Trend 1 min read

Is Herringbone Flooring Right for Your Home?

Herringbone is the most requested pattern we sell and the one people most often underestimate. What it costs in practice, and which rooms it flatters.

Waste allowance

10% to 12%

Fitting

Full glue down

Fitter

Professional advised

Underfloor heating

Suitable

1/ 4

Why people want it

Herringbone gives a floor movement and depth that straight planks cannot. The pattern draws the eye along the room and catches light from two directions at once, which is why the same oak looks richer laid this way.

It also reads as considered. A herringbone floor is visibly a decision, and in a period property or a large open room it carries the space in a way a plain floor does not.

Not the same as chevron: Herringbone blocks are cut square and meet at a right angle. Chevron blocks are cut at an angle so the rows form a continuous point. They are ordered and fitted differently.

What it really costs

Three costs, and only one of them is the boards.

Extra material

10% to 12% for waste, against 5% to 7% for straight plank. Every perimeter cut produces an offcut that cannot be used elsewhere.

Fitting

Slower and more exacting than plank, and normally a job for a professional. Budget accordingly.

Adhesive

Full glue down is the only sensible method, so adhesive is a real line rather than an optional one.

Important: Order the whole quantity including the waste allowance in one go. Boards are produced in batches and a later top up may not match what is already down.

Which rooms suit it

Herringbone rewards space and light, and it can overwhelm a small room.

Large open rooms

The pattern has room to read. This is where it looks best.

Hallways

A long narrow run laid along the sightline looks excellent and makes the space feel intentional.

Period properties

It suits the proportions and the era without looking like a pastiche.

Small busy rooms

Be careful. In a small room broken up by units and doorways the pattern is mostly cut away.

Before you commit

Three things worth knowing while it is still a decision rather than a delivery.

The subfloor has to be right

A pattern floor is glued down, so a high spot means an area that never bonds.

Setting out decides everything

The first two rows determine the whole field. This is where a professional earns the fee.

It works over underfloor heating

Full glue down puts the floor in direct contact with the heated screed, which is the better performer.

Blocks come in pairs

Left hand and right hand in matched quantities. Check both are present before fitting starts.

See a herringbone block in your room

Pattern floors read very differently at home than in a photograph. A sample on your own floor settles it in a week.

Browse parquet Order samples

Trend Wide Plank Flooring – Is It Right for Your Home? Trend Warm Wood Tones vs Cool Grey Floors – Which Style Suits Your Home? Fitting guide Engineered Wood Installation Guide

On this page

Email WhatsApp

Not sure it suits your room?

A real cut from a real board. Samples £1.99 each, up to 10 per order.

Order samples · £1.99

Your Basket

Your basket is empty