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Hardwood flooring in a villa: an architect's guide to species, formats and laying
Hardwood flooring: solid or engineered, oak or walnut, herringbone or wide plank, and how it is laid, explained by architects.
Hardwood flooring in a villa: what it means to design it
Hardwood flooring is the material of the villa you touch the most: you walk on it every day, you see it in every photograph, and after the walls it is the largest surface in the house. That is why it should not be left to the end of the works. It is a design decision that affects light, acoustics, heating and the way the floor meets stone, porcelain stoneware and thresholds.
Search results for hardwood flooring are mostly online shops and wholesalers. This guide does something different. As architects who design villas in Italy, we explain how to choose between solid and engineered boards, which species and which format, how the floor is laid, how it lives with radiant heating, and what to ask the supplier. We have no catalogue to sell, and we do not quote prices that would be wrong from one site to the next.
Hardwood flooring: the essentials
- Solid or engineered: the first decision, and it depends on the heating system, the format and the room.
- Oak is the most requested and most versatile species; walnut and others bring more colour and more variation.
- Format and pattern: wide plank for calm and continuity, herringbone or chevron for movement.
- Finish: oil or lacquer, in the factory or on site, change the look and the maintenance.
- The substrate decides how long it lasts: a good floor over a screed that is not ready will fail anyway.
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Solid or engineered hardwood: the first choice
The difference is not quality but behaviour. Timber moves with humidity: it swells and shrinks. Solid boards do it more; engineered boards, with a wear layer glued on a cross-layered base, do it less. This is how we read solid and engineered hardwood flooring in a project:
| Type | What it is | Strengths | Limits | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solid | A whole board of timber, the same species through the full thickness | Can be sanded several times, full character | More sensitive to humidity and swings, more delicate to lay | Stable rooms, no radiant heating, boards that are not too wide |
| Engineered (prefinished) | A wear layer of timber glued on a cross-layered wood base | More stable, suits wide formats, often finished in the factory | The sanding allowed depends on the thickness of the wear layer | Wide planks, well insulated homes, radiant floors, short building schedules |
In catalogues engineered boards are often called prefinished, because they arrive sanded and lacquered or oiled in the factory. A prefinished floor can be laid and used at once, but once it is down there is little room for correction: mistakes in the substrate or in the levels show. Solid boards sanded on site give a perfectly continuous surface, with more effort and more time on site.
A practical rule we use for hardwood flooring: the wider the format and the more the room is exposed to variations, the more prudent engineered boards are. For stable rooms, with boards that are not too wide and a low temperature heating system regulated by zone, solid wood remains a beautiful choice.
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The standard behind hardwood flooring: EN 14342
Wood flooring sold in Europe is covered by a dedicated standard, EN 14342, which defines the characteristics of wood flooring and parquet, the evaluation of conformity and the marking. For a buyer of hardwood flooring it is a simple test: a serious product comes with documents saying what it is, in which class and with which declared characteristics. Ask the supplier for the documents that accompany the product under this standard before you choose the sample, not after the floor is laid.
The standard applies to products with or without lacquer, oil or wax, and to those treated against fire or biological agents. It does not tell you which floor is more beautiful, and it does not replace the advice of the fitter. It is, however, the quickest way to tell a declared product from one that is only described.
Oak, walnut and the other species of hardwood flooring
Oak flooring is the most frequent choice, and not out of fashion: it has a readable grain, a colour that runs from pale to warm, and it takes many finishes, from natural oil to brushed grey. It is also the species contemporary architecture feels most at ease with, because it does not impose itself on the other materials. With oak you can work in two opposite ways: clean, with few visible knots, or lived in, with knots and variation that give character.
In hardwood flooring, walnut brings a darker, deeper colour, with more variation from board to board; it works in houses where the floor must be the protagonist, and it needs more attention to light, which changes its tone over time. Other species, from ash to cherry, from chestnut to exotic woods, behave differently: before falling for a sample, ask the producer how it behaves with humidity, light and the heating you have.
In every case choose your hardwood flooring by looking at a large board, not a small one. A sample ten centimetres long does not show the variation from board to board, the knots, or the way the light of your room brings out the grain. Ask for at least a full board and look at it in the room, in the morning and in the evening.
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Hardwood flooring patterns: wide plank, strip, herringbone
After the species comes the pattern. These are the formats we meet most often in a villa, and each one changes the character of the room:
| Pattern | How it looks | Effect in the room |
|---|---|---|
| Wide plank | Few joints, long and wide boards | Calm, continuity, large rooms |
| Strip or narrow board | Narrower boards laid in rows | Regular rhythm, suits any size |
| Herringbone | Rectangular blocks with square ends, laid in a V | Movement, tradition, smaller rooms |
| Chevron | Blocks with angled ends forming a continuous V | More fluid and more refined than herringbone |
| Panels | Squares of blocks assembled in the factory and laid like tiles | A historic pattern, for period houses |
The herringbone floor is among the most searched patterns, and the reason is simple: it looks both old and contemporary, and it gives movement to a room that would otherwise be very clean. It should be used with measure: over the whole house it can become repetitive; in a corridor or an entrance it becomes a carpet of wood. In a small room it works better than a wide plank, which needs metres to breathe.
