A masterpiece laid at your feet

Our homes are canvases on which we express our artistic endeavours. From floor to ceiling, with each surface comes a new opportunity to create a masterpiece.

Forté are experts in helping homeowners express their creativity and its latest range is directly influenced by some of history’s biggest names in the fine arts—Picasso, Monet, da Vinci, van Gogh and Vermeer.

“Forté has worked closely with a factory in Hungary on this latest offering, which we’ve called the Artiste Collection. Made from engineered timber comprising a generous smoked oak veneer surface on a birch plywood core, we believe the collection elevates interiors to new heights,” says Gaius Piesse of Forté.

“After undergoing the smoking process, the oak surface is deeply brushed to reveal the wood grain, knots and natural tonal differences. Look closely and you’ll see echoes of van Gogh’s bold brushstrokes, da Vinci’s masterful contrasting of light and dark and Monet’s love of light brought to the fore in the carefully curated palette of five warm, contemporary finishes.”

Another feature of the collection, says Gaius, is the highly textural nature of the surface finish, which has a look reminiscent of hand-cut timber, imparting a rich, time-worn feel designed to seamlessly integrate into traditional interior schemes or to add character to any contemporary home.

“We want to assure our customers, however, that we’ve worked hard to ensure that Artiste possesses many of the key features that made Manor Atelier popular, as well as having additional benefits that we’re sure they will appreciate.”

Those features include: being sustainably sourced; having no added formaldehyde; a smoked rather than stained finish; and, an innovative lacquer sealant formulated in Italy that imparts a natural oiled look but provides improved moisture and wear resistance, making Artiste suitable for high-traffic, commercial applications.

“Additionally, Artiste is supplied pre-finished and is ready to walk on as soon as installation is completed. The collection also includes matching stair nosings, which have been redesigned to offer rounded edges to minimise chipping and splitting,” says Gaius.

To further evoke the feeling of ‘olde world’ charm, Artiste features a wide-plank profile of 250mm and comes in lengths of 2.48m, making it an ideal choice for large, open-plan spaces. The 20mm height comprises the 5.5mm extra thick surface layer atop the 14.5mm core, which Gaius says not only gives Artiste its luxurious underfoot feel but also accounts for its durability.

“The generous smoked oak veneer layer is designed to last and can safely withstand 4–5 resandings before needing to be replaced. Under normal wear and tear circumstances, Artiste should endure for a lifetime, much like the artworks of the maestri it is inspired by.”

​Forté has stocks of all Artiste Collection products and can even produce custom widths and profiles, as well as colours, in conjunction with its partner factory in Hungary.

“We will continue to develop Artiste to provide our clients with an ever-growing range of masterpieces and fully encourage all suggestions from end users and specifiers,” says Gaius.

As well as prefinished planks, the Artiste Collection is available in chevron and herringbone parquets and carries a 25-year residential warranty and a 5-year commercial warranty.

Learn more about Artiste engineered flooring.