Saturday 8 June 2013

Parquet Flooring Designs, Borders and Motifs

One of the major appeals of parquet flooring is the number of different patterns that are available, enabling customers to choose a solid wood floor that has decorative appeal over and above the grain and colour of the wood itself. At Naturally Wood we specialise in bespoke wooden flooring of all kinds and are always seeking ways to offer customers something highly distinctive.
Our Palladio Parquet Flooring range offers just that, with (currently) 23 different types of timber from traditional Oak, Ash and Maple through to more exotic species such as a red-toned Mahogany, golden Iroko or nearly black Wenge. With 14 different parquet designs to choose from, this means 322 unique combinations of flooring – not even counting the range of different stains and finishes which may also be specified.

But it doesn't stop there. A parquet floor can be made even more individual through the use of borders or motifs, adding a real wow factor to any space. With 25 different types of border to choose from, as well as 9 stunning motifs, this brings the total number of possible combinations to no less than 72,450 – making it extremely easy to achieve something unique. So let's look at some of these options in more detail.

Parquet Flooring – Explore our full range of parquet designs, borders and motifs.

Parquet Flooring Designs


Naturally Wood offers 7 different arrangements of parquet blocks, plus a further 7 parquet panel designs, where blocks are preassembled into square panels.

Parquet block designs include classic arrangements such as Herringbone, Basket Weave and Chevron, which all create a highly traditional effect. Alternatively, a plain parquet strip design produces a more subtle effect and works well in a contemporary or minimalist setting, or perhaps to allow a transition between one space and another.

Parquet panels, as well as allowing much faster installation, also offer new design opportunities. Each panel has a parquet block border, framing a design within it. Some of these designs are based on familiar designs such as Basket Weave – but most are unique to the panels, such as the Carreaux Square design shown here:



For drama and visual complexity choose panel designs containing diagonal elements such as Double Bretton Cross or Versailles. For a more contemporary and ordered feel, choose perpendicular designs such as Carreaux Square (above) or Mitre Bordered Basket Panel.

Parquet Flooring Borders

We offer 12 standard borders and 13 bespoke border designs. Standard borders are simple strips of wood in a range of timbers, so that you can choose a colour which contrasts with your main flooring. For instance, teaming a Wenge border with a Canadian Maple floor will create a high contrast effect, while using a Sipo Mahogany border with a classic Oak floor will give a more subtle, understated effect. Standard borders are available as single colour strips (10mm wide), dual colour strips (43mm wide) and triple colour strips (25mm wide).

But for the ultimate design statement and a truly impressive effect, choose one of our bespoke parquet borders, each lending its own particular character to a room. The Grill, for example, uses mid-toned Amazakoue to create a quietly understated feel; while Carnevale combines red (Jatoba) and black (Wenge) for a far more flamboyant effect (both shown below).



Parquet borders, whether simple strips or complex patterns can significantly increase the visual impact that of your parquet flooring. But they can also serve a useful function, in particular to help define different spaces and zones – increasingly useful in today's open plan homes. Use borders to define where kitchen ends and living space begins, or perhaps to define a dining area. Instead of using a rug to create a focal point for a living area, why not choose a decorative border with a central motif instead. Or enhance existing architectural features, such as staircases or fire places, as in this example:



Parquet Flooring Motifs

Our Palladio parquet design motifs offer perhaps the ultimate flooring design statement. Available in a variety of designs and timber combinations, our motifs provide an instant and impressive focal point to any room.

Hallways and entrances are especially suitable for a parquet motif, perhaps combined with a border, as shown in this example below. Here, the client has chosen the Pavex 8 Ray Star motif in shades of brown and cream for an effect which is stunning and yet blends tastefully with the surrounding colour scheme.



Using a parquet motif in a hallway provides an all important first impression to visitors or clients, while also maintaining the everyday practicality of a wooden floor for this high traffic area. But motifs can be equally impressive and functional as focal points for a dining or living area.

We currently offer 4 standard motif designs – Pavex 8 Ray Star (shown above), 16 Pointed Star & Greek Key Border, Circle with 16 Pointed Star and 8 Pointed Star & Compass. For each design, we offer a choice of high contrast and lower contrast colour schemes to create bolder or more muted effects as desired.  As each design is precision-made to order and installed by our own craftsmen, it is possible to substitute different timbers and colours to suit your colour scheme, or even to commission a new design variation.

Parquet flooring motifs do far more than add visual interest to a space. Unlike disposable carpets or rugs, an inlaid motif becomes part of the fabric of the building and does much to add character to a property that will endure for many decades.

Parquet Flooring – Explore our range of motifs here.