Design Trend – Classic Parquet Wood Flooring
If you really want to make a statement with your interiors, flooring is the ultimate luxury in high end design. I use wood flooring in most of projects and can generally find a wood floor solution to fit my clients budget. Current trends are for chevrons and geometric patterned parquet in lighter tones, such as grey and white wash. Oiled and fumed finishes are popular as they provide a more matt natural finish. This type of flooring can not visually enlarge a space but will immediately modernise and upgrade any interior. Try googling classic parquet designs for inspiration.
There are several types of wood flooring available, but my preferred choice is engineered as it is more versatile and specially approved ranges can be used with underfloor heating, due to its more flexible structure it can deal with heat and moisture without warping. It also is favoured in flats because of it’s acoustic quality. The ‘floating’ installation method allows there to be space between the boards and the flooring, reducing the possibility of impact noise, ask a professional installer or wood floor supplier for more information on how to achieve this, as building regulations require that noise is controlled by sound insulation.
Solid wood flooring is generally used for period restorations or barn conversions, where an authentic traditional look is required. My favoured engineered wood flooring supplier is Ecora (www.ecora.co.uk) as they responsibly source raw materials and they have a wonderful selection of bespoke finishes with prices starting at £56.00 per sq meter.
Another point to consider when choosing a wood floor, if not using parquet, is the width of the planks. The rule is generally that the higher the ceiling the wider the planks can be. For a modern look I suggest the 180-220mm as they work with most properties. But there are some amazing extra wide planks at 210 x 300mm which look incredibly grand and truly make a statement. These look fabulous in large open plan spaces or period properties with very high ceilings.
Wood flooring will require aftercare and gentle maintenance. Never use harsh household cleaners, only specific wood floor products, protect from scratches by using pads on the feet of furniture and door mats or area rugs in locations of high traffic, also remember that unfortunaltely high heeled shoes can cause indentations in the surface, try to remove outdoor shoes when possible at home.
For more advice on choosing and sourcing materials for your property email studio@clairebloom.com