If you love the impression of a beautiful real wood floor, but want something more unique than straight planks, parquet flooring is a brilliant choice for your home.
Key Points
- Parquet wood flooring uses small wooden blocks or planks laid in geometric patterns, giving a classic floor instant warmth, elegance and interest.
- Today, the parquet aesthetic isn’t limited to real wood. LVP, porcelain, limestone, and terracotta can all be laid in stunning parquet patterns to provide zero-maintenance alternatives for wet rooms and busy kitchens.
- Our customers are choosing herringbone, chevron and basket weave designs in a variety of materials to create stylish, characterful rooms without overcomplicating the scheme.
- Hyperion Tiles supplies engineered parquet wood flooring and parquet-effect tiles across the UK, with advice and samples available from our Ascot showroom.
- A durable real-wood parquet floor needs correct subfloor prep, professional fitting, acclimatisation and the right finish to prevent gaps, movement and staining.
- This blog covers patterns, underfloor heating, care tips and pain points such as scratches, moisture, echo and colour matching across all materials.
What is parquet flooring?
Add luxurious tones and timeless appeal with our engineered wood parquet flooring, Orkney Truffle Oak, crafted from oak with a beautifully finished surface that enhances the natural grain for a rich and elegant effect.
Parquet wood flooring is made from small wooden blocks or planks laid in repeating geometric patterns rather than standard straight boards. Historically a symbol of luxury dating back to 16th-century France, the design known as Parquet de Versailles was commissioned by King Louis XIV, replacing marble floors in the Palace of Versailles. It was also developed as a lighter, more maintainable alternative to stone or marble flooring.
Achieve the classic look of wood with the ultimate durability of porcelain. Our wood-effect Buscot Porcelain Parquet Textured tiles laid in a parquet format offer incredible water resistance and scratch protection, making them ideal for high-traffic areas and wet zones.
At Hyperion Tiles, we focus on premium engineered parquet wood flooring, as well as highly realistic parquet-effect porcelain, natural stone, and luxury vinyl for ultimate stability and longevity.
Why choose parquet flooring for your home?
For a striking chevron design, our Goodrich Feather Oak Chevron parquet floor in engineered wood combines the beauty of real oak with an elegant finished surface, bringing refined texture and warmth to contemporary interiors.
Parquet is back in style and traditional wood parquet offers something many designs cannot: pattern, craftsmanship and warmth in one floor. It can add resale value to a property because of its decorative nature and premium feel. It is also durable, repairable and allergy-friendly—easy to clean, helping to keep dust, pet hair and allergens at bay, unlike carpets. A long chevron can draw the eye down hallways, while basket weave can make a square room feel grounded.
Choosing the right parquet material: wood, porcelain, LVP & stone
Our Stone Polymer Composite (SPC) flooring, Ashurst Minerale Herringbone Click tiles, laid in a herringbone pattern delivers the authentic texture of natural wood with the added benefit of being 100% waterproof and warm underfoot.
| Material | Characteristics & Benefits | Best Suited For |
|---|---|---|
| Engineered Wood | Authentic, natural warmth. Ages beautifully and can be sanded/refinished. Shifts naturally from pale to honey over time. | Living rooms, dining rooms, hallways, and premium open-plan spaces. |
| LVP / SPC Flooring | 100% waterproof, scratch-resistant, and acoustic-friendly. Features realistic textures with a click-lock system. | Kitchens, bathrooms, upper floors, and busy family homes with pets. |
| Porcelain Tiles | Virtually indestructible. Can mimic wood, stone, or marble. Zero maintenance required and highly stain-resistant. | Wet rooms, utility rooms, high-traffic kitchens, and areas with underfloor heating. |
| Limestone & Terracotta | Earthy, organic, and rustic. Cut into smaller “brick” shapes and laid in herringbone to create a rugged, historical feel. | Boot rooms, farmhouse kitchens, conservatories, and heritage properties. |
Parquet isn’t just for wood. Natural limestone cut into smaller brick formats and laid in a classic herringbone pattern creates a wonderfully rustic, earthy aesthetic—such as our Castilan Limestone Parquet Tumbled tiles, perfect for country kitchens and boot rooms.
