damon, Author at Vienna Woods

French Oak Floorboards Create a Calming Space

French Oak Floorboards in a Tranquil Design

In this stunning residential project, French oak floorboards take center stage, transforming the home into a serene and inviting space. With a soft, natural tone and subtle grain patterns, these floorboards bring a sense of calm to the interiors. The use of premium French oak adds timeless elegance, while the careful craftsmanship ensures both durability and aesthetic appeal.

Designed by renowned Interior Designer Sarah Foote, the home’s interiors reflect a perfect balance of modern design and natural elements. The smooth, light-toned French oak floorboards complement the minimalist aesthetic, creating an environment that feels both welcoming and peaceful. Photographer Michelle Weir has captured the essence of this space beautifully, showcasing how the French oak floorboards contribute to the overall tranquility of the home.

Why French Oak?

French oak has long been celebrated for its exceptional quality, durability, and distinctive grain patterns. Sourced from sustainable forests in France, this timber is known for its strength and versatility, making it an ideal choice for flooring. The floorboards in this project were carefully selected for their uniform appearance, which enhances the home’s modern aesthetic while maintaining a natural, organic feel.

Here are some reasons why French oak floorboards are a popular choice:

Elegant Aesthetic: The subtle grain and light colour of French oak create a refined, sophisticated look.
Natural Durability: French oak is incredibly strong, ensuring that the floorboards will stand the test of time.
Sustainable Sourcing: Sourced from responsibly managed forests in France, these floorboards are an environmentally friendly choice.
Versatility: French oak complements a wide range of interior styles, from modern minimalist to rustic chic.

The Role of Oak Flooring in This Design

In this project, a light natural oak flooring was chosen to enhance the sense of calm and simplicity within the home. The soft, neutral tones of the wood work harmoniously with the overall colour palette, which features whites, greys, and natural hues. This combination allows the space to feel open and airy, while still maintaining a sense of warmth and comfort.

The floorboards are wide and long, which adds to the timeless appeal of the space. Their smooth, matte finish contributes to the calming atmosphere, reflecting light gently without overpowering the other design elements. French oak floorboards are a key design feature in this home, providing a seamless flow from room to room and grounding the entire space in natural beauty.

Craftsmanship and Quality

The French oak floorboards used in this project exemplify expert craftsmanship. Each board was carefully processed to bring out the natural beauty of the wood, highlighting its subtle grain patterns and organic textures. The result is a floor that feels luxurious underfoot and visually enhances the room’s design.

French oak is known for its consistent quality and durability, making it a reliable choice for high-traffic areas in the home. The floorboards were installed with precision, ensuring a flawless finish that complements the overall design of the residence. The craftsmanship behind these French oak floorboards elevates the home’s aesthetic, adding depth and character to the space.

Cafe Au Lait French Oak: A Timeless Choice

The natural beauty and durability of French oak make it an investment that will continue to add value for years to come. Whether you’re designing a contemporary home or looking to enhance a more traditional space, French oak floorboards offer unmatched elegance and versatility.

In this project, the combination of French oak floorboards, minimalist design, and careful attention to detail has created a space that feels calming and cohesive. The use of natural materials like French oak connects the home to its surroundings, creating a peaceful retreat from the outside world.

Flooring: Chateau Collection // Cafe Au Lait

Interior Design: Sarah Foote Design

Photography: Studio Weir

Sustainable and Compliant Oiled Timber Flooring in Whitford

This recently completed a project in Whitford, showcases a rich dark oiled timber flooring, named Pina (after the infamous cocktail) finished with hard wax oil. This case study delves into the technical aspects, sustainability, and compliance features of this installation, which makes it a notable reference for architectural and interior design professionals. Pina is an option from The Distilled Collection, a range of timber floor options produced in Europe from slow-grown, FSC-certified Lithuanian Oak, finished to the highest standard. The Distilled Collection carries a number of subtle superiorities such as dense, hard-wearing oak, longer-than-usual board lengths and unique grain patterns.

Product Overview

The selected oak flooring for the Whitford project is treated with hard-wax oil, enhancing the natural beauty and durability of the wood. Hard wax oils penetrate the wood, providing robust protection against wear and moisture, while maintaining the wood’s breathability. This treatment ensures a longer lifespan and easier maintenance compared to traditional finishes.

Benefits of Oiled Timber Flooring

An oiled floor can offer a number of benefits over alternatives, but the main considerations for the client were:

Option to “tint” the colour of the floor through the oil maintenance process. If a darker hue is desired, a tint can be added to the maintenance oil.
The enhanced natural beauty. People generally sense the look and feel of naturally oiled timber if given the option.
Improved durability and longevity. With the correct maintenance, oiled floors are known to last…. well…. centuries, however most alternative require a sanding and refinishing coat to extend the life.
Eco-friendly and safe. Hard wax oils are derived from plant oils and in this case the oil carries a zero VOC certification.

Read about the differences between oiled and lacquered floors here.

