Herringbone is the most requested premium pattern we fit. It looks stunning but costs more and takes longer. Here's the honest answer to whether it's worth it for your home.
What Makes Herringbone Different
Herringbone is laid at 45 degrees to the walls, with short planks meeting at right angles to form a zigzag. A straight lay runs long boards in parallel rows. That one change makes herringbone far more striking, but it also makes it far more demanding to fit.
Every plank in a herringbone floor is cut and placed individually, the edges of the room need angled cuts all the way round, and the pattern has to be set out precisely or the whole floor drifts out of line. There is also more waste material from the angled cuts. All of this means herringbone takes 50–100% longer to fit than the same floor laid straight.
How Much Extra Does Herringbone Cost?
Because it takes longer, herringbone fitting labour typically costs 30–50% more than a straight lay of the same material. To give you an idea, a living room that takes about 4 hours as a straight lay would take 6–8 hours in herringbone.
Materials cost a little more too. The angled cuts create more off-cuts, so you need to buy around 10–15% extra flooring to allow for wastage. We work out how much you need for your room when we quote, so you don't overbuy or run short halfway through the job.
Which Flooring Types Work as Herringbone?
LVT herringbone is the most popular choice. The planks click or glue together in the pattern, and you get the herringbone look with all the practical benefits of LVT — waterproof, durable and easy to clean. Engineered wood herringbone gives the most premium, natural look, and needs gluing down to the subfloor for a solid, stable finish.
Laminate herringbone is less common but achievable, and is the budget route to the look in dry rooms. Then there is parquet — traditional solid wood blocks, the original herringbone floor found in many older homes. Whichever material you choose, accurate setting out is what makes or breaks the finished floor.
Where Herringbone Works Best
Hallways are one of the best places for herringbone. The narrow space makes the pattern dramatic, drawing your eye down the hall, and it is the first thing anyone sees when they walk through the front door. Living rooms work brilliantly too, because a larger floor area lets the pattern breathe.
Kitchens are a growing favourite — LVT herringbone in the kitchen is very popular right now because it combines the pattern with a waterproof surface. Where herringbone doesn't work so well is in very small rooms, such as a downstairs toilet or a box room, where there isn't enough floor for the pattern to show and it simply gets lost.
Is It Worth the Extra Cost?
Yes — in the right rooms. A herringbone hallway is the first thing guests see, and it sets the tone for the whole house. In a living room or open plan kitchen-diner, it turns the floor into a feature rather than a backdrop. If you plan to stay in your home for years, the extra cost is spread over a long time of enjoying it.
Herringbone can also add perceived value to a property. It photographs well, so it stands out in listing photos, and on higher-end properties a quality herringbone floor helps a home feel more premium to buyers. If budget is tight, consider herringbone in the hallway and a straight lay elsewhere — you get the impact where it counts for much less extra cost.