March 1, 2023

Everything You Need to Know About Hardwood Parquet Flooring

Modern living room with parquet flooring and stylish furniture

Hardwood floorings are a classic and sophisticated addition to any home. In addition to elegance, they’re also great pieces to make a statement, and nothing does it better than hardwood parquet floors. These intricate geometric patterns of hardwood panels give rooms more personality while staying stylish, durable, and sustainable. Here is everything you need to know about them. 

What is Hardwood Parquet Flooring?

Parquet floorings are geometric patterns created from multiple wooden planks or panels instead of standard hardwood strips laid on the floor. The term comes from the French word parquet meaning a small compartment.

The intricate wood flooring pattern dates back to the early 16th century in France. Unlike other hardwood flooring patterns, the parquet has a rich and royal history, making them expensive home additions that only the nobility and the royalty can afford.

Skilled French artisans found hardwood parquet floorings as a lighter and low-maintenance alternative to stone and marble floors. In addition, King Louis XIV created and used a unique wood parquet pattern in several rooms of the Palace of Versailles, now called the “Parquet de Versailles” design. Due to the French King’s use of hardwood parquet flooring, it has become synonymous with elegance and luxury until today.

Types of Hardwood Parquet Flooring

Homeowners have many hardwoods they can use as material for their parquet flooring. But they require adjustments for the wood panel’s sizes to fit the parquet pattern you want. In addition, some parquet patterns use hardwood bocks instead of standard planks. Aged hardwood panels are another material homeowners can use for their wooden geometric patterned flooring. Here are some of the most popular hardwood parquet floorings this 2023. 

Oak Hardwood Parquet Flooring

Oak is one of the most versatile domestic hardwoods available in the market. Due to this, they make ideal materials for parquet wood floorings. The natural versatility of oak makes them perfect for any design scheme you want in your home.

Natural-looking oak hardwood parquet floors mature over time. The pale-tan-biscuit tones of the new hardwood panels have a honeyed hue to them as they age. Unlike some hardwood species, oak parquet floors age naturally with grace.

In addition, oak panels take pigment stains and blend well with pre-sealed floorings. Although oiled finishes penetrate the hardwood to protect them and enhance graining, lacquered finishes are best for oak parquet floorings. They give the floors a subtle boost, keep the wood’s natural hue, and help showcase the patterns you created.

Walnut Hardwood Parquet Flooring

Walnut is becoming a popular hardwood in 2023, and their unique tones and durability make them great materials for parquet flooring. Unlike oak, walnut has a beautifully dark and intense brown color that can help turn a parquet floor into a high-end home addition.

Walnut hardwood parquet floors add another level of luxury to your home or room. Combining their dark brown tones with lighter hardwood panels can make your geometric pattern more striking. In addition, parquet floors work better if the color and grains of the hardwoods complement each other.

Many homeowners and remodelers are experimenting with walnut and oak to create a modern-looking parquet floor. Mixing the two can be challenging. But if the installers lay them out without mistakes, the hardwoods can contrast each other perfectly.

Owning walnut hardwood parquet floors gives your home richer detail, pattern, and color. In addition, they help make a bold statement and put depth into the room.

Chevron Parquet Flooring

Chevron parquet flooring is one of the classic patterns used in many homes for several decades. Homeowners can use any hardwood they prefer, but they need to cut their planks at certain angles for the pattern to work.

Chevron parquet floors use hardwood blocks cut at an angle at both ends, unlike other parquet floorings that have square edges. Due to these unique cuts, chevron hardwood parquet floors have a zigzag pattern along the floors.

In recent years, many homeowners and remodelers used chevron parquet to have a different look for their hardwood floors. They work well with many designs and styles and blend well with numerous fabrics, wallpapers, furniture, and prints.

Aged Hardwood Parquet Flooring

One of the most notable things about parquet floors is that you can use reclaimed and aged hardwoods for your flooring patterns. Each plank or panel has worn, soft edges that create an antique or distressed look. The graining and color of aged hardwood highlight the geometric patterns of your floorings and blend well with the other areas of your home that have old hardwood flooring.

To keep the floors durable and sustainable, you can seal them with natural oil finishes for a traditional and authentic feel. Aged hardwood parquet floors have the elegance and charm of antique wooden floorings but with the benefits of modern hardwood flooring.

Shopping for The Best Hardwood Floors in Austin

Hardwood parquet floors are one of the best ways to make a statement in your home while enjoying the benefits of owning hardwood flooring. Unlike other hardwood floorings, hardwood parquet adds another layer of style, durability, and character to any room or space while providing sustainable options to remodelers. Understanding the history of hardwood parquet floors and the available choices you have on them can help you decide on your home’s floors.

Get expert help for your hardwood flooring needs with Kelly Hardwood Floors today!