Timber flooring in an Auckland apartment
Timber flooring in an Auckland apartment needs to feel warm without darkening a compact space. For this fit-out the owners chose French 75, a light smokey-grey European oak from our Distilled collection. The soft grey lifts the light, suits minimalist interiors, and gives the apartment a calm, considered floor.
Hard-wearing smokey oak, minimalist feel
The owners wanted a floor that read warm and sophisticated but stayed quiet under a modern, minimalist scheme. The brief called for a hard-wearing smokey grey oak that would suit a busy household and still look considered years on. French 75 answered both: the colour for the mood, the engineered board for the daily reality of apartment living.
French 75, from the Distilled collection
French 75 sits in our Distilled collection: European oak, made in Europe, in a light natural grey with subtle grain. It is an engineered oak board built on a multi-ply core, which suits the concrete slabs common in apartment builds. The grey does the heavy lifting here, cool enough to feel contemporary, warm enough to stay inviting.
A grey that lifts a compact space
In an apartment, light is the constraint. The soft grey of French 75 bounces daylight rather than soaking it up, so the living space reads brighter and more open. Against the owners’ pared-back palette the grain adds texture without noise, and the floor sits back and lets the room do the talking. Exactly the understated, sophisticated result the brief asked for.
Made to order, so plan the timeline
Distilled is made to order in Europe, so allow roughly four to five months from order to delivery. On an apartment fit-out that means locking the floor colour in early, alongside joinery and paint, not at the end. The move is simple: order a French 75 sample first, sign off the grey in the actual light of the room, then commit.
Next steps
Order French 75 as a sample
See the smokey grey in your own space before you decide. Free samples, sent anywhere in New Zealand.
See the Distilled range
French 75 is one tone in the Distilled collection of European oak. Browse the full colour set.
Keeping oak clean
A light grey floor is easy to live with. Here is how to keep engineered oak looking its best.
See French 75 in your own light
Grey oak reads differently in every room. Order a free sample, or tell us about your Auckland apartment and we will price the floor.
