Who says your wood flooring has to be boring? Here are 9 interesting hardwood layout patterns you need to try out.
It’s simple to see why people have been crafting wood floor designs for thousands of years. Patterned wood floors are very lovely, from the classic aesthetic of horizontal strips to the elegance of herringbone parquet! Choosing an installation pattern for new flooring can be as important as selecting a design. When choosing between different wood floor patterns, it is often necessary to consider the direction of the grain.
Furthermore, cutting and laying complex designs necessitates a great deal of knowledge and ability. Translation: Some of these patterns might not be the greatest DIY wood floors for a first-timer, or even for homeowners looking to save money on flooring installation. Furthermore, some types of wood flooring are suitable for some patterns but not others. Some of these stunning patterns can even be placed on flooring that isn’t even genuine wood! There is a lot of information you should be aware of regarding wood floor designs.
Are you feeling overwhelmed by the sheer volume of designs available? Having difficulty selecting which is ideal for your home? Look no further: this article will provide a concise yet thorough analysis of the various flooring patterns—both their charms and obstacles!
Which one of these patterns do you like?
Parquet
The parquet flooring design started in France in the 1500s. The name comes from the French word “parquetry,” which translates to a little compartment. A flooring installer joins together little pieces of wood to form geometric designs. Individual “compartments” are created by putting together small pieces of wood. Consider these to be tiles. The installer then arranges the tiles to form the desired pattern. It can be random or geometric. Two of the most common parquet designs include herringbone and chevron flooring styles. We’ll go into further detail later in the article.
Herringbone
Herringbone parquet is a “chef’s kiss,” we admit. Herringbone is a traditional design found in museums and castles, and it’s one of those wood floor patterns that manages to be both classy and subtle. Fun fact: the first herringbone patterns were not created with wood floors. During the Roman Empire and the Middle Ages, herringbone cobblestone and brick walks were built.
When referring to the above flooring design, the terms ‘herringbone’ and ‘chevron’ are frequently used interchangeably, although incorrectly. Naturally, the herringbone pattern and the chevron pattern are readily mistaken, but they’re not the same. Both styles are popular on both tile and wood flooring. However, the board ends are not mitered; instead, they overlap. That is the distinction between the two. It all comes down to the miter cut and the v-line formation. You get the open and sumptuous feel of the chevron design without the additional cost of mitering each board. It has all of the drama but in a more classic style. The irony of this comparison is that, chevrons are now manufactured in their pattern rather than cut by installers. While installing the herringbone pattern requires some elbow grease, it is definitely worth the effort for such an appealing pattern.
You can get a herringbone floor with any form of wood flooring and some click-together options like laminate and LVT because it doesn’t have any angled seams. However, the unusual pattern can make installation difficult. And if you’re purchasing hardwood flooring, you won’t want it ruined by sloppy cutting. Our recommendation: employ a professional for this one, like Valor Home Services!
Chevron
The Romans were the first to discover that aligning the bricks with the traffic made a walking surface last longer. It stands to reason that the first chevron wood flooring would appear in the homes of wealthy Europeans. Have you seen how the board ends are mitered at an angle? This angle generates visual interest by forming a v-line. It adds to the appealing, wealthy European vibe. However, it raises product and installation expenses. But it’s a lovely and dramatic look. This appealing flooring design is now more accessible than ever. Flooring manufacturers are beginning to mill flooring planks in the appropriate shape to be specially put in the chevron pattern, requiring substantially less trimming!
Although chevron parquet differs from herringbone, they can be easily confused by the untrained eye. The easiest way to recognize the difference is that herringbone wood floor patterns have 90-degree angles, whereas chevron wood floor patterns have 45-degree angles. Unfortunately, due to these angled cuts, achieving chevron parquet patterns with a non-specialized click-together product can be difficult, if not impossible. This parquet can be more expensive than others on this list because it must be cut at an angle and isn’t commonly supplied in click-together forms.
Many of the greatest hardwood floor brands, on the other hand, supply engineered wood in both click-together and nail/glue-down configurations. There are numerous disadvantages to engineered wood, but adaptability is not one of them—if you know what type to buy, you can utilize the best-engineered wood flooring to produce chevron parquet. Furthermore, certain hardwood floor options are now available in this design. Ask about it by calling Valor Home Services!
Brick
Brickwork isn’t just for the exteriors or walls of homes and buildings. When we talk about brick flooring, we’re not talking about actual bricks. Instead, the brick pattern denotes the use of regular-length boards laid in the manner of conventional brickwork. This installation method can be used across the space. Install brick pattern blocks and surround them with borders or feature strips. It will make the final product more appealing.
Straight
Are you a more simplistic homeowner? Or are you possibly adding personality to your walls or furniture pieces and want your floors to stay neutral? Then, you need to try out straight flooring patterns. This is one of the most basic wood flooring layout styles available. Simply place the boards’ wall to wall, side by side. Set up the boards along the longest wall if you have a tiny room. This will make the space appear larger than it is.
