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What Era Is Parquet Flooring From?

What Era Is Parquet Flooring From?

The French Aristocracy was known for having a rather ostentatious style. Their wigs were elaborate, they wore white make-up with beauty patches and their poodles spent a lot of time at the salon. However, the floors of their homes had a tasteful and elegant beauty because they were made of parquet.

Parquet is a mosaic of various wood pieces that are used to create a decorative look in flooring. The patterns are normally geometric. The woods are selected for how well they complement one another and how well they capture light. In the 1600s The patterns in the mosaic were uniquely put together for each home and a parquet floor could take quite a while to finish.

In mid-1600s France, palaces and hôtels particuliers generally had marble floors. They were very impractical and took a long time to clean. Eventually, these floors were covered with parquet. Parquet has been considered a symbol of wealth ever since then.

Parquet in America

Parquet started being used in well to do American homes in the 1700s. It added a touch of class to any house and contrasted well with area rugs and wood furniture. It cost a good deal of money because a designer would have to carefully measure each piece of wood and lay it down in a pattern that was geometrical and appealing to the eye.

Unfortunately, many homeowners in the 40s and 50s America did not see the beauty in parquet or hardwood floors in general. It became a trend to cover one’s floors with carpeting. In the 1960s and 70s parquet started to be mass-produced. The tiles ran between 8 and 12 inches and they were very easy to lay down. Mass production was achieved by covering pieces of manufactured wood with a thin hardwood veneer.

The mass-produced parquet was rather thin and looked cheap. Nevertheless, it was easy to clean and it still had the appearance of hardwood. Soon it was one of the most popular kinds of flooring in the country. Eventually, many different kinds of floors were mass-produced and parquet fell out of fashion.

What Era Is Parquet Flooring From?

Parquet Today

Today, there is a major trend towards retro interior design. A homeowner may buy a home with a  classic parquet floor because of the craftsmanship of the design or because of the value it adds to the home.

Other people simply are fans of kitsch and love the vintage look of mass-produced parquet. They will use the flooring because it is inexpensive, easy to clean and appeals to their sense of nostalgia.

What Era Is Parquet Flooring From?

Advantages of Parquet

Many kinds of hardwood floors need to be nailed down, but parquet planks can simply be glued to the floor. You can find parquet in a variety of colors and with countless patterns. You can get solid hardwood parquet tiles these days. You do not have to buy manufactured wood planks with the thin parquet veneer that was popular in the 1970s. A parquet floor is perfect for a home with a retro look and a lot of antiques. The wood will accentuate the tones of other timbers in the room.

Pacific Hardwood Flooring can help you select the perfect flooring for your home. The right wood can give any abode a touch of class.

Delta House by Sergey Makhno Architects

Delta House by Sergey Makhno Architects

Marble House by OPENBOX Architects