You saw herringbone flooring somewhere, and now you’re wondering if it’s a popular style. No homeowner wants to install flooring that’s not in style. A few decades ago, herringbone flooring was all the rage. But is it back on the trends table?
As one of the leading providers of flooring installation services in Ontario, we can tell you that style always comes back around. Herringbone flooring is becoming popular again.
Herringbone flooring is all about arranging hardwood flooring planks to form a ‘V-like’ shape. The flooring pattern gets its name from the herring fish. With proper installation, herring bone flooring looks like the skeletal bone arrangement of the herring fish. This geometric pattern of flooring creates an astounding visual appeal in any space and gives off a European vibe.
So back to whether or not herringbone flooring is popular. The answer is yes. But the things you need to know about the herringbone flooring trend are far more than whether or not it’s popular.
Why is herringbone flooring popular again? Why should you choose herringbone flooring? How can you maximize herringbone patterns in your Ontario home or office space? These are the underlying questions we’ll discuss in this blog. Let’s get into it.
Has Herringbone flooring been Popular Before?
The herringbone flooring has a very rich history. There are lots of stories about it, which span the architectural and art worlds. Herringbone flooring type dates back to the ancient Roman Empire. Roman road builders used herringbone patterns to build durable roads. By laying bricks on gravel roads in a ‘V’ pattern, they achieved solidity. Experts refer to this method as ‘spiked work.’
The dome of the Cathedral of Florence is popular for its herringbone patterns. It wasn’t until the 16th century that herringbone patterns started finding application on wooden flooring. You can find the flooring style in the Francois 1 Gallery at the Chateau de Fontainbleau. The floor here was installed in 1539, and through the 18th and 19th centuries, the herringbone flooring became popular in places like Paris.
Throughout its history, the herringbone pattern has become applicable in architecture, construction, and even the clothing industry. The pattern is unique, and its usage in men’s wear is widely popular. You’ll find many suits sporting the herringbone flooring pattern. Now that you understand the origin of this flooring trend, why is it popular again in the 21st century?
Related Article: How Much Does Herringbone Hardwood Flooring Cost?
Why Is Herringbone Flooring Popular Now?
Currently, herringbone flooring is popular because of man’s habit of revisiting past trends. The current advancements in technology and the quality of materials are also responsible. The unique style of herringbone flooring plus the current materials we have, and the type of buildings in Ontario are the perfect trio.
In recent times, the most popular type of wood for flooring is hardwood. Coupled with the uniqueness of herringbone patterns, interior decorators are finding new voices for their flooring.
The herringbone pattern is quite simple. However, when you buy herringbone hardwood, you also have to factor in the work and craftsmanship that’ll go into the installation. When you fulfil these needs, the results of herringbone flooring installation can be quite spectacular.
The variations in the size and shade of woods used for herringbone flooring can elp achieve different patterns. Thanks to the variety in wood shades and patterns, there is a whole universe of styles to explore in this flooring trend. That’s why herringbone floors are suddenly the talk of the town.
Beyond the visual effect of herringbone flooring, there’s a great deal of elegance it evokes. Herringbone flooring adds richness to spaces, irrespective of size. The flooring pattern also creates a sense of movement. Hence, it adds warmth and depth to spaces while making them seem wider than they really are.
If you know anything about interior decorators, they’re always in search of the next best thing. And when they can’t find something new, they turn to antiques and history to refine and redefine styles from years past. Innovation and redefinition are a big part of herringbone flooring’s popularity in the past few years.
What More Should You Know About Herringbone Flooring?
The herringbone flooring is popular, but you may not know much about it if you built your house about a decade ago. As a re-emerging style, it’s the perfect definition of ‘classic patterns meet modern trends.’
Interior decorators and flooring installation experts are redefining what herringbone flooring is all about, making it better than what it used to be. Now, the flooring style has a reputation for the way it makes home and commercial spaces look fabulous.
The re-emergence of herringbone flooring has come with improvement in its installation methods and functionality. Here are some more things you should know about the herringbone flooring.
Can I install herringbone flooring without help?
It’s one of the many flooring trends you can achieve by yourself. DIY herringbone flooring is possible thanks to a handy click-system technology.
The click technology makes herringbone flooring the perfect flooring pattern to achieve on your own. Hence, if you’re trying to install herringbone flooring, it’s a process you can leverage as a fun weekend activity for your family.
Most manufacturers now include a manual along with herringbone hardwood. Going through it thoroughly should teach you all you need to do for a successful installation.
How it makes spaces look bigger
It’s all about the illusion. Herringbone flooring always makes a room look bigger than it is. The apparent increase in size is due to the illusion of movement the herringbone arrangement offers. Hence, if you’re looking to refresh your space, herringbone flooring is the perfect floor.
The flooring shade is also critical. If your space is naturally darker, going for lighter hardwood shades will make the space look airy and bright.
Where can you install herringbone flooring?
The best flooring manufacturers offer an array of herringbone hardwood planks that fit anywhere in the home. With herringbone flooring, there’s a design for every room of the house.
But there’s an exception. Most of the woods used for the herringbone flooring style are not ideal for the bathroom. Technically, it’s all down to the wood’s quality and not the style.
Are herringbone floors expensive?
The cost of herringbone flooring is majorly dependent on the wood type in use. Therefore, herringbone patterns can range from cheap to expensive.
The hardwood floors for herringbone flooring are budget-friendly and affordable for homeowners. Of course, there are also luxury forms of these hardwood planks which can achieve a similar pattern.
Is the Herringbone flooring the same as Chevron?
There is a similarity between herringbone flooring and chevron floors. But they aren’t the same. Herringbone and Chevron flooring will achieve the ‘V’ shape, using rectangular planks that are 90 degrees to one another.