Popular parquet patterns (herringbone, chevron, basket weave & more)
Terracotta bricks laid in a herringbone parquet pattern instantly evoke Mediterranean warmth. Our Handmade Classic Terracotta Rectangle tiles 15 x 30cm are highly durable and bring incredible texture to transitional indoor-outdoor spaces.
| Pattern | Best for | Top tip |
|---|---|---|
| Herringbone parquet | Hallways, living rooms, open-plan spaces | Made up of panels cut into rectangles with flat 90° angles, creating a stable design that limits movement as the planks are tightly packed together. |
| Chevron | Longer rooms, contemporary schemes | Blocks are cut at an angle at both ends, creating a sharp zigzag pattern that is highly popular in modern luxury designs. |
| Basket weave | Bedrooms, snug rooms, square spaces | Softer and more traditional, this layout creates a highly tailored, woven effect that grounds a room beautifully. |
| Versailles panels | Large rooms, period homes | Known for its intricate design with interlacing diagonals, making it a luxurious statement piece often associated with the Palace of Versailles. |
Designing with parquet: room-by-room ideas & layout tips
Stone-effect porcelain cut into sleek chevron planks provides a highly contemporary, architectural look. Here we showcase our Marlborough Porcelain Parquet Natural and Forest Green Gloss tiles.
In hallways, run herringbone or chevron along the length and add borders for a crisp edge. In living and dining areas, one continuous parquet floor can link spaces beautifully. In kitchens, parquet can zone the seating area while porcelain tiles handle the cooking zone. In bedrooms, smaller blocks, softer tones or basket weave keep the mood calm. Align the pattern with fireplaces, French doors, islands and main light sources to ensure the flow feels intentional.
Installation basics & solving common fitting problems
Traditional engineered oak parquet, such as our Goodrich Coffee Oak, remains the gold standard for authentic heritage renovations. Its natural warmth, acoustic properties, and unique grain variations make it a timeless investment that ages gracefully.
Parquet flooring can be installed using glue-down, nail-down and floating installations, depending on the type of parquet and subfloor conditions. Common issues include blocks running out of square, lipping, gaps or misaligned borders. A professional fitter starts from a central reference line or key sightline, not the wonkiest wall. A visible gap in real wood can be a sign of moisture imbalance, poor acclimatisation or heating changes.
Parquet flooring with underfloor heating
Well-specified engineered wood parquet works very well with warm-water underfloor heating. The engineered construction is more stable than solid wood, reducing expansion and contraction. The system should be commissioned gradually, adhesives must be compatible, and the surface temperature should usually stay below 27°C. If you want entirely risk-free underfloor heating, porcelain parquet tiles are unsurpassed—they conduct heat brilliantly and will never warp or gap.
Everyday care, cleaning & long-term maintenance
Day to day, parquet is low-fuss. For wood and LVP, use a soft brush or hard-floor vacuum, then a damp mop with wood-safe cleaner. Use felt pads, entrance mats, and lift items rather than dragging them. Real wood parquet may need resealing and occasional sanding and polishing every 20 to 30 years. Conversely, porcelain and limestone parquet require zero sanding—just standard mopping and, for natural stone, an occasional re-seal.
When wood parquet might not be the best choice (and what to do instead)
In bathrooms, boot rooms or very wet utility spaces, parquet-effect porcelain tiles, LVP, or waterproof wall and floor panels are far more practical. For very heavy commercial traffic, a tough porcelain parquet tile is much smarter. For homes with large dogs or muddy gardens, choose textured, aged or darker finishes, or mix materials: engineered wood parquet in living spaces, and matching porcelain parquet at the entrances.
Working with Hyperion Tiles on your parquet project
Hyperion Tiles is a family-run UK specialist in premium tiles, natural stone, mosaics, LVT and LVP, outdoor tiles and engineered parquet wood flooring. We offer supply-only or supply-and-install packages, working with homeowners, designers, builders and architects. Visit our Ascot showroom, request samples, or speak to our team about herringbone, chevron, basket weave, plank size, finish and whether engineered wood, LVP, porcelain, or natural stone is the best choice for your specific project.
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