Browse our editorial collections and find your perfect floor.
Browse CollectionsBrowse our editorial collections and find your perfect floor.
Browse CollectionsHerringbone sets short blocks at right angles so the floor reads as a woven surface rather than a set of lines. In a London reception room it draws the eye the length of the space, which is exactly what a narrow terraced plan needs.
Herringbone and chevron parquet are the dominant choice across London’s premium neighbourhoods. The classic zigzag pattern suits both Victorian terraces and modern loft conversions, creating a sense of movement and craftsmanship. In high-traffic areas like hallways and kitchens, London homeowners increasingly choose LVT vinyl for its waterproof practicality without sacrificing the natural wood look.
Because the blocks are short, the pattern absorbs the small settlement a pre-war joist has developed – something a long, wide plank floor would show instead. Access decides the delivery in central London more often than stock does. A long board has to reach a fourth-floor flat through a communal stair or a lift, and many blocks set delivery windows. Measure the stair turn and ask the building manager before the order goes in, not after.
A London terrace is narrow and deep, and herringbone laid along the length of the house makes the plan feel longer still; laid across it, it makes a small front room feel wider. Setting out from the centre line of the room rather than from a wall is what keeps the pattern honest against walls that have not been square since the Edwardians.
In the Nine Elms and Canada Water flats the block goes over heated screed, so it is the engineered Oxford block rather than a solid one, and the acoustic layer beneath it is a condition of the lease. In a Bloomsbury or Pimlico conversion with suspended timber, the base is levelled and decked in plywood before a single block is glued. Order for the cutting waste a diagonal pattern creates; it is higher than for a straight plank.
From Georgian townhouses in Islington to contemporary apartments in Canary Wharf, London properties demand flooring that matches their character. Period homes with high ceilings and ornate features call for wide-plank oak or herringbone parquet, while modern open-plan flats benefit from the clean lines of large-format porcelain tiles or engineered wood in lighter tones. Against that backdrop, herringbone flooring is the natural fit for hallways, living rooms, kitchens and open-plan spaces.
Every home is different, but clear patterns run through the London projects we supply:
Living Rooms: London living rooms favour wide-plank engineered oak in warm or natural tones, or herringbone parquet for a statement floor. In period homes, the pattern picks up the lines of original cornicing and fireplaces.
Hallways: First impressions matter in London property. Herringbone parquet in the hallway is the single most popular upgrade across the city, creating an immediate sense of quality.
Kitchens: LVT vinyl and porcelain tiles dominate London kitchens. Neither material takes on water, and both suit the open-plan kitchen-diners found in many London flats and conversions.
Bathrooms: Porcelain tiles in marble or stone effects are the standard for London bathrooms. For en-suites, LVT offers a warmer, softer alternative.
We deliver across all London postcodes from our UK warehouse. Most in-stock orders reach London addresses within a timeframe that depends on the delivery postcode. For larger project orders, we can schedule delivery to align with your fitter’s timeline.
Orders for herringbone flooring head out to Central London, North London, South London, East London, West London, Chelsea, Kensington, Hampstead, Islington, Richmond, Dulwich, Clapham, Battersea, Fulham, Putney, Hackney, Shoreditch, Canary Wharf, Greenwich, Wimbledon, Ealing, Chiswick, Camden and Notting Hill, and everywhere in between. The safest first step is a sample order to your London home: a few boards on your own floor, in your own light, tell you more than any photo.
Bestsellers our customers order again and again. Samples available for every floor.
The same questions come up in every town we deliver to. These five references answer them once, with the source in each case.
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