Five great Pinterest distressed wood flooring inspirations

Wood flooring is elegant, eye-catching and hard-wearing, and brings the ‘wow’ factor to any room. But where do you start? Vintage oak flooring? Distressed wood flooring? Herringbone wood flooring?

A little inspiration can take you a long way. So, with that in mind, here are five fantastic wood flooring ideas from Pinterest.

1: Bold and modern

This dark, distressed wood adds instant impact to a hallway, and then some.

The clever use of neutral wall colours and monochrome photographs really make this floor the focus of the hall, and the wood texture contrasts with the plain walls and clean skirting beautifully.

It really is OK to make your floor the centre of attention, particularly in a hallway, a space which is often overlooked when it comes to our interior design dreams.

Look for vintage oak flooring for a pre-loved look, or choose new wood and stain it to match your own tastes, as in this Pinterest picture.

You don’t need to buy rugs – in fact, a rug would detract from the deceptive simplicity of this hallway decor.

Do you want to hear ‘Oh, I love your floor’ from visitors? Hit them with something this bold and confident the moment they walk through your front door.

And, of course, there’s the bonus that you won’t have to hire a carpet doctor every time muddy boots tramp into your home.

2: The authentic feel

The texture of a surface such as antique oak flooring can, quite literally, add another dimension to your floor.

We tend to think of flooring in two dimensions, but natural roughness or wear and tear introduce unique indentations and ridges.

This delicious French oak offering has a glorious rustic feel to it. Pair it with a sheepskin rug for a welcoming bedroom, or leave it naked in a kitchen, where it will shrug off the wear and tear and get even better looking as the years pass.

You can specify rustic grade when you are sourcing wood flooring, and your supplier will know just what you are looking for.

One of the great things about a rustic finish is that any marks you or your guests make will simply add to the floor’s charm.

While other floor coverings wear out, wood floor coverings wear in.

3: Elegant angles

Herringbone wood flooring and its sibling, chevron flooring, has continued to grow in popularity in recent years.

A herringbone floor is made from rectangular planks – as in the photograph – which meet in a zig-zag pattern. The planks in a chevron pattern are cut at an angle, to form long straight lines where they join, rather than zig-zags.

Whether you go for a light oak finish or something darker and more distressed, for an oiled and smoked wood or a matt lacquer, a herringbone wood floor will add a touch of class to any room. And, because our eyes are drawn to the wide part of the herringbone pattern, these floors can make a room look bigger.

That means they are worth considering for a bathroom or a study, where they can completely change the feel of an otherwise modest room.

The pattern has been used in wood flooring since the 16th century, but the design dates back to the Romans, who laid road bricks in a herringbone pattern because it made for a more stable surface.

Herringbone flooring doesn’t even have to be a uniform colour – it lends itself to two-tone schemes, and more, if you are confident enough. It really does offer an opportunity to create something that is unique to you and your home.

4: Black beauties

It may be dark but there’s nothing anonymous about black wood flooring.

Dark laminate coverings are widely available, but for something with real impact, consider using black oiled oak, complete with saw marks. Not only does this look imposing, it also allows you to be as bold or conservative as you want with wall colours.

Careful use of lighting to pick out highlights in the room can create a stunning sense of contrast, and you’ll be a million miles away from your friends with their ubiquitous beige carpets.

If an all-black floor is too much for you, think about introducing a statement rug, which you’ll find is beautifully framed by your black wooden floor – it can be classy and colourful at the same time.

Echo the black flooring by using black picture frames, hung on an off-white wall. Alternatively, go for a subdued feel with a classic dark blue, such as Farrow & Ball’s Stiffkey Blue, and standard lamps.

Partner that with black cast-iron door furniture to complete the look. You’ll know you’re in a special room the moment you walk through the door.

5: The natural feel

If you order your flooring in unfinished wood, you can decide just how raw you want the finished article to look. Saw marks and a light finish give wood flooring a very different personality to dark, shiny lacquer finishes.

Your flooring supplier should be able to help you get the finish you want, guaranteeing that your flooring is unique as well as fabulous.

A more ‘natural’ feel can work well in kitchens and bathrooms. In your kitchen, for example, you may want flooring that doesn’t distract from units and worktops. And it’s easy to match kitchen and bathroom furniture with such floors, whether your style is classical, bohemian or shabby chic.

Again, remember that a more natural look is likely to be more forgiving of bumps and scrapes. This is particularly important if you have cats or dogs, which will inevitably find a way of leaving scratches on your beautiful distressed wood flooring.

Natural products such as wood, leather and stone become more attractive as they weather and wear, so don’t be afraid to embrace the idea of your wood flooring getting some rough treatment.

The joy of unfinished wood is that you get to decide exactly how the floor looks at the start of its life! It is never wrong to let wood’s natural beauty shine through, but it’s ok to bend it a little to your own tastes.

To find out more about our herringbone, distressed, antique and vintage oak flooring options, get in touch with us at ESB Flooring today.