Oiled Finish

Oiled European oak flooring in a light interior

Styles · Finishes · Textures

Oiled FinishNatural oil, worked into the grain

“A floor you can feel, not just see.”

An oiled finish soaks into the timber — it doesn’t sit on top. The oil is worked into the oak and cures inside the grain, rather than forming a clear film across the surface the way a lacquer does. What you see and touch is the timber itself, not a coating over it.

A matte, natural look and a real texture underfoot. With no film on the surface, an oiled floor keeps a low, soft sheen and the grain — and any brushing or sawn texture in the board — stays open to the touch. It is the finish most people picture when they think of a natural European oak floor: quiet, tactile and easy to live with.

Made to be maintained, not replaced. An oiled floor is looked after with the right clean and an occasional coat of maintenance oil, and marks or busy areas can usually be re-oiled in place rather than sanding the whole floor. It asks for a little care in return for a finish you can refresh over the years.

What an oiled finish gives you

The same three things every time — the reason people choose oil over a lacquer.

Matte & naturalA low, soft sheen — the look of the timber, not a gloss coat over it.
Open grainNo plastic-like film, so the texture and grain of the board stay open to the touch.
Repairable in placeMarks and high-traffic spots can usually be re-oiled on their own, without a full sand.

Oiled or lacquered?

Two ways to finish the same oak. Neither is “better” — it comes down to the look you want and the way you’d rather care for the floor.

Oiled

SitsIn the grain — a penetrating finish
LookMatte, natural, low sheen
FeelOpen — the texture stays
CareClean, plus a periodic coat of maintenance oil
RepairsSpot re-oil in place, usually no full sand

Lacquered

SitsOn the surface — a clear film
LookMatte through to gloss — your choice of sheen
FeelSmooth, sealed surface
CareClean — no oiling needed
RepairsRe-coat by screen-and-coat when it’s due

Oiled floors across our collections

Every board below is finished with a natural or UV-cured oil. Filter by collection and tone to narrow it down, then order a sample and see the oil in your own light.

