Herringbone and chevron wood floors

Every floor in our library comes as herringbone and as chevron, in European oak with an oiled finish, so you can choose the color first and the pattern second. Both are made to order, and board sizes are set with you for each project.

Herringbone or chevron

Herringbone uses rectangular boards laid at right angles, so the end of each board meets the side of the next and the pattern steps in a zigzag. Chevron boards have their ends cut at an angle, any angle you choose, so they meet in a point and form a continuous V. Chevron reads as calmer and more formal; herringbone has more movement. Chevron costs more to make because of the angled cuts.

Board size and layout

Longer, narrower boards give a tighter pattern, and wider boards a bolder one. The layout starts from a center line, usually along the longest view of the room or from the main entrance, and a border of straight boards can frame the pattern at the walls. We draw the layout for your rooms before the order is placed.

Cost and material

A patterned floor costs more than planks of the same oak: the boards are machined for the pattern, installation takes longer, and cutting at the walls uses more material, usually 10 to 15 percent over the measured area. We quote patterns and planks side by side so you can compare.

Installing a patterned floor

Patterns go down glued to a flat subfloor, so leveling matters more than with planks: a dip that hides under a long plank shows in a herringbone. In apartments, the floor goes over the acoustic underlayment your building approves.