Wood flooring ideas

Jul 05, 2023

Wood flooring ideas have formed a beautiful foundation in homes across the world for centuries. The timeless elegance and charm of working with natural materials in interior design remains ever popular, with timber offering a durable and long-lasting design for flooring ideas.

Now more than ever, wood flooring ideas have come to the fore, with modern technologies enabling a plethora of patterns, textures and designs that weren't readily available before. From luxury vinyl wood flooring to engineered wood floor designs that can be used with underfloor heating, there are options to integrate into homes of all styles that elegantly combine the past and the present.

Wood kitchen flooring is one of the most popular options for the home, with designers looking for a combination of durability and beauty for this busy, hardworking space. Heritage styles such as herringbone, basket weave and parquet have also seen a huge revival in popularity, adding inviting, rustic texture and appealing intricate patterns to hallways and living rooms alike.

You can achieve many different looks with wood flooring, with an array contrasting colors, tones and finishes available. From the palest pine or Douglas Fir to darker tones of oak or walnut, and honey hues in between, there are plenty of ways to work wood flooring ideas into your decorating scheme.

We have gathered our favorite wood flooring ideas to provide you with some long-lasting inspiration for your home.

By Jennifer Ebert

Whether you have original, solid wood flooring in one part of your home and want to continue this design in other areas, or are looking to establish a mid-century modern look with wooden flooring in a new property, solid wood flooring can create an organic and authentic appeal.

Strong and durable, solid wood is not the cheapest flooring option, however, investing in a solid wood design can establish a timeless permanence to your flooring and enrich the space with character, texture and warmth.

Solid wood flooring is not just reserved for older, period properties, there is now an extensive range of solid wood flooring designs that can effortlessly integrate into homes of all ages and styles.

Light wood flooring can create a calming, relaxed atmosphere in the home, as well as enhancing the feeling of light and space in a room.

Colin Roby-Welford, Creative Director at Fired Earth states, ‘pale wood finishes are ideal for a pared-back Scandinavian feel, while rich, dark finishes have a more rustic appeal’.

Ideal for rooms that do not get much natural light, or for large, open-plan spaces to create an enriched sense of space, light wood flooring establishes a truly elegant, contemporary effect.

In this bathroom, the light wood flooring works with the other luxurious, natural textures and colors in the room to create a serene, inviting space. The light wood perfectly complements the marble and metallic accessories, as well as elevating the feeling of light in the room when paired with the white painted walls.

From oak, to ash and maple, there are a variety of options to choose from for your wood flooring ideas, as well as many light wood vinyl and laminate designs.

Using a unique parquet design for your wood flooring can create a beautiful design, rich with intricate details and eye-catching patterns.

The natural beauty of wood is elevated further when using a parquet pattern, creating a stand out floor design that will add luxurious character to a room.

In this luxury bedroom and on the flooring beyond, the wooden floorboards have been laid in a stunning Bordeaux parquet pattern. A French inspired design, defined by intertwining, complex geometric patterns and contrasting shapes, the result creates a truly stunning effect, adding a beautiful element of grandeur to a space – perfect for establishing a Parisian feel.

An extremely popular option for entryway floors are, engineered wood flooring it combines the beauty of solid wood with the practicality of modern technology and design.

Engineered wooden planks are crafted from multiple layers. The top is a beautiful, decorative piece of solid wood, whereas the base is crafted from multiple layers of plywood. This combination creates a durable, hardwearing design that, once installed, achieves the same beautiful effect as solid wood but with hidden strength and durability beneath.

Engineered wood’s popularity mainly lies in its flexibility, it can be laid on almost any surface and withstand changes in temperature and humidity – ideal for use throughout the home and for areas with underfloor heating.

Adding depth and warmth to a room, dark wood flooring can work wonderfully in both period and modern properties. Creating a beautiful, traditional effect rich with color and character, dark wood flooring can add a stylish element of drama to a room.

In this beautiful barn, with reclaimed dark wood flooring by The Main Company, the white walls and dark wood flooring unite to form an elegant contrast. The overall minimalist, relaxed design lets the bedroom flooring take center stage, with other wooden features, such as the uniquely crafted wooden headboard, enhancing the beauty and feeling of natural texture in the space. Retaining the character of the original barn but with an elegant modern twist, the design creates a characterful mix of the old and the new.

If you want to change the existing wooden flooring in your home without the cost and effort of replacing the floor, or add an element of color and contemporary style to a period property, painting your floorboards is an inexpensive way to dramatically change the look of a space.

'Creating statement floor designs in the home is becoming increasingly popular, with many traditional wooden floor designs being painted to inject color and personality into a room. From simple color block designs, to creating unique patterns and tile effects with paint, wooden flooring provides a creative canvas for your paint ideas,' says Homes & Gardens' Editorial Director Sarah Spiteri.

