Blogs

Wood Flooring Trend: Chevron Patterns

by Arimar | May 6, 2019 | Blogs

Chevron has gained popularity in recent years in flooring, and trend forecasters say we can expect to see more of these striking patterns into 2019 and beyond. It’s easy to see why – the flexible design makes it versatile enough to use for traditional or modern design.

Often found in formal living rooms, dining rooms, and entrance halls, the elegant zig-zag design elevates a room from the ground up. The intricate pattern also adds a new dimension to an otherwise plain square in a room.

This classic motif is rich in history and has been around for centuries. The zig-zag pattern experienced a resurgence during the Haussmann era in 19th-century Paris, when the city was rebuilt in a major urban planning effort. Many of the new apartments at the time featured parquet floors with a chevron pattern. Today, you will see many famous historical buildings around the world, especially in Europe, featuring this exquisite design.

Chevron planks are achieved by ensuring that each “zig” and “zag” are connected at a 45-degree angle, creating an inverted V formation. This distinctive pattern’s clean lines also bring out nature-inspired wood grain patterns and work well in both light and dark wood finishes.

This modern and innovative flooring solution is great for those who want to stand out and look for something unusual. Think about installing the flooring either in the entire room or cover only a part of the floor area. Chevron flooring is also used to make an impression that a room is bigger than it is. Engineered wood flooring is a very universal flooring solution and is ideal for creating the chevron pattern.

If you are interested in more information about choosing the best hardwood flooring for your residential or commercial project, contact us and tell us more about your project.

Chevron Patterns Hardwood Floors by Arimar International

Herringbone Wood Floors

by Arimar | Apr 30, 2019 | Blogs

Designer’s Choice: Herringbone Wood Floors

Herringbone has always been a popular choice among flooring design patterns, and it is now very much on trend in both homes and commercial spaces. Why the uptick in herringbone-patterned floors? For starters, it’s an excellent way for designers to set their projects apart plus homeowners love the look, says interior designer Emily Morrow Finkel in an article for Hardwood Floors Magazine. Herringbone hardwood flooring makes a bold design statement that encapsulates “elegance and timelessness,” she notes.

The Backstory: The herringbone style draws inspiration from the look of intricate brickwork designs from centuries-old churches and other distinguished structures. Herringbone goes back to ancient Egypt, woven into twill fabrics, jewelry designs and inlayed into iconic architecture. Roadways across the Roman Empire, for example, were also all constructed using herringbone brickwork patterns.

The Look: Herringbone wood flooring is made from relatively small rectangular blocks of hardwood laid in a pattern that looks like the skeleton of a fish, specifically the herring, hence the name herringbone. The herringbone floor pattern creates geometric designs to give interesting detail and draw the eye to the floor.

How to Bring It Home: There are many different types of hardwoods you can use to create your perfect floor layout using the herringbone style. Each hardwood material has its own wood grain and color expression patterns. White Oak flooring is an excellent choice that works very well with herringbone patterns. (Explore our Floor Art Wide Plank Flooring Collection featuring high quality rustic European White Oak floors.)

You can use a single hardwood type or choose contrasting colors and patterns to give your flooring a personalized touch. Floor designers have also started adding modern touches in the form of stains to highlight the grain of the wood.

Here at Arimar, we specialize in the creation of high quality, high end hardwood floors. We are always available to discuss our hardwood flooring options and assist with your project plans. Call us today, and ask about our flooring specials.

Guide to Wood Flooring Finishes Part 2

by Arimar | Apr 16, 2019 | Blogs

In the previous blog post, we talked about three popular types of wood flooring finishes — matte finish, reactive stain and smoke and fumed — all of which we carry here at Arimar through our partners at Floor Art. You can take a look at some of the stunning Floor Art wide plank collection flooring here. If there is a floor that you like, you can always request a sample and even see how it would look in your home or space by using the Room Planner.

Bona Finish Hardwood Flooring

The super matte sheen of the Bona finish creates an attractive, sleek oiled wood effect.

This surface finish, which was originally created for the hospitality industry, is flexible and made to resist flexibility cracks and chips. This makes it ideal for high usage areas. The finish also contains an anti-slip agent and is longer lasting than harder and thicker polyurethanes.

Coating Wood Floors

Wood flooring can also be coated using a UV urethane or a UV oil. UV Urethane refers to a specially formulated coating process Floor Art uses to provide a long-lasting resilient finish on our hardwood floors. The coating is high in scratch resistance and is specifically designed for optimum durability. Over time, as natural wear and tear from foot traffic cause any scuffs, these floors can be easily revitalized with a wood polish. UV Oil is a type of coating process that uses natural oils that are hardened under a UV light. This allows for improved scratch resistance. Regular cleaning and maintenance will keep your floors looking like new.

Staining & Polos Hardwood Floors

Staining is the traditional method of enhancing the surface color of the wood to create depth and tone. Polos describes a technique of using color neutralizer formulas on individual planks. This not only enhances the natural color of the wood but also creates that beautiful, distinct natural, raw wood look many home owners like.

Learn more about all the finishes and techniques we carry on our Resources page.

Call us today to request a sample and ask about our latest flooring specials!

Your Guide to Wood Flooring Finishes Part 1

by Arimar | Apr 10, 2019 | Blogs

Your Guide to Wood Flooring Finishes: Part 1

Our craftsmen work by hand using both age-old techniques and cutting-edge technologies to create a visually stunning result that is unique to your home. Carefully controlled and hand-checked processes ensure a high-quality finish that will last a lifetime. Here, we review three top hardwood flooring finishes.

Matte Finish Wood Flooring

Matte finish gives a natural look and showcases the grain of the wood itself. Our floors are finished using Bona Naturale, UV Cured Urethane system, which is water based. The super matte sheen of the Bona finish creates an attractive, sleek oiled wood effect. This surface finish was originally created for the hospitality industry; its flexibility resists cracks and chips and is ideal for high usage areas. The finish also contains an anti-slip agent and is longer lasting than harder and thicker polyurethanes, providing long-lasting protection to your hardwood floors.

Reactive Stain Hardwood Floors

Our proprietary reactive technologies encompass the art of creating and enhancing colour from within the wood itself. The wood is treated with metal salts, which react with the natural tannins and cellulose to replicate the oxidation and maturing process of naturally aged wood. The result is a unique, in-grained ‘aged’ timber render that cannot be duplicated with traditional staining methods. Double reactive technologies take aged wood rendering to the next level. As with reactive technologies the wood is treated with metal salts to create a unique aged look, the process is then repeated to achieve a greater intensity of colour and further enhance the plank’s individual characteristics.

Fumed & Smoked Hardwood Flooring

The centuries old European craft of fuming and smoking exposes the wood to small amounts of ammonia in a controlled environment. Fuming describes the initial surface treatment, which results in a rich color range from warm chocolate to almost-black. The ammonia reacts with the natural tannins; the longer the wood is exposed, the darker it becomes. Smoking takes the process one step further by ingraining the color deep into the wood itself. Semi-fumed exposes only the surface of the wood to ammonia, in variable quantities, to achieve a lighter result. European Oak, such as the variety used in Floor Art’s Wide Plank Collection, is the optimum choice for fuming and smoking due to its high tannin content, allowing for a palette of rich wood tones.

Stay tuned for the next blog post where we will discuss more wood flooring finishing techniques.

Call us today to request a sample, and ask about our latest flooring specials!

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