Herringbone vs Chevron Wood Flooring

Parquet flooring consists of wooden planks cut into small pieces arranged in a repeated geometrical pattern in different styles. The most common forms of parquetry are herringbone and chevron, which have been around for centuries. Initially, the Ancient Roman Empire used the herringbone pattern by arranging bricks to make more stable roads. These patterns became more popular in Western Europe in the 16th and 17th centuries when they were first used as wood flooring. The chevron parquet flooring was installed in the Francois 1 Gallery at the Chateau de Fontainebleau in 1539.

Both chevron and herringbone patterns were symbols of elegance and status and reached higher popularity throughout the years. They both create a zig-zag visual pattern. Therefore, they can be easily confused, but there are some differences to consider when choosing the ideal flooring pattern for your project.

Herringbone flooring comprises rectangular blocks placed in a way where the end of one plank meets the side of the next one, staggered alternately forming a broken zigzag. On the other hand, in the chevron flooring, the short ends are cut at a perfect 45° angle, making a sharp point or straight ”V”, where ends meet.

These patterns have timeless character and achieve a beautiful visual in different ways. Chevron parquet offers a more contemporary and geometric aesthetic, giving the impression that a room is wider or longer than it is, while the herringbone parquet integrates the traditional and heritage influences. Also, the modern herringbone look is simple to achieve without a high price tag.

At VidaSpace, we stock a wide range of herringbone and chevron parquet flooring in lacquered and UV oiled finishes. Our Italian Collection comprises narrow boards to create a more detailed and delicate design, offering many options of colours, from light tones – Pallido – to darker, smoked and fumed – Bronzo, Notte and Grande.

Our VidaPlank Range also offers a herringbone pattern on a larger scale to create a bolder design.