A patterned floor is one of the few flooring choices that changes how a room feels on its own, before any furniture goes in. Herringbone and chevron are the two patterns people ask about most. They are easy to confuse, they suit slightly different rooms, and both cost more than a straight lay for reasons that are worth understanding before you fall for a photo.
The difference between the two
Both patterns are made of short rectangular pieces laid in a zigzag. The difference is where the pieces meet.
- Herringbone uses rectangular pieces with square ends. The end of each piece butts against the side of the next, so the zigzag has a stepped, staggered edge. It is the more traditional of the two and reads as busier, with more visible movement.
- Chevron uses pieces with their ends cut at an angle, so the ends meet in a clean point and form a continuous V down the room. It reads as calmer and more graphic, with a strong sense of direction.
Because chevron pieces are cut at an angle at the factory, chevron planks are a specific product. Herringbone is made from standard rectangles, which is why it is available in more materials and more sizes.
Materials that come in each pattern
- Hardwood. Solid and engineered hardwood are both made in herringbone, and chevron is widely available in engineered. Wood is the classic material for both patterns, and a site-finished wood pattern is sanded and finished as one surface, which gives the most seamless result.
- Luxury vinyl. Herringbone LVP is available from many manufacturers, usually as matched left and right planks that click together. It brings the pattern into kitchens, basements and other rooms where wood is the wrong choice.
- Laminate. Herringbone laminate exists in a smaller range of products, with the same water limits as any laminate.
- Tile. Wood-look porcelain planks and smaller rectangular tiles are laid in herringbone on floors, backsplashes and shower walls, and the pattern can be set at almost any scale.
If you are choosing between hardwood types for a patterned floor, solid vs. engineered hardwood covers the difference, including which suits a floor over concrete or radiant heat.
Why patterned floors cost more
A straight-lay floor goes down row after row with a cut at each wall. A pattern has to be laid out from a reference line, and nearly every piece at the edge of the room is cut at an angle. Three things add to the price:
- Labor. Layout takes time, the pattern has to stay square across the whole room, and the angled cuts at every wall and doorway are slow. Installation labor for herringbone or chevron is considerably higher than for the same material laid straight.
- Material. Pattern-specific products usually cost more per square foot than the same line in standard planks.
- Waste. Angled perimeter cuts produce more offcuts. We plan 15 to 20 percent or more for patterned layouts, compared with roughly 7 to 10 percent for a straight lay in a simple room.
That is why patterned layouts sit toward the top of any installed price range. Our flooring cost guide lists the ranges by material, and how much flooring do you actually need? explains the waste allowances.
Laying out the pattern in the room
Most of the decisions that make a patterned floor look right happen before the first piece goes down.
- Direction. The point of the V, or the line of a herringbone, usually runs along the longest sightline: down a hallway, or from the entry toward the far wall. It pulls the eye that way and can make a narrow room feel longer.
- Centering. The pattern is centered on the room or on the main feature, such as a fireplace or a doorway, so the cut pieces at each side are equal. A pattern that starts against one wall ends with an awkward sliver on the other.
- Scale. Small pieces suit small rooms and read as texture; larger pieces suit large rooms and read as pattern. Very small herringbone in a large open room can look busy from a distance.
- Borders. A straight border of planks around the edge frames the pattern and simplifies the cuts at the walls. It is optional, and it is a traditional look in older homes.
Where patterns meet other floors
A patterned floor needs a clean place to stop. In a doorway the pattern usually ends at a threshold or a straight border, and between rooms it is common to run the pattern in one feature room, such as an entry, a dining room or a study, and a straight lay in the rooms around it in the same species and color. That reads as a deliberate design choice and keeps the cost of the pattern where it shows most.
Where one floor should stop and the next should start covers the rules for transitions, which matter even more with a pattern.
Subfloor and installation
Patterns are less forgiving of a poor subfloor than a straight lay. Short pieces show every dip and rise, and in a click-together herringbone, joints that flex over an uneven subfloor separate faster because there are more of them per square foot. Flatness is checked and corrected before any patterned floor goes down. Solid and engineered wood patterns are typically glued or nailed, which is part of why they feel so solid underfoot.
Is a patterned floor right for your room?
A pattern earns its cost in a room people look at: an entry, a dining room, a living room with a strong focal point, a study. It is harder to justify in a bedroom that is mostly covered by furniture and a rug, or in a room you plan to cover with a large area rug anyway.
We install herringbone and chevron in hardwood and tile. Our hardwood flooring page covers the species and products we work with, and our tile and stone page covers patterned tile. Every install carries our lifetime workmanship warranty. Book a free in-home estimate and we will bring pattern samples to lay out in the room.