Two other choices change the effect of hardwood flooring: the direction of the boards and the continuity between rooms. Boards are generally laid in the direction of the light, parallel to the main window, because the joints then show less. A floor that continues from one room to the next without thresholds makes the house feel larger, but you must decide beforehand where the doors, the expansion joints and the changes of material are.
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Hardwood flooring finish: oil, lacquer or raw effect
The finish decides the look and the maintenance. Oil leaves the wood more natural and matt, can be repaired locally and renewed without sanding the whole floor, but it needs periodic maintenance. Lacquer, generally water based, forms a more protective film and resists traffic and liquids better, but when it is damaged it needs a wider intervention. Brushed or raw effect surfaces hide scratches and footprints better, because the grain is already irregular.
Prefinished hardwood flooring arrives with the finish applied in the factory under controlled conditions; hardwood flooring sanded on site is finished in the building, after laying. The first is more consistent, the second allows almost invisible joints. In both cases ask for the data sheet of the finishing product: that is where it says how to clean and renew it, and a beautiful floor maintained with the wrong product is spoiled.
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Laying hardwood flooring: where the floor is won or lost
Hardwood flooring does not forgive mistakes beneath it. The screed must be dry, flat and clean; laying follows the producer’s instructions on the moisture content of the substrate, which is measured with an instrument and written in a report before work begins. If you lay on a screed that is still damp, the wood absorbs the water and deforms even months later. We do not give generic figures, because they are those of the flooring producer and of the screed binder, and both must be respected.
There are three ways to lay hardwood flooring: glued to the screed, floating, that is placed on an underlay and clicked together, and nailed to a timber base. Glued is the most used in a new villa, because it gives a solid surface and good acoustic and thermal behaviour; floating is quicker and reversible but is heard more underfoot; nailed belongs mostly to houses with timber beams.
Two more things are decided in the design: the perimeter joint along the walls, which leaves the wood room to expand, and the coherence of levels between one room and the next.
Hardwood flooring and underfloor heating
It is the question we are asked most, and the answer is yes, with the right choice. Underfloor heating warms the wood from below, and wood reacts to heat with small movements. This is why engineered boards are generally the more prudent choice, especially in wide planks, while solid wood needs more care. The producer declares for each product whether it suits a radiant floor and at which surface temperature: ask for it in writing, and pass it on to whoever designs the system.
Commissioning hardwood flooring matters too: the system is switched on gradually before laying, to drive moisture out of the screed, and then regulated by zone at moderate temperatures. A well regulated system, in a very well insulated house, works at low temperatures: the best condition both for comfort and for the wood.
Hardwood flooring in a very insulated, ventilated house
The houses we design today have more stable air than those of the past: airtight windows, continuous insulation, controlled mechanical ventilation. For a wooden floor this is an advantage, because timber suffers mostly from swings in humidity between winter and summer. A house that keeps relative humidity in a constant range keeps hardwood flooring still; a house that dries out in winter with the radiators on makes it move.
That is why it makes sense to think hardwood flooring and services together: ventilation, any humidification, heating regulation. Hardwood flooring in a well designed house gives few problems; the same floor in a badly regulated house soon shows gaps between boards.
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Hardwood in the kitchen, bathroom, terrace: where yes and where no
In living rooms, bedrooms and corridors hardwood flooring is the natural choice. In the kitchen it is possible, with a protective finish and the habit of drying spills at once: many owners choose it to continue the same floor across the whole day area. In bathrooms we advise against traditional hardwood flooring, because constant humidity is its enemy: a porcelain stoneware or a stone is better, as we explain in the guide to natural stone, and in a zone with a walk in shower the choice is even clearer.
Outdoors, on terraces and around pools, interior hardwood flooring must not be used. There are woods and treatments designed for exteriors, but they are a different product with different maintenance: always ask whether the material is declared for the use you have in mind, because the same species can behave differently when it is meant for outdoors.
Hardwood flooring thresholds, joints and the meeting with stone and porcelain
Where hardwood flooring meets another material, the design shows. The cleanest junction is flush, with a thin joint in metal or elastic material that lets the floor expand without creating a step. In a contemporary house we avoid raised thresholds in hardwood flooring, and we draw the meeting of hardwood and stone at the point where there is already a change of function: an entrance, a bathroom, a passage towards the sleeping area.
The skirting is the other detail that separates a well designed floor from one that is merely laid. In minimal houses a flush skirting is preferred, hidden, or replaced by a shadow gap in the plaster; in more traditional ones a tall, decisive skirting gives proportion to the room. In both cases its position must be decided before the plaster, because it changes the drawing of the wall.
