Herringbone and Chevron Wood Floors: Fad or Here To Stay?
Since late last year, I’ve noticed more and more NYC home renovation projects incorporating herringbone or chevron wood floors. Perhaps I’m late on noticing this trend, but it seems there’s a desire to bring some visual texture to the decorator’s canvas. I asked Robert McDonagh from RMD Floors, a wood flooring contractor I use almost exclusively on my projects, whether I was late in noticing this trend.
Robert McDonagh: “No, you’re not late in noticing this. The chevron is more popular than than the herringbone and we’ve noticed a sharp increase in the past year. Up until last year, we probably installed a 1/2 dozen chevron floor over a 10 year period. We have already installed more than that in the last 12 months alone. This may simply be a modern take on a classic look and I don’t think this is just a fad. Europe seems to be ahead of the US for trends like this.”
A diagram showing the difference between a chevron and herringbone pattern.
I asked Robert what species of floor is typically being used for this type of pattern, what species he recommends, and how the cost compares to a typical wood floor installation.
Robert McDonagh: “Oak seems to be the most popular for herringbone and chevron patterns, especially in wide plank sizes. I recommend using solid rift or rift & quartered white oak as well as high quality engineered floors with a European oil and finish such as Woca or Rubio Monocoat. The cost is about 30% more than a traditional herring bone.”
A white oak chevron floor at 111 East 65th Street Townhouse as seen in Brown Harris Stevens (www.bhsusa.com)
Alex Davidson from Kährs (UK) agrees. “Traditional parquet in contemporary environments is also proving very popular and will be a big design trend for 2015. In response, traditional herringbone and chevron designs are now being offered in modern board formats with stained finishes.”
Lyndall Fernie Tutor from the Chelsea College of Arts in Dubai recommends “for a truly contemporary feel, lay (the wood floor) in a herringbone pattern using a pale gray finish. This is an extremely sophisticated look that sits comfortably in both traditional and ultra-modern interiors.”
551 West 21st Street (via Brown Harris Stevens)
A Cobble Hill apartment renovation with herringbone floors.
About the Editor:
RJ Diaz is a renovation and remodeling construction management executive in New York City. RJ is passionate about high quality, well-crafted construction and started RenovatingNYC in 2010 to curate and create content specific to the industry as well as profile the best resources essential for a project’s success. For advice about your own renovation or remodeling plans, preliminary cost estimates and project opportunities, please contact RJ using the form below.
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