In this cozy, country cottage room, painted in colors by Morris & Co, the wooden flooring has been painted white to match the wooden paneling on the ceiling. The cohesive, calming design creates a relaxing bedroom retreat that combines traditional features with modern colors.

Whether you create a Scandi-inspired space with white painted floorboards, or go bold with darker shades, painting your wooden flooring can keep things fresh and exciting.

You may be asking yourself if wood flooring is suitable for the kitchen? The answer is a resounding yes! Designed with prestigious projects in mind, the Hand Grade collection from Havwoods consists of rich tones and beautiful rustic finishes. In addition, the triple layered engineered planks are up to four meters long and almost half a meter wide with top and base layers of European oak and a birch ply core.

Choose from a smooth sanded surface or textured finish to bring a natural touch to your kitchen. ‘Kitchen flooring with character is becoming extremely popular,’ says Yolande Meyer, Havwoods. ‘It allows one to feel more in line with nature by being able to see the knots and the grains of the wood.’

The latest engineered flooring to join Woodpecker’s Berkeley collection is Cathedral oak. Meticulously hand-scraped, the timber boards have subtle undulating ridges and grooves that capture a charming aged appearance and come with a 100-year guarantee.

At the same time, the wood’s natural honey, caramel and cocoa hues have been honed to offer a warm foundation to a room scheme, ‘this is a rustic board with a subtle oiled finish, allowing the knots and natural features to shine through,’ says Darwyn Ker, Managing Director, Woodpecker Flooring.

If your boards are looking a little tired, you can always refinish hardwood floors to return them to their original beauty.

If a real wood floor is out of your budget or not possible in your home, there are some great alternatives around for your wood flooring. One of those is luxury vinyl flooring (LVT), which is designed to replicate timber and can be laid in planks or tiles, with click lock or glue down techniques.

The Antique heart pine from Karndean comes as a loose lay longboard which has acoustic qualities, so it’s great for upper floors, loft conversions or those who live in flats. It’s also possible to replace individual planks if the need arises.

Admired in country homes for centuries, herringbone flooring is still a desirable choice for wood flooring ideas thanks to its enduring appeal.

‘A herringbone layout adds a subtle sense of texture and decorative detail to a floor,’ says Colin Roby-Welford, Creative Director at Fired Earth.’ Our Woodland Herringbone engineered tongue and groove planks simply slot together, making installation straightforward.

Made with FSC oak, the boards are brushed before a protective, low-maintenance matt lacquer is applied. The multi-layered construction gives strength and stability to help prevent warping in damp conditions or when used over underfloor heating.

‘Variation in color and texture is part of the natural appeal of wood. Dry-lay your flooring first to ensure a balanced spread of color and graining before fixing it in place,' advises Colin.

Crafted from reclaimed pine planks discovered in a disused warehouse at Garston Dock, in the UK city of Liverpool, these boards are popular due to their size, as much as their character.

Wider and longer than most salvaged boards, they have been transformed into engineered flooring and finished with a naked skin lacquer to accentuate the natural beauty of the grain, and would work beautifully in large-scale projects such as barn conversions. ‘Reclaimed flooring provides a genuine connection to nature and adds a historical feeling to interiors,’ says Robert Walsh, Founder, Ted Todd.

This oak aged parquet has tumbled edges and a soft worn look, giving it the appearance and characteristics of an antique floor. In addition, it’s finished with an ebony oil that enhances the timber’s natural features and provides the drama of a dark floor without being overpowering.

'Extremely forgiving even in high-traffic areas of the home due to its high durability, the real wood parquet floor sets the tone for the whole space, perfectly blending old with new for a timeless finish,' says Peter Keane, Director, The Natural Wood Floor Company.

If contemporary country style is more your thing, consider extra long boards, like these oak planks from Dinesen for your wood flooring ideas.

Sourced from large European oak trees, the boards are up to five meters long and 50cm wide, so there are less joins than is often seen with traditional sizes. This gives a cleaner, calmer, more modern appearance and a seamless look when connecting living spaces in open concept or broken plan living room schemes.

There's no need to shy away from wood flooring in the bedroom. This salvaged oak from The Reclaimed Flooring Company has been sourced from historic buildings across France, Central and Eastern Europe. Laying it in this classic chevron style gives subtle movement and a sense of grandeur to the simple room scheme.

It's also easy to see the beautiful flecks and characterful knots running through this light-colored timber, which is suitable for underfloor heating.

From reclaimed boards and heritage styles to rustic finishes and clever alternatives to timber – we explore how to nail your wood flooring ideas.