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Hardwood flooring in our projects
In the studio’s projects hardwood flooring almost always appears next to stone and plaster, because that is where the contrast between materials works best. In the corridor of MD Home in Verona the wood floor is by MAFI, as stated in the project record; at AV Home in Dueville the wood meets the plaster in a sequence of very bright rooms. These are floors chosen for the project, not from a catalogue, and the same reasoning applies to every house.
What we look for in hardwood flooring is continuity: a floor that accompanies the eye from the entrance to the garden, with no pointless cuts and with a tone consistent with the other surfaces. When the wood is beautiful, the house does not need many other effects.
Care and life expectancy of hardwood flooring
The life of hardwood flooring depends on three things: the thickness of the wear layer, which decides how many sandings are possible; the finish; and daily care. We do not write a number of years, because without knowing these three factors it would be an invention. We can say that a well laid and well kept floor accompanies the house for many years, and that solid wood can be renewed several times, while in engineered boards the sandings possible depend on how thick the wear layer is.
Day to day care of hardwood flooring is simple: vacuum the dust, clean with products suited to the finish, keep felt pads under chairs, dry water at once. Sun changes the colour of wood over time: walnut tends to lighten, other species to darken; curtains and filtering glass reduce the effect. An oiled floor is renewed with a maintenance oil when it turns dull; a lacquered one is restored by working on the surface.
The disadvantages of hardwood flooring are well known and should be said: it can scratch, it suffers water and swings in humidity, and it changes colour with light. They are also the reason a wood floor is so loved: it ages with the house, and the mark of time is part of its character. Anyone who wants a floor that never changes needs a different material.
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How much does hardwood flooring cost
We do not give generic figures, because the quotes we see vary too much to be useful in a guide: an engineered oak prefinished floor and a solid wide plank sanded on site cannot be compared. The real cost depends on four items: the material (species, grade, format, thickness), the laying with preparation of the substrate, the finish, and the accessories (skirting, thresholds, joints).
Our advice on hardwood flooring is to ask for separate quotes for these four items, for the same species and format, and to distrust anyone who offers an «all inclusive» price per square metre without saying how the screed is prepared. For a large home, laying is as important an item as the material.
The brands in our projects
Among the brands indicated in the studio’s project records for wood flooring there is MAFI, in the corridor of MD Home in Verona. It is not a partner or a sponsor of this guide: it is a brand used in one project, and the choice always depends on the house. The full range of materials and systems is in The Villa Edit.
Hardwood flooring: ten mistakes to avoid
- Choosing the sample before knowing whether the house has radiant floors.
- Laying on a screed that is not dry or not measured.
- Judging colour from a sample a few centimetres long.
- Putting solid wide planks over a radiant system without a written declaration from the producer.
- Forgetting the perimeter joint along the walls.
- Choosing wood for the bathroom or kitchen without a protective finish.
- Leaving the choice of skirting until after the plaster.
- Not asking for the product documents under EN 14342.
- Using cleaning products not suited to the finish.
- Comparing quotes without separating material, laying, finish and accessories.
Hardwood flooring: frequently asked questions
How long does hardwood flooring last?
It depends on the thickness of the wear layer, the finish and the care. A well laid and well kept floor lasts many years, and solid wood can be sanded several times; in engineered boards the sandings possible depend on the thickness of the wear layer.
What are the disadvantages of engineered hardwood?
Its sanding is limited by the thickness of the wear layer, and once laid it leaves little room to correct errors in the substrate. In exchange it is more stable, which is why it is the prudent choice for wide planks and radiant floors.
Is engineered hardwood as good as solid hardwood?
It is not a question of quality but of behaviour: engineered boards move less with humidity, solid boards can be sanded more often. The choice depends on the room, the format and the heating.
Can you put hardwood flooring over underfloor heating?
Yes, with the right product: generally an engineered floor declared suitable by the producer in writing, and a system regulated at moderate temperatures. Solid wide planks need more caution.
What is a herringbone floor?
A pattern made with rectangular blocks laid in a V, which gives movement to a room. Chevron has the ends cut at an angle and forms a continuous V.
Can hardwood be used in a kitchen?
Yes, with a protective finish and the habit of drying spills at once. In bathrooms we prefer porcelain stoneware or stone.
How much does hardwood flooring cost?
It depends on species, format, thickness, laying, finish and accessories. Ask for separate quotes for these items, for the same product.
Choosing hardwood flooring for a villa?
Send us the plan: we tell you which kind of hardwood floor suits your heating system and your house, what to verify with the producer and the fitter, and where to draw thresholds and junctions. For a complete project see Signature Architecture or write to us from Contact.
Sources: BSI, EN 14342: wood flooring and parquet, characteristics, evaluation of conformity and marking. Checked on 7 November 2026. Brand cited: MAFI, from the MD Home project record. Photos: projects by Federico Cappellina Architects.
Would you like an opinion on the project?
Send us the plan: we reply with the points to verify.
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