E3 Compliance of Oiled Timber Flooring

Contrary to common belief, oiled floors can comply with the E3 Building Standard, which focuses on interior moisture management and surface finishes. The Whitford project demonstrates that with the correct application and maintenance, oiled timber floors meet these standards effectively, offering an alternative to the more common lacquered finishes. The project used the Parabond Parquet 440 adhesive, which plays a crucial role in compliance by acting as a moisture vapour barrier when used with a suitable primer, even on damp substrates.

Technical Specifications of Parabond Parquet 440 Adhesive

Parabond Parquet 440 is a high-performance adhesive designed for wood floors, providing an excellent bond and flexibility that accommodates natural wood movement. Notable characteristics include:

Composition: Solvent-free, isocyanate-free, and phthalate-free hybrid polymer.
VOC Emissions: Rated EC1plus for very low emissions, ensuring indoor air quality and compliance with stringent environmental standards.
Suitability as a Vapour Barrier: When applied correctly, it acts as an effective moisture barrier, crucial for installations over concrete or where moisture might be a concern.

Sustainability Considerations

Both the engineered oak flooring and the Parabond Parquet 440 adhesive contribute to the project’s sustainability profile:

Engineered Oak Flooring: Features a no-added-formaldehyde construction and an FSC certification, ensuring the wood is sourced from responsibly managed forests.
Parabond Parquet 440 Adhesive: Carries a zero VOC rating and does not contain any carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic substances. It is compliant with GEV-EMICODE EC1 Plus, indicating the lowest possible emission levels.

The Whitford project by Vienna Woods exemplifies how sustainable practices can be seamlessly integrated with technical excellence in modern flooring installations. By using materials like the FSC-certified engineered oak and eco-friendly adhesives such as Parabond Parquet 440, Vienna Woods not only meets regulatory compliance but also addresses the growing demand for environmentally responsible building materials.

Images // Jo Currie

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Why Choose an Oiled Timber Floor?

Oiled vs Lacquer Finish

The Different Finishes Available for Engineered Timber Flooring

Smoked Oak Floor for Award Winning Tent House

In the innovative Tent House by Strachan Group Architects, Vienna Woods’ Admonter Oak Lapis oiled timber flooring stands out for its unique character. This striking project, nestled among sand-dunes near Ocean Beach in Tairua, features the distinctive smoked oak, highlighting the home’s natural integration with its surroundings.

Integration with Design

Admonter Oak Lapis is a smoked oak, which is incredibly rare in New Zealand. It brings a sense of depth and complexity to the Tent House’s design. The smoking process, which involves enveloping the oak timber in smoke for days, results in a rich, nuanced colour palette and a subtle smokiness. This wood flooring choice enhances the tent-like architecture, adding an organic, layered texture to the living areas.

Oak Lapis - Tent House Tairua - SGA - Jackie Meiring - 2

Impact

The utilisation of Vienna Woods‘ Admonter Oak Lapis underscores the company’s dedication to unique, high-quality, and sustainable timber flooring. Its unusual smoked effect and deep, intricate colours resonate with the Tent House’s ecological focus, perfectly aligning with the home’s striking design and environmental ethos. In addition, being an oiled timber floor, means that no harmful chemicals have been coated on the floors surface. It is simply natural oil.

Special acknowledgement to the incredible work on this project from Strachan Group Architects, who produced an award-winning home.

Photography @ Jackie Meiring

NZIA Waikato & Bay of Plenty Architecture Award Winner – 2023 – Housing

Resene Colour Award

Oak Lapis oiled wood flooring - Tent House Tairua - SGA

Oak Lapis smoked oak wood flooring - Tent House Tairua - SGA - Jackie Meiring

View Oak Lapis Oiled Flooring

Light Wood Flooring in Charming Onetangi Architectural Home

This stunning Onetangi Beach residence, one of Box Build’s standout projects on Waiheke Island, beautifully captures the essence of architectural brilliance and natural beauty. Elevated high among the trees, the home offers breathtaking views over the water, creating a peaceful, picture-perfect retreat. What truly sets this home apart is its foundation—the exquisite flooring from Vienna Woods’ Foundation Collection: Supernatural.

Made from premium European oak, this light wood flooring was chosen not just for its durability, but for its ability to seamlessly blend the indoor and outdoor spaces. The light, natural tones of the oak create a calm, airy atmosphere, reflecting the island’s coastal lifestyle while providing a robust and stylish foundation for everyday living.

The flooring runs throughout the home, adding warmth and texture, while the natural grain of the oak connects the living spaces to the surrounding environment. As the sunlight pours in through the windows, it highlights the unique details of the Supernatural oak flooring, enhancing the home’s aesthetic with its subtle, light wood tones. This light wood flooring truly anchors the home, elevating it from simply being a beautiful space to becoming a home where design and function perfectly align.

Box Build’s expert craftsmanship is on full display, but it’s the synergy between their skills and our Supernatural oak flooring that truly makes this project special. The result is a home that feels effortlessly tied to its natural surroundings, yet modern and stylish inside.

If you’re planning a new build or renovation and are looking for flooring that brings both elegance and durability, our experts would love to help. Let us show you how light wood flooring from our Foundation Collection can transform your space into something extraordinary.

Product: Oak Supernatural

Builder: Box Build

Images: Sophie Heyworth

Vienna Woods Project Consultant: Razvan Valeanu