Collection
Tone
Patina Dune — Rustic Engineered Oak Flooring PatinaDuneLight/NaturalPale, sun-bleached character oak — soft and light, heavily brushed.Order a sample ›
Patina Amber — Rustic Engineered Oak Flooring PatinaAmberMediumWarm, honeyed mid-brown character oak with rich, brushed grain.Order a sample ›
Patina Slate — Rustic Engineered Oak Flooring PatinaSlateGreyWeathered, silvered-grey character oak — cool-toned and heavily brushed.Order a sample ›
Patina Ochre — Rustic Engineered Oak Flooring PatinaOchreMediumWarm, golden-russet character oak — a deep, earthy special-order tone.Order a sample ›
Distilled Madras DistilledMadrasGreySmoked driftwood oak, even grey-brown tone with open grain and dark-filled knots.Order a sample ›
Distilled Imperial DistilledImperialLight/NaturalWhitewashed silver-grey oak, limed open grain flecked with small dark knots.Order a sample ›
Distilled Pina DistilledPinaDarkDeep espresso-brown oak, near-black with a warm, smoked grain figure.Order a sample ›
Distilled Negroni DistilledNegroniGreySmoked grey-brown oak, near-black with matt figure and warm undertones breaking through.Order a sample ›
Distilled Gimlet DistilledGimletLight/NaturalPale blond oak under a cool grey wash, bold cathedral grain and open pores.Order a sample ›
Distilled Vesper DistilledVesperMediumSoft mushroom-taupe oak, warm grey-brown with a tight, even grain.Order a sample ›
Distilled Tom Collins DistilledTom CollinsMediumNatural honey oak, flowing cathedral grain and a raw, matt surface.Order a sample ›
Distilled Paloma DistilledPalomaMediumWarm honey-brown oak, open grain with ray fleck and scattered black knots.Order a sample ›
Distilled French 75 DistilledFrench 75GreyWeathered greige-tan oak, rustic open grain and big black feature knots.Order a sample ›
Distilled Whisky Sour Herringbone DistilledWhisky SourMediumHerringboneA warm, golden oak herringbone with balanced tone and clear grain, easy in both modern and traditional rooms.Order a sample ›
Distilled Whisky Sour DistilledWhisky SourMediumRich golden-amber oak, bold dark cathedral grain and an oiled warmth.Order a sample ›
Distilled Manhattan DistilledManhattanMediumWarm caramel-brown oak, rustic open grain and dark feature knots.Order a sample ›
Distilled Moscow Mule DistilledMoscow MuleMediumSoft putty-greige oak, low-contrast grain and a clean, quiet lay.Order a sample ›
Distilled Julep DistilledJulepGreyCool charcoal-grey oak, silvery ray fleck brushed over a dark ground.Order a sample ›
Distilled Cosmopolitan DistilledCosmopolitanMediumOlive-tinged greige-brown oak, cool grey wash over open grain and black knots.Order a sample ›
Distilled Dark and Stormy DistilledDark and StormyDarkWeathered smoked oak, dramatic near-black grain over a mid grey-brown ground.Order a sample ›
Admonter Larch Aged Natura AdmonterLarch Aged NaturaMediumEuropean larch aged to a warm, mellow mid-tone — brushed, natural-oiled, with soft rustic grain.Order a sample ›
Admonter Larch Natura AdmonterLarch NaturaLight/NaturalEuropean larch in a pale, natural tone — a lighter, softer-grained alternative to oak, brushed and oiled.Order a sample ›
Admonter Oak Lapis AdmonterOak LapisMediumSmoked European oak in a deep, characterful mid-brown — brushed, natural-oiled and Austrian-made.Order a sample ›
Flamingo Metz FlamingoMetzGreyLight greige oak, soft warm-grey with clean smooth grain and only a few small knots.Order a sample ›
Oak Moonlight (3.203M2/ Carton) Baltic WoodOak MoonlightDarkAged, hand-crafted dark oak with planed, brushed and notched texture, a fine bevel and a soft hand-rubbed oiled finish.Order a sample ›
Oak Town UV Oil Vienna WoodsOak Town UV OilLight/NaturalClassic golden-toned oak with only small, infrequent knots and a natural, low-sheen UV-oil finish.Order a sample ›
Flamingo Antique Farm FlamingoAntique FarmGreyPale grey-greige oak with white-limed grain and knots scattered across every board.Order a sample ›
Flamingo Antique Farm Herringbone FlamingoAntique FarmGreyHerringboneAged oak herringbone with a softened antique patina and subtle grey movement, for a weathered, lived-in look.Order a sample ›
Flamingo Old Barn FlamingoOld BarnGreyWeathered grey-brown oak with white-limed grain and dark character knots throughout.Order a sample ›
Flamingo Old Timer FlamingoOld TimerGreyCool dove-grey oak with white-limed grain, brushed and mostly clean with small dark knots.Order a sample ›
Flamingo Himalaya Herringbone FlamingoHimalayaDarkHerringboneDeep, warm oak in a planed herringbone, gently textured with grain that stays clearly on show.Order a sample ›
Flamingo Himalaya FlamingoHimalayaDarkSmoky greige oak, light-to-mid brown under a grey wash, with prominent dark knots.Order a sample ›
Flamingo Raftwood Amazone Herringbone FlamingoRaftwood AmazoneLight/NaturalHerringboneA boldly rustic oak herringbone with richly varied tone, heavy texture and reclaimed character full of knots, splits and grain.Order a sample ›
Flamingo Raftwood Old Barn FlamingoRaftwood Old BarnMediumWeathered grey-brown oak, reclaimed and heavily aged, with open cracks, knots and big board-to-board variation.Order a sample ›
Flamingo Oceans 07 FlamingoOceans 07Light/NaturalSoft grey-washed oak, cool and light, with clean planed grain and pronounced cathedral figure.Order a sample ›
Flamingo Roots 08 FlamingoRoots 08Light/NaturalPale whitewashed oak with limed grain, strong cathedral figure and a few small dark knots.Order a sample ›
Flamingo Raftwood Amazone FlamingoRaftwood AmazoneLight/NaturalPale sandy blond oak with rustic knots, open grey-filled cracks and heavy grain movement.Order a sample ›
Flamingo Raftwood Yukon FlamingoRaftwood YukonDarkNear-black oak with a cool blue-grey cast, deeply sawn texture, open cracks and knots.Order a sample ›
Flamingo Raftwood Canadian FlamingoRaftwood CanadianDarkCool slate-grey oak with a blue-pewter cast and tan grain, heavily scraped with cracks and knots.Order a sample ›
Flamingo Raftwood Yellowstone FlamingoRaftwood YellowstoneDarkSmoky charcoal-grey oak with warm tan undertones, deeply scraped and gouged with cracks and knots.Order a sample ›

Common questions

What’s the difference between an oiled and a lacquered floor?

An oiled finish soaks into the timber and cures in the grain, leaving a matte, natural look and an open texture you can feel. A lacquer sits on top as a clear film and can be made in anything from matte to gloss. Oiled floors are topped up with maintenance oil over time and can be spot-repaired in place; lacquered floors are re-coated by screen-and-coat when they’re due. Neither is “better” — it comes down to the look and the way you’d rather maintain it.

How do I look after an oiled floor?

Day to day, sweep or vacuum and clean with a product made for oiled floors (an oil-soap, not a general or lacquer cleaner). Every so often — how often depends on wear and traffic — the floor gets a coat of maintenance oil to refresh it. Small marks and busy spots can usually be re-oiled on their own, without touching the rest of the floor. Tell us your floor and we’ll point you to the right products.

Is an oiled floor right for me?

If you love the look and feel of natural timber — matte, tactile, with the grain still open — an oiled finish is hard to beat, and it suits a home where the occasional re-oil is welcome as part of caring for the floor. If you’d rather a finish that needs no oiling and you’re happy with a sealed surface, a lacquered floor may suit better. Order samples of both and see them in the room.

See an oiled floor in your own light

Order a free sample and see the matte, natural finish and the open grain in the room it is going in.

Order a sampleTalk to our team

Vienna Woods · Styles, Finishes & Textures

Timber is a natural material: variation in colour, tone, grain and texture between boards — and against samples and on-screen images — is normal and to be expected.