Parquet floors – is it the best option for my house?

Lily Cichanowicz Lily Cichanowicz
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The first official use of parquet flooring was in France at the palace of Versailles. Parquetry was used as an alternative to marble. It then spread to London during the prosperous Edwardian era. For more than three hundred years this style of patterned wood flooring has been associated with elegance. In case you are unfamiliar with it, parquetry is essentially a series of repeating timber mosaics that are renowned for their pleasing visual effects. It has since become so widely used that today you could find it in buildings all over the world. Plus, they are simple to install and relatively easy to maintain. Although parquetry has taken on different forms since the days of the French monarchy, it certainly has maintained its chicness within the modern interior. Here are 5 of our favourite parquet floors to date.

Industrial parquet

Up until recently industrial parquet could only be found in factories and offices. It certainly wasn’t something people considered installing in their homes. Yet along with many other industrial aesthetic elements it is now becoming quite stylish addition to the modern interior. The unique, more simplified design is easy to install and durable. The trademark industrial parquet consists of many narrow wooden slats that all face the same direction. Because of their configuration, industrial parquet is quite resistant to moisture. It can come in many kinds of timber including beech, oak, and ash. We love this example by Castroferro Arquitectos because it depicts the way that industrial parquet can translate into a stylish minimal interior with the help of the right décor.

Multi-layered parquet

Multilayer parquet is a more modern take on the classic parquet flooring. Basically, it consists of a parquet floor made of tiles that consist of multiple layers of wood that are glued together. The top layer generally has a lacquered finish. Usually this kind of parquet is made of fir, pine, or spruce. One advantage of this kind of parquetry is that it can be installed without glue or applying additional veneers. More intricate decoration can be incorporated into this design as well. For example, the multi-layered parquetry featured in this interior by Luxury Wood Flooring Ltd. is actually comprised of different woods to create a more dynamic pattern.

Wooden tiles

Perhaps the most traditional style of parquetry is that made of wooden tiles. Traditionally, the wooden tiles were assembled individually in the installation process. The most common form of wooden tile parquetry is the herringbone design depicted in this living room. You can clearly see how each tile is a separate piece of wood. It is possible to find wooden tile parquetry in different geometric configurations as well. The tiles can come in cherry, oak, walnut, or even mahogany. When parquet is installed in individual wooden tiles there are no two identical floors. Thus, each interior with a parquet floor made of wooden tiles is utterly unique. Wooden tile parquetry is a bit more maintenance intensive than other varieties.

Laminate parquetry

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If you’d like to reap all the aesthetic benefits of traditional parquetry whilst avoiding all the hassle of installation and upkeep, you can always opt for laminate parquet flooring. This is a great option if you want parquetry but are on a limited budget. Laminate is synthetic wood that is extremely scratch, stain, and sun resistant. They are generally installed over existing flooring, and they don’t typically need polish or wax once installed. The average person can’t even tell the difference. With laminate there are innumerable styles of parquetry to choose from. Take note of this utterly gorgeous laminate parquetry for instance.

Colourful chevron

Another common style of parquetry is chevron. Here you can see this alternating diagonal pattern done in multi-coloured pieces of solid oak. When done in colour, parquetry takes on a whole new connotation. When done in timber hued wood, parquetry has an elegant and distinguished look. In varying colours or even in different materials, parquetry looks ultra-retro. This parquetry certainly has a lot of character and would go splendidly in a mod kitchen or living room beneath some sleek vintage furnishings. Because parquetry can already be inherently one of a kind, it’s totally worth pushing the boundaries on style.

If you found this Ideabook interesting, check out these budget tips for elegant decoration. Happy decorating! 

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