Textured substrates

What a pleasure to walk barefoot around the house, feel the warm texture of wood under one's feet, be in touch with a natural element in one's own home, every day.  A warm, welcoming interior is not only the result of well-chosen furnishings: finishes also play an essential role.  And wooden floors are at the top of this category. While it is self-evident that the trend in today's interior decoration is to try to meet people's desire for increasingly comfortable homes that are pleasant to live in, what is less obvious is the decorative quality of parquet as one of the best solutions for this rediscovery of naturalness.

The tradition to use wooden flooring in houses goes back centuries, not only because of the many properties of wood including insulation, strength and durability, but no doubt also because of the warm atmosphere created by this material, which adds a touch of elegance to any decoration style. For manufacturers, the challenge today is a matter of size, design and innovation. An example of this its'  ExtraMass by  Ali Parquets, a collection of solid parquet boards exceeding traditional sizes (14mm in thickness, 120/140mm in width and 600-1400mm in length) with a strong visual impact and clean lines.

Biscuit, designed by Patricia Urquiola for Listone Giordano, originates from a thorough study of traditional parquet laying methods, and is conceived as an ideal link between the historical legacy of wooden flooring systems and contemporary style. The rounded profile of the strip ends introduces an entirely new look compared to the traditional linear nature of the module, transforming the floor into a rich weave of interlacing elements. Featuring an entirely different allure, Bricole  by Old Floor is inspired by a design philosophy that aims to recover tradition and uniqueness. The strips are made from the "bricole", the oak and chestnut poles that rise from the lagoon of Venice, transformed through a complex process into an exclusive parquet line.

What if the charm of wood not only dominates the floors, but is pushed to the limit, covering the walls as well? This bold solution has been successfully employed by architect and designer Rafael Rivera, in the renovation project of a 19th century house in Mexico City: using the Heritage collection by Listone Giordano also for the walls, he created a "vertical floor" with a perfect continuity of style and materials.