Wood Flooring Ideas

Pattern sets the tone of a room before tone, finish, or furniture is considered. Each pattern answers a different brief and suits a different kind of space. The right choice comes from the room, not from a trend.

Creates visual energy and immediate quality in hallways and reception rooms. Works from 8m² upward. Glue-down on concrete is the most stable method. The pattern that has defined London period interiors for the last twenty years.

The continuous V-point gives chevron a cleaner, more restrained quality than herringbone. Best in rooms of 20m² or more. More common in formal reception rooms, lateral apartments and contemporary open-plan spaces.

Boards 150mm and above, running parallel to the longest wall. The quietest pattern — it disappears and lets the tone and finish speak. The right choice for continuity across multiple rooms and for open-plan spaces.

Victorian pine beneath the carpet is often in better condition than it appears. A three-pass sand and hardwax oil finish reveals a floor that new installation cannot replicate. Typically 40–60% of the cost of replacement.

Tone is the most consequential decision after pattern. A pale floor makes a room larger and lighter. A dark floor creates warmth and depth but shows dust readily. A natural mid-tone sits between both. The right choice depends on the natural light, wall palette, and the character the room needs.

Pale Oak. Reflects light upward — effective in north-facing rooms and basements. Shows dust readily. Works best with linen, stone and white walls. Pale oak guide →

Natural Oak. Warm amber — suits period and contemporary equally. The most commonly specified tone across London. Works with most wall colours and most interior styles.

Smoked Oak. Deep colour from the smoking process, not stain — grain remains visible through the tone. Works in pale interiors as the tonal anchor. Most popular in Chelsea, Kensington and Islington. Dark oak guide →

Dark Stained. Walnut-tone or near-black stain over oak. High drama in the right room — oppressive in the wrong one. Needs strong natural light and good ceiling height. Assess in the actual room before committing.

Penetrates the wood rather than forming a surface film. The floor feels like wood underfoot. Requires periodic re-oiling in busy households but allows spot repairs in situ without sanding. The correct finish for most period properties, all smoked oak specifications, and anywhere the brief prioritises character over convenience.

Forms a protective film over the surface. More resistant to liquid and heavy wear than oil. Appropriate in kitchens and high-traffic areas where durability matters most. Available in matt, satin or semi-gloss — satin is the most sympathetic to most residential floors. Harder to spot-repair than oil but requires no periodic maintenance.

Boards finished at the factory before delivery. Consistent and practical — the floor is ready immediately with no drying time after installation. Slightly less control over the exact sheen level than on-site finishing, and harder to match adjacent surfaces precisely. The practical choice when on-site finishing is not feasible.

Herringbone is the most appropriate pattern — the most historically grounded and the one that makes the strongest first impression. Smoked or natural oak in 70×280mm. The datum line should run symmetrically with the hallway width. Glue-down if the subfloor is concrete; floating or secret-nail if original timber remains. Herringbone guide →

A continuous floor from hallway through kitchen — same board, no threshold strip — makes the property feel significantly larger and removes the visual break that used to define each room. Wide plank London straight lay in natural or mid-tone oak. Lacquer in the kitchen zone for durability; oil elsewhere if preferred. Engineered oak →

The room where the floor can carry the most presence. Herringbone or chevron in smoked or prime-grade oak. The datum line matters most here — set relative to the fireplace or the primary sightline from the door, not from the walls. On-site oil finish to the exact sheen level specified. Chelsea herringbone project →

Concrete subfloors and UFH are near-universal in London's new-build and converted apartment stock. Engineered oak glue-down is the only appropriate specification. Pale or natural tones work well in compact floorplates — they read as more spacious. All LIGNORA engineered oak is UFH compatible. UFH guide →

The most common mistake in period properties is replacing original boards before assessing what is there. Victorian pine that looks tired often sands back to a warm, characterful surface more appropriate to the property than any new installation. We assess original boards on every home visit. Victorian house guide →

The floor and staircase need to be specified together, not independently. Oak treads that match the floor in species, grade and finish connect the two levels as a single material intention. Where the floor already exists, we assess it in person before specifying the treads — a catalogue match is rarely a visual match. Staircase service →

Datum lines, finish choice and underfloor heating for a kitchen-diner: herringbone in the kitchen. Why board direction changes how a room reads: grain direction and light. Running one floor from front door to garden: one floor throughout. See finished floors on our projects page.