Five Wood Flooring Options Interior Designers Love
When choosing the right flooring, wood floors are a timeless and natural option. As a sustainable building material, wood offers numerous design possibilities rooted in nature. Plank floors come in a variety of wood types with different colors, finishes, textures, and patterns. With custom solutions, you can create unique spaces and design combinations. Here are five plank options that interior designers love and are definitely worth a look.
1. Full-length Planks in Douglas Fir and Silver Fir
Full-length planks are installed across the entire length of a room, without joints or interruptions. Also known as tongue-and-groove or long planks, they create a seamless look and enhance the sense of space and depth in a room, especially when laid parallel to the wall or light source. The even joint pattern results in a sleek and modern design. Douglas fir planks can be up to 15 meters long and 40 cm wide, while white fir planks are available up to 10 meters long and 30 cm wide. HIRAM Habitat offers these exceptional lengths in both solid wood planks and three-layer planks.
2. Herringbone
The herringbone pattern has a long history and was once common in manor houses and historic buildings. Today, it retains all of its elegant charm and complements both classic and modern interior styles. The diagonal arrangement of the pattern has a visual appeal that can make small spaces appear larger. Herringbone patterns can be made from various wood types, colors, and surface finishes. They are available both as solid wood planks and as three-layer planks. Notable eye-catchers are herringbone floors in ash or Douglas fir, which stand out due to their unique grain and rift cut. HIRAM Habitat intentionally uses slightly wider planks for their herringbone designs compared to traditional options, offering a distinctive and exclusive design alternative.
3. Light-colored Plank Floors in Scandinavian Design
Softwoods like Silver fir and Douglas fir naturally have a lighter wood tone, making them especially well-suited for Scandinavian interior design. These woods are typically treated with a white wash, which not only protects the floor from yellowing due to UV exposure but also lightens the wood slightly. This results in a bright, clean look that complements Nordic designs perfectly. As a neutral base, light wood floors can be paired with various decoration styles and furnishings. Light or white planks make rooms feel airy and reflect more light, while smaller scratches and wear are often less noticeable, making the floor easy to maintain.
4. Oak Plank Flooring with Unique Textures
With oak, you can create unique surfaces that enhance the natural beauty of the wood. Handcrafted techniques produce textures that offer special visual and tactile experiences. An oak plank floor with a "naturally dried and lightly brushed" finish embodies pure naturalness. Growth features, including cracks, knots, and grain patterns, make each tree unique. This finish highlights these distinctive characteristics. An intensive drying process results in a tangible wood texture. The handcrafted surface provides a pronounced tactile quality that complements rustic country styles and makes a natural statement in modern designs.
The "rough sawn" finish is not only eye-catching but also offers many practical benefits. Its unique texture makes this floor ideal for barefoot walking, large families, pet owners, and even public spaces. The sawn effect is achieved by running large saw blades across the wood surface, creating a particularly natural look that feels tactile and is slip-resistant. The careful factory treatment ensures the surface is completely splinter-free, and the oil finish provides excellent protection against stains and dirt.
5. Rift-cut solid Planks Made from Douglas Fir and Silver Fir
Planks with a high-quality rift or quarter-sawn cut create a particularly clean appearance. Rift-cut planks are sliced from the heartwood of the tree, resulting in a uniform surface pattern. The annual rings run nearly perpendicular to the board surface, which not only creates a unique design but also enhances the surface hardness of the flooring. HIRAM Habitat produces these types of planks from Douglas fir and white fir. They are narrower than wider tongue-and-groove planks and are suitable for floors, walls, and ceilings.
Credits I Norparquet I Célia Uhalde I Fotostudio Hohnwald