Herringbone & Parquet: are they the same thing?

Parquet flooring is quite commonly described by the pattern it is laid in – a herringbone floor or a basket weave floor, for example. It’s a comfortable kind of short-hand, and much less of a mouthful than ‘herringbone parquet flooring’ or ‘parquet flooring laid in a basketweave design’.

The reason herringbone and parquet get regularly confused is because the herringbone design is so popular, and as a result, it has become synonymous with parquet flooring more generally.

It is undoubtedly the most popular parquet design and the most widely seen, adapting easily to a broad spectrum of interior styles and with many practical as well as aesthetic advantages.

The herringbone pattern got its name because of its resemblance to the skeleton of a herring. It was first seen as a practical design pattern in the construction of Roman roads, where paving was laid in this format to make it more stable and durable. It continued to be used as a masonry pattern throughout the Middle Ages and can still be seen in some Norman castles today.

Herringbone flooring first made an appearance in the Chateau de Fontainebleu in France during C16th, although it was laid by Italian craftsman. As was often the case, the design created for the king was widely copied, and so begun a fashion for parquet that in some ways has never really waned since. Parquet flooring is now a firm fixture in stylish interiors be they modern or traditional, luxurious or rustic.

Broadleaf make an extensive and unique range of parquet flooring here in Wales, in many styles and shades, all of which can be laid in the timeless herringbone design or any other parquet pattern that takes your fancy.

You can browse our parquet flooring here.