design et al are delighted to announce that Parquet Flooring have been shortlisted for Flooring – Hard Floor Award in The International Design and Architecture Awards 2019.
The original architect Jamie Fobert wanted to transform the Selfridges ladies shoe department from a standard looking store into something that would reflect highly on the well-established Selfridges name. Enlisting the help of Parquet Flooring, the brief was to divide the floor into six sections connected via a herringbone walk way. Parquet Flooring wanted to showcase a diverse range of patterns; whilst sticking to a classic, elegant and robust product. The patterns that were chosen were: Versailles panels, hexagon pieces, basket weave pattern, staggered ladder pattern, herringbone, random length planks and finally a unique pattern mixing different shapes creating a puzzle.
Using only FSC approved wood as this is a sustainable source which ensures both wildlife and forests are protected, the timber specified needed to be French oak as this type of wood has many distinctive characteristics such as a rounder grain and a more antique look, compared to American white oak. Parquet Flooring sourced the floor from France and ordered solid oak with a 23mm depth, so that it can withstand heavy traffic. All the floor patterns were made using the same batch of timber so that there would be consistency in the colour and finish.
Once imported, Parquet Flooring’s in-house tradesman’s, smoked the timber overnight with ammonia, which darkens the wood and gives it variation. The floor was then distressed to give the appearance of ‘old, worn and an already lived in’ look. Parquet Flooring started to fit the floor per pattern, using flex glue that would ensure that the pieces would stay secure, to maintain a perfect finish. The wood was stained on site with subtle white oil and a natural lacquer on top to give it protection. The completed look worked seamlessly well and fitted in beautifully with all the interiors.
Skilled craftsmanship was used when producing the intricate designs, this required hours of hand distressing to the timber to create the desired look. Parquet Flooring also combined each pattern, which took a lot of planning to ensure the timber was integrated to achieve a flawless design, whereby each pattern transitioned perfectly into each other.