step further with the La Grande Collection, Monarch Plank La Grande features even wider and longer boards with the same premium construction.

La Grande offers 10-foot-long boards that are over 11 inches wide, some of the widest in the industry. All La Grande wood planks use premium color treatments, a top-quality ultra-matte urethane finish by Bona of Sweden, and a 6-mm thick wear layer that offers the same longevity as a solid hardwood floor.

The colors developed for La Grande feature some of the most advanced coloring techniques in the industry, including smoking and multiple layers of pre-treatments and reactive stains that provide for very subtle, complex, natural-looking hues. Importantly, the cross-ply layers that give La Grande its exceptional stability are assembled with a formaldehyde-free adhesive, making it a healthier alternative to many engineered floors on the market that are made with formaldehyde glues.

Versatrim’s flexible polyurethane moldings and trim solutions are stainable, paintable and easy to install. The Versaflex collection features seven different flexible molding and trim options, in addition to flooring and stair solutions. All VersaFlex flexible molding products are paint grade and most profiles feature a grain pattern that can be stained. Staining your flexible trim or molding requires the use of a gel–type stain and your paint must be latex or oil–based in order to ensure proper coverage and adherence..

Versatrim products are the top choice for building owners, general managers and flooring installers across the country. The company offers profiles to suit all projects, including flexible trim for laminate flooring projects and square nose profiles to conceal larger expansion spaces.

The Versaflex Flexible Trim & Moldings include: VersaFlex T-Molding, VersaFlex Reducer, VersaFlex Quarter Round, VersaFlex Base Shoe, VersaFlex Wall Base (Special Order Item), VersaFlex Colonial Base (Special Order Item) and a VersaFlex End Cap.

Made in Europe, Torlys Grand View Smart Laminate collection offers extra-wide and extra- long planks, with Surface Flood Protection thanks to Aqua Protect and pressed bevel edges. A beautiful range of contemporary colors and patterns and can be installed up to 50’x 50’ with no transitions or “speed bumps.”

Torlys Grand View is a high-end laminate with a four-sided pressed bevel edge, offered at a great price. It's backed by the industry-leading glueless locking system by Uniclic featuring Unifit X joint with pretension – keeping any water on the surface of the floor. You can fix one point of the floor and float the rest to seamlessly allow for installations at the top of stair landings. If you ever need to replace a plank or move the floors to another room, you can with Torlys Bulldog Easy Plank Replacer which enables single planks to be replaced, quickly and easily.

First Class luxury sheet flooring from Tarkett Home represents a monumental stride in the evolution of design for a new generation of homeowners. First Class is the ultimate comfort choice in luxury sheet flooring with 14 high-definition wood & stone looks and styles to meet every design need.

First Class is certified Asthma and Allergy Friendly by the Asthma & Allergy Foundation of America. We understand that the features you can’t see are sometimes more important than the ones that you do. Our ultra-low VOC flooring has undergone stringent testing to a series of standards set by a team of medical and healthcare experts.

Sherwin-Williams High Performance Flooring introduced SofTop Comfort flooring systems, an addition to its seamless resinous flooring collection. These systems offer a harmonious blend of comfort, acoustic benefits, aesthetic appeal and sustainability. SofTop Comfort systems are soft underfoot, providing better ergonomic benefits and reducing fatigue for pedestrians, while maintaining strong durability. They are designed for a diverse array of applications and environments in which beauty and long-term tough performance are required.

SofTop Comfort systems perfectly balance form and function, creating welcoming and secure spaces for living, working and leisure activities. They surpass many traditional floor covering types with their very easy maintenance and recoatability capabilities, ensuring a highly productive lifecycle.

The seamless design facilitates efficient cleaning, allowing frequent and thorough sanitation routines that promote hygiene and safety in various settings, both in front-of-house and back-of-house applications. Unlike flooring with seams, SofTop Comfort limits hard-to-reach depressions and crevices that give dirt and pathogens places to hide. These elastomeric flooring systems are waterproof, tolerant of extreme temperatures, and highly resistant to cracking, chipping and impact. Moreover, they possess exceptional sound-dampening properties, reducing echoes and contributing to quieter indoor environments. The incorporation of a two-component polyurethane resin-based technology in the flooring enhances its noise reduction capabilities. SofTop Comfort flooring systems find applications in various settings, such as hospitals, clinics, schools, pharmaceutical and life science facilities, retail and hospitality venues, offices, and public spaces.

Installation of SofTop Comfort Systems is efficient and straightforward, allowing for seamless application over prepared concrete substrates. The flooring effectively bridges cracks, absorbs vibrations and accommodates minor substrate movement without compromising performance. Additionally, the high traffic satin topcoat offers a fine slip-resistant texture, further enhancing safety. The SofTop Comfort range includes two systems suitable for different traffic levels: SofTop SL, featuring a flexible membrane with a polyurethane topping, and SofTop Comfort SL, which offers a denser membrane for areas requiring added strength, sound dampening and cushioning.

From acclaimed designer Jennifer Farrell comes an extraordinary new floor tile, Barrel Parquet. Offered exclusively in the Livable Luxury Collection with Louisville Tile, this 36" x 36" porcelain tile is unrivaled in its grand scale and authentic wood look. Three rich colorways of Bleached Oak, Weathered Oak and Heritage Oak embody the heirloom quality of hand-crafted wood parquet floors, with the unmatched durability of porcelain tile. Timeless elegance, exquisite detailing and oversized scale are the hallmarks of this exceptional floor tile, making it a showstopper that redefines livable luxury.

Barrel Parquet is truly one-of-a-kind in floor coverings. Boldly designed at an impressive 36" x 36", the installed tiles form a distinctive 6' x 6' parquet pattern of circles and crosses. Artisan crafted in Spain, each colorway offers 10 unique faces; the grain, texture, tones and patterns are so detailed and realistic that it's nearly impossible to distinguish Barrel Parquet from hand-laid wood parquet. But unlike wood flooring, Barrel Parquet is rated for indoor and outdoor use, as well as both commercial and residential applications.