Wood floors are beautiful and practical, fitting into any decor and style of room. The amazing variety of woods available for use in flooring makes it easy to find the perfect floor for your room and family. Parquet flooring was one of the more popular styles in the early 70s, and it is once again growing in popularity. The geometric patterns created by fitting small strips of wood into squares and then laying them are visually striking, and accent a large room beautifully.
The most common parquet pattern is formed by fitting several strips in differing colors and woods together into small squares, then fitting the square together into tiles. This produces an even geometrical pattern of lights and darks, and the fitting of the larger tiles can create diamond and zigzag patterns across the floor. While a pattern like this can be overpowering in a small hallway or bathroom, it can bring a cohesive overall look to a large, uneven living area, especially when broken up by the strategic use of area rugs.
While this is one of the easiest and most commonly seen styles of parquet, there are other choices as well. Marquetry is the craft of creating patterns and artworks using strips of wood. Combined with parquet floors, it becomes parquetry, and results in breathtakingly striking designs to accent floors in hallways, formal dining rooms or any other area in your home that deserves special treatment. By combining different species and colors of wood, craftsmen create beautiful geometric designs and patterns. Strips of parquetry can be used to accent borders, create areas or draw the eye to a medallion or design inset in the center of the floor.
A particularly striking floor design can be achieved by simple bordering strips of a pale, clear-finished wood with darker mahogany or teak. Laid in a large area, it mimics the look of fine tile. By mixing light and dark in carefully fitted shapes, it's possible to create ultra-modern rhombus styles, traditional herringbone patterns and looks from delicate to sturdy. Parquet floors have a versatility that is hard to match in any other style or material. If you're looking for a floor treatment to add drama, beauty and elegance to a special room in your home, contact a custom floor designer who specializes in parquetry and parquet floors for a consultation.
Parquet floors require the same care that any wood floors do, but the design elements and the technique of fitting the wood pieces together, as well as the use of different types of wood adds a few extra care needs. Because different kinds of wood absorb stains and finishes at varying degrees of absorbency, finishing a parquet floor may be a bit of a challenge. Spills and moisture should be mopped up immediately. While moisture can damage any wood floor, the uneven absorption of moisture in parquet floors can make it especially damaging.
If you are looking for a unique design option for your floors that will add a touch of mystery and intrigue, Parquet floors may be just the answer.