Herringbone parquet flooring in solid oak (Victorian home)
A full supply, fit, and finish project featuring traditional solid oak herringbone parquet in a Victorian-style property. The client chose this exact batch after seeing it installed in St Catherine’s Church, Meath Street, and wanted the same rich grain and tone in their home.
Project overview
This project combined traditional parquet craft with careful conservation-friendly preparation. We delivered a period-appropriate herringbone floor with a premium border and inlay, finished to a durable satin/matt sheen.
At a glance
Supplied and installed a standout batch of solid oak herringbone.
Stabilised and levelled the original subfloor without removing protected floorboards.
Added a feature border and walnut inlay to suit the home’s proportions.
Solved skirting constraints without using visible quadrant trims.
Completed sanding, filling, and lacquer finishing for a clean, consistent surface.
What the client wanted
The same solid oak herringbone they saw installed in St Catherine’s Church.
A floor that suited a Victorian interior (high ceilings, ornate coving).
A premium detail to “frame” the room and make the pattern pop.
A high-quality finish that would protect the floor and enhance the grain.
Our solution
Traditional parquet needs a stable base, accurate layout, and a finish system that’s built to last. For this home, we delivered the full process from subfloor prep to final coats.
Challenges on site and how we handled them
Uneven subfloors + protected original floorboards
The floorboards were in poor condition, but couldn’t be removed due to a preservation order. We repaired and stabilised the boards and installed a 6mm plywood base to create a smooth, suitable surface for glue-down parquet.
Skirting boards couldn’t be removed safely
Years of filler and paint made skirting removal likely to cause damage. Instead of quadrant slips, we created custom MDF skirting extensions that were fitted and painted to match, keeping the full skirting look while allowing the required expansion gap.
Materials, layout and finish
Parquet: solid oak herringbone (traditional square-edge blocks)
Subfloor build-up: 6mm plywood overlay to achieve a stable, level base
Border detail: four-block deep border
Inlay: 12mm American walnut
Surface preparation: additional sanding and filling to refine square edges
Finish system: 3 coats of Morrells satin/matt lacquer
Tone enhancement: subtle colour enhancement to lift grain and variation
The finished result
The final floor delivers a classic herringbone look with extra depth from the border and walnut inlay. The enhanced tone and satin/matt finish bring out the character of the oak while giving the surface the protection it needs for everyday living.
Services used on this project
Herringbone parquet supply and fitting
Subfloor preparation and plywood overlay
Borders and inlays
Floor sanding, filling and lacquer finishing