In the herringbone floors, the edge of one plank aligns with the side of the next. However, this isn’t the case with chevron flooring. In the chevron flooring pattern, the planks have been cut already in the ‘V’ shape. The herringbone pattern involves achieving the ‘V’ shape during installation. In contrast, the chevron pattern uses woods that cut in the ‘V’ shape.
Herringbone Pattern Variation
While the style remains the same, you can still achieve some variation in the way herringbone patterns look on your floor. You can either use broad or narrow planks. These achieve different outlooks.
Broad planks help you achieve a contemporary homely look. On the other hand, narrower planks achieve the urban, industrial look. The narrow planks are also useful when you want to achieve a shabby chic design.
Another way to achieve variation in style is the alternation of plank colours. You may not be switching colours drastically, but you can always use different shades of the same colour. Engineered wood planks can help you achieve beautiful variation. They come in an array of colours, finishes, sizes, and textures.
Flexibility, functionality, and variation are significant reasons why herringbone flooring’s popularity is through the roof these days.
Use of Hardwoods in Herringbone Flooring
If you’re using solid hardwood for your flooring, you need to stain them. Solid hardwood floors are always unfinished. With staining, you can also achieve a variety of desired tones and grain highlights. But if you want to make the most of the floor, it’s best to keep the staining down to a natural look.
There are different types of hardwoods you can use for your herringbone flooring. These include:
- Red oak
- Maple
- White oak
- Walnut
- Sapele
- Hickory
These woods have unique characteristics and distinct wood grains. It gives a unique final touch to the floor. In addition to colour, wood grains help designers achieve contrast and variation.
Herringbone flooring maintenance and care
There are several ways to use herringbone flooring in the home these days. To ensure the best result, commit the project to a professional. While DIY is not impossible, it’s not easy to attain the precision you need for floors.
Beyond just laying the woods on the floor, pre-installation checks are a must. A professional knows what to look for before the installation starts. For instance, not all subfloors are suitable for new flooring. But if you decide to go ahead anyway, make sure to check that the subfloor is dry, flat, and structurally sound.
A subfloor with these characteristics is most likely plywood, particleboard, timber, dry screed, or concrete. Once you confirm the suitability of the floor, all you need is adhesive. Then, you need to nail the wood in place as you install it.
Rather than use hardwood, you can also use engineered wood. With engineered hardwood, you can achieve the floating method of flooring. There’ll be no need for nailing.
Herringbone flooring in areas exposed to water
Mostly, hardwoods aren’t ideal for water-prone areas of the home. For instance, you can’t use hardwood for your bathroom. However, that doesn’t stop you from achieving the herringbone flooring design in your bathroom.
You can always use ceramic. Also, you can achieve the herringbone design with stone tiles that look like timber. You can’t do this on your own.
The Cost of Herringbone Flooring
Several factors influence the cost of herringbone flooring. The first of these is the choice of material. You can either purchase hardwood or engineered wood. Other cost-influencing factors include; type of hardwood, the finish of the floor, and the thickness.
For instance, solid French oak herringbone parquet costs up to about $99 per square meter. And it’s most likely unfinished upon supply. Boral parquetry costs about $51 per square meter. Solid parquet costs about $150 to $250 per square meter.
Finally, you should consider workmanship costs if you’ll be hiring a professional. The cost of installation is about $30 to $50 per square meter. Considering these, get a professional to look at your home so that you can come up with a proper estimate.
Why You Need Herringbone Flooring in your Home
Beyond the fact that herringbone flooring is popular and currently in vogue, why should you use it? Here are some reasons why you should consider herringbone flooring style in your home.
It adds character to the room
If your space is dull and bland, herringbone pattern is the flooring design you need to make it come alive. It combines the natural material look, with extra visual interest.
The drama and atmosphere it brings to spaces are unmatched. You don’t need plenty of design elements to make your room pop. Herringbone flooring is enough, even if the space is devoid of frames, artworks and bright wall colours.
Herringbone flooring is durable and long-lasting
The history of the herringbone flooring style tells us Romans started using it to achieve solid and durable roads. Even without the herringbone flooring style, wood floorings offer exceptional durability. Leveraging the herringbone style makes it all the better.
The style is timeless, and the quality is out of this world. Hence, you won’t have to worry about flooring for the next decade and more. Installing this floor may come with a high upfront cost, but it’s worth it.
Beyond durability, herringbone flooring also increases the resale value of your property. The flooring style can absorb compression. The floor is robust, and you won’t have to worry about damage from foot traffic, pets and other elements.
You can customize the way it looks
There are a variety of styles and outlooks you can achieve with the herringbone flooring pattern. Hence, you can personalize the look of your home. The mixture of wood type, eclectic colours, and textures will certainly help you achieve uniqueness if you put thought into it. Customizing the way your herringbone flooring looks may take some research and consultations, but it’s worth it in the end.
It gives your space a European-Esque style
Europe is known for style in everything, and home architecture is another of their strong points. Herringbone flooring is quite popular in Europe. If you trust the style radar of European interior decorators, then you should know using herringbone style in your Ontario home will help you stand out.
It makes the space look bigger
If you’re living in a small space, you may want to try out this flooring. It creates a sense of width in your home. It also adds the illusion of movement, bringing fluidity and life to your home or commercial space.
Related Article: How Long Does It Take To Install Hardwood Flooring?
Final Take
Herringbone flooring is popular thanks to the illusion of space and class it adds to any room. It’s a great fit for your home if you want to achieve European-looking flooring and the perks that come with it.
Don’t forget. Herringbone flooring will cost you money, but it requires little maintenance. Hence, it’s best to get it right from the start.
Talking about starting, you should check out our collection of herringbone flooring designs. You’ll certainly find one that catches your fancy. Happy flooring!
