Although hardwood flooring never goes out of style, we do see flooring design trends come and go. In fact, we’ve seen a resurgence in a centuries-old installation trend known as “herringbone” flooring that promises to make a huge comeback in 2025. In this blog, we’ll explain why.
What is herringbone flooring?
Technically speaking, when we see the term “herringbone” flooring, it refers to a pattern in the flooring planks, as opposed to a type of flooring. It can be a little confusing because there are two ways the herringbone pattern is achieved:
- Custom installation: Custom herringbone flooring is installed plank by plank on site.
- Parquet: Parquet is a type of manufactured wood flooring “tiles” consisting of wood slats bonded to a backing. The slats form various geometric patterns such as checkerboards, chevrons, basket weave, and herringbone, and the tiles are available in various sizes.
What is a herringbone pattern?
A herringbone pattern is a geometric design consisting of a series of rectangles stacked at angles to create a distinct zigzag pattern.
For herringbone flooring, the pattern is created by placing slats of wood at an angle to each other to form peaks, as opposed to laying them in a straight line horizontally or vertically. You might be more familiar with the chevron pattern, which is very similar to herringbone.
The main difference between herringbone and chevron patterns is that the herringbone pattern does not form a V-shaped peak using 45-degree cuts. Instead, the triangles are squared off with straight ends, making herringbone flooring less wasteful and easier to install than chevron flooring.
The Rise of Herringbone Flooring
Herringbone flooring has been used for centuries, dating back to the mid-1500s. It became popular with French nobility as part of the “parquetry” craze likely introduced by Italian architects.
Parquet is the French term for “little compartments,” referring to the wood slats used to create the geometric patterns. However, the pattern itself dates back to ancient Rome where it was used to create sturdier brick roads.
Parquet and herringbone floors can be found in some of the most prominent historic homes and buildings in France, including the Palace of Versailles and Luxembourg Palace.
Restoration Crazes Reveal Herringbone Flooring
The history of herringbone floors plays a major role in the comeback of this noble pattern. Parquet and herringbone floors fell out of favour by the 1930s with the introduction of wall-to-wall carpeting.
However, the trend to restore the original character features in historic homes such as flooring has contributed to the resurgence of herringbone pattern designs. It is quite possible that popular reality shows focused on the restoration of French chalets and chateaus also helped bring this antique flooring to light.
The Appeal of Herringbone Flooring
Herringbone wood floors add texture and interest to any space, creating a high-end bespoke look that is very distinct. Herringbone hardwood flooring offers many benefits, including the following:
- Harder wearing: The Romans taught us that the herringbone pattern is hard-wearing, offering added strength and durability. As a result, you can enjoy longer life with properly installed herringbone wood floors than you might from horizontal or vertical installation.
- Customized look: Herringbone provides a distinctly customized look that elevates the feel of any space. It offers a one-of-a-kind feel and can be made all the more unique with details such as installing a border in a different pattern or stain colour.
- Opening up smaller spaces: The herringbone pattern can help make smaller spaces feel larger when the scale of the boards is just right.
- Commercial and residential appeal: Since herringbone flooring is hard-wearing and stylish, it is becoming a popular choice for commercial projects. From dance floors to common areas in public buildings, and rental cottages to fine dining establishments, the herringbone flooring trend is making its mark in commercial spaces.
Herringbone Flooring: Trend or Fad?
A major concern when designing a space is how soon your material, colour, and style choices will start to feel outdated.
First, it’s important to understand the difference between a trend and a fad. A fad is a passing fancy that tends to be extremely distinct, such as a colour, style of lighting, or fabric pattern.
A trend has far more staying power and will remain stylish for at least a decade. For example, herringbone wood floors have proven their worth as a timeless trend that has been around for centuries.
A good rule of thumb is that fads should only be infused into your design using items that are easy to replace or update, such as accessories. Trends, however, should guide your design decisions for high-value items such as flooring.
Herringbone Flooring: On-Site Finishing vs. Prefinished
Colour tends to be the most common element that starts to show its age first. That’s why we recommend going with on-site finishing as opposed to prefinished floors when installing herringbone hardwood flooring. This method mixes the stain colour on-site at the time the floors are installed, ensuring it is suited to your space.
Prefinished floors are stained during the manufacturing process, so they lack the precision stain-matching achieved with customized on-site finishing. By finding the stain that suits your space best, you improve the longevity of the floor’s appeal.
Superior Workmanship of Customized Herringbone Flooring
Last, but not least, while there are parquet herringbone wood floors available, we pride ourselves in installing customized patterned floors for our customers. Our unfinished patterned hardwood flooring can be designed in any pattern you desire including herringbone, chevron, checkerboard, or basketweave.
Contact the Experts at Revival Flooring
For more information on the customized patterned herringbone flooring that we offer at Revival Flooring, feel free to contact us with any questions you might have. You can call us at 705-990-0548 or contact us online.