Diagonal
Wood flooring boards do not have to be parallel to the walls. They open up a room when positioned at an angle. Diagonal strip wood floor designs are exactly what they sound like: wood planks oriented at 45 degrees to the room’s edges. You can usually install diagonal strips quite easily, as they are both beautiful and simple to install (even for do-it-yourself flooring jobs). Why? Because it is the same as putting up a horizontal strip pattern—it is only oriented at a different angle to your walls! As a result, your wood flooring costs will remain modest. Furthermore, you can select between solid wood, engineered wood and alternatives such as vinyl plank or laminate. So, whether you choose the best hardwood floors or high-quality faux wood flooring, this wood floor pattern is simple (and inexpensive) to replicate.
When the flooring is set diagonally, it makes small spaces appear larger, even with darker finishes. Diagonal flooring is also excellent for concealing the flaws of crooked walls. The disadvantage of diagonal installation is the amount of careful cutting required to obtain the desired pattern. Diagonal layouts demand extra wood be cut to size because you’re installing from the room’s corners outward. Regardless of the type of flooring you use, this will raise your labor expenditures. Keep in mind that some wood flooring is more difficult to cut to size. One downside of hickory flooring is that its hardness can dull saw blades. If you prefer a diagonal strip pattern, installing hickory or another super-hard hardwood species may not be the cheapest option. This wood floor pattern, on the other hand, is unlikely to affect the cost of installing vinyl plank flooring significantly, as vinyl planks are quite easy to cut to size. Overall, it creates a dynamic living space, so many people think it’s worth the effort. In all likelihood, you will end up with a surface that is distinct from your friends and neighbors!
Random
You could believe that a “random” design would make your area look cluttered, however, that is not the case. “Random” isn’t quite a random word. This is the most frequent pattern for installing hardwood flooring. It derives from the pattern utilized by those early colonists and their hand-sawed planks. Hardwood planks of varying lengths are put parallel in a random arrangement. Because it is one of the least expensive installation alternatives and does not require cutting the edges of the wood planks at different angles, many hardwood floors utilize random layouts in which the planks run in the same direction. To spice things up, you can also randomize the board width or utilize a combination of board width and length.
Mixed-Width
Mixed-width designs are similar to horizontal patterns, but they use planks of varied lengths! These designs, like horizontal stripes, make for some of the simplest floorings to install. They’re a breeze to install if you use nails or adhesive. If you choose a click-together installation, make sure that all of these planks have the same type of click-lock mechanism. After all, even the toughest wood flooring is only as good as its installation! When installing water-resistant wood flooring, the connections between planks can make or break the floor’s waterproof properties.
Everyone is enjoying mixed-width wood floor patterns these days. They complement both modern and traditional room designs, and as a result, manufacturers are taking note. Every day, there are more and more mixed-width designs on the market. Some of the leading engineered wood flooring companies now provide click-together mixed-width wood planks. And we think that’s fantastic. It means you may acquire this wood floor pattern without paying a premium for professional installation!
Basketweave
Another classic is square basket patterns, commonly known as checkerboard patterns or basketweaves. If you’ve ever lived in a New York City apartment, you’ll understand precisely what we mean. These wood floor patterns can be achieved by applying contrasting boards in an alternating pattern. A square basketweave is an excellent choice for a wood floor pattern that will never go out of style. They were most popular in the mid-century, but if NYC apartment rates are any indicator, they will always remain trendy.
Again, it depends on the type of wood flooring used and the aesthetic desired, but certain wood floor patterns can be tough to achieve with click-together floating floors. Furthermore, engineered wood flooring with prefabricated checkerboard basket patterns might be costly. It’s quite simple to abandon the wood basket motif and go full-checkerboard. If you’ve done any research on tile vs. wood floors, you’ll know that certain types of tile appear just like wood. Simply swap darker and lighter tiles, and you’re done! Wood-look tile is an excellent technique to get checkerboard patterns on a budget.
While we prefer not to term it “fake wood flooring,” because it is made from tree bark, cork is a fantastic quasi-wood. And, because the best cork flooring options are available in several hues and textures, some of which resemble hardwood, you can simply achieve a wood floor pattern with this material. Even better, cork with a peel-and-stick backing is available. If you’ve ever heard of peel-and-stick carpet tiles, this is the same idea. Simply peel off the backing and arrange them in a pattern! Check out the pros and cons of cork flooring—cork is a super cool, eco-friendly option, and most of the disadvantages of cork flooring are simply a matter of personal preference.
The reality about wood floor patterns is that they are only as good as the materials used and the installer. Your patterns will not stand out if you use poor-quality wood. Your patterns will not shine if you deal with a mediocre installer. What is our recommendation? If you want the best hardwood floors, go directly to the source: a local flooring contractor in your region. Independent flooring shops (such as Valor Home Services) understand what they’re talking about and can assist you with even the most complex wood floor patterns. What big-box retailer can do that?
It can be difficult to choose a wood floor pattern, but your local Valor Home Services specialists are here to help. We are pleased to assist you with any of your projects, and it is always a good place to start one, so contact our office staff immediately!
