Custom Hardwood Pattern Installation in Atlanta
Classy Flooring ATL installs custom hardwood patterns for Atlanta homeowners who want a floor built around layout, proportion, and detail. We specialize in herringbone, chevron, custom border work, and brass and metal inlay executed through detailed layout planning, precise installation, and finish decisions that fit the space.
Classy Flooring ATL is led by Claudiu Toma, an NWFA Certified Installer, NWFA Certified Sand & Finisher and NWFA Certified Sales Advisor, who completed NWFA Precision Patterns: Parquet Flooring and NWFA Precision Patterns: Medallions. Every project is carried out by our in-house crew.
Small layout errors, subfloor inconsistencies, or weak border integration become visible quickly in a pattern floor. That is why every custom pattern project is approached with a higher level of preparation and control from the beginning.
Brass and metal inlay is set into a channel cut in the floor and bedded flush with the wood surface. There are several accepted ways to do this in the trade; we set the metal in the flooring adhesive so it holds within the same system as the floor—the approach Classy Flooring ATL uses for its long-term hold.
For solid brass specifications, the choice of metal, and pricing, see our Brass and Metal Inlay Hardwood Flooring page.
What Is Versailles Parquet Flooring? covers the parquet panels built in our shop. What Is a Floor Medallion? explains how a medallion is set into a hardwood floor.
Featured Project — Woodstock Estate: European White Oak Herringbone with Brass Inlay
Service: Custom pattern installation — shop-fabricated 90° herringbone, custom mechanically-locked border, and solid brass inlay
Wood: RW Floors Bowland Fells, Marshaw — European white oak, 9-1/2-inch by 5/8-inch plank, 4 mm sawn wear layer; single manufacturing batch across both houses
Finish: Factory-prefinished, wire-brushed urethane
Size: Approximately 332 square feet of herringbone — 150 in House 123’s catwalk and 182 in House 119’s upstairs hallway
Context: Two-house family estate in Woodstock, approximately 10,000 square feet in all (House 123: 5,693 sq ft; House 119: 4,500 sq ft); a single design firm specified the materials, pattern, and brass detailing across both homes, with the brass inlay carried through a catwalk and 15 doorway thresholds
The herringbone was shop-fabricated from the same 9-1/2-inch prefinished plank used across the estate — each board milled down to 4-1/2-inch pieces with the tongue-and-groove and bevel re-cut, then set in a true 90° field. The custom border was site-milled with a routed tongue-and-groove profile, which adds a mechanical lock to the adhesive bond and keeps the transition line straight and stable as the floor moves.
The solid C360 brass inlay — 1/4-inch by 1/2-inch, left unlacquered to patina — was set into a channel cut with a track saw and bedded in the flooring adhesive, MAPEI Ultrabond ECO 995, with its face flush with the wood, so it reads as part of the floor. Across the two houses, 214 linear feet of brass were installed: 76 around the herringbone in House 119’s upstairs hallway, and 138 in House 123, around the catwalk herringbone and carried through 15 doorway openings so the line stays aligned on both sides of each door.
Featured Project — Buckhead High-Rise
Service: Herringbone installation with custom tongue-and-groove border
Wood: Solid white oak, unfinished, 5-inch width, 20-inch length
Finish: LOBA EasyPrime sealer + two coats LOBA 2K Duo, satin, site-finished
Size: Approximately 1,500 square feet
Context: 24th-floor Buckhead condominium with HOA requirements, open-plan layout, floor-to-ceiling mirrors, and a significant art collection
The client first asked for a refinish. The on-site assessment found an engineered floor that had already been site-finished twice, with no wear layer left for a third sanding cycle, so we recommended replacing it.
The existing floor, a full-spread glue-down, was removed from the concrete, and the slab was ground flat to NWFA’s tolerance for glue-down and parquet floors, herringbone included: 3/16 inch in 10 feet or 1/8 inch in 6 feet. Herringbone shows a deviation sooner than straight-lay: the boards meet at an angle and the pattern runs uninterrupted, so any variation registers along the points. Roberts 6 mm natural cork, the acoustic underlayment the building requires, was adhered to the slab with WAKOL MS 260, and the herringbone was glued over it with the same adhesive.
The layout was planned around the room itself. The space was not a simple rectangle, so the herringbone field, border integration, room proportions, and major sightlines all had to work together. The decision to use 20-inch boards instead of 25-inch boards was made in consultation with the client so the pattern would feel balanced in the space rather than visually heavy.
Large pieces of art and floor-to-ceiling mirrors stayed in the unit, wrapped and protected through the work. A floor-level sculpture commissioned for the apartment could not be moved, so the existing floor was removed around it in small sections and the new herringbone and border were fitted to its base.
The 7-inch border is joined to the field with a routed tongue-and-groove connection, which adds a mechanical lock to the adhesive bond so the field and border move together through seasonal changes. The floor was sanded on site to NWFA’s parquet sanding guidelines, with the FG Floortec Discus planetary sander making the final passes at 100 and 120 grit, then finished with LOBA EasyPrime and two coats of LOBA 2K Duo in satin, applied by roller.
Before
After
Featured Project — Savannah Penthouse Residences
Service: Large-scale factory-made herringbone installation with custom tongue-and-groove border
Wood: Anderson Tuftex European Ash, Ballet — factory-made herringbone (AA846-17060), 4.72-inch by 23.62-inch pieces (Anderson Tuftex specification)
Finish: Prefinished, wire-brushed
Size: Approximately 5,000 square feet across two penthouse residences
Context: Two adjoining multi-level penthouses in Savannah, GA, with herringbone installed in every main room and framed by a custom border throughout
This was a large-scale custom pattern installation: approximately 5,000 square feet of engineered European Ash across two multi-level penthouse residences, with factory-made herringbone in the main rooms, framed by a custom 7-inch border, and the matching plank in a straight lay in the hallways.
The herringbone was glue-down on both levels. Each 4.72-by-23.62-inch piece was set into a full spread of Shaw 35 MC, the moisture-curing urethane adhesive the project architect specified, worked off snapped chalk and taped layout lines so the pattern stayed square across large, open rooms. The field was installed first and run past the border line, then cut back to a straight line with a track saw on a guide rail — the sequence NWFA’s ornamental floor guidelines describe — and the custom 7-inch border was set last, as a picture frame around the completed field in every room where the pattern ran.
The field-to-border connection is what holds the perimeter tight at this scale. The border was routed to a tongue-and-groove profile that engages the cut field edge along a machined joint, which indexes the two to the same height and keeps the border and the field mechanically locked as the floor responds to seasonal movement, so the frame line stays flat and tight in every room.
Featured Project — Dunwoody Fabricated Herringbone Entrance
Service: Custom herringbone entrance, shop-fabricated from the home’s wide engineered plank and installed on site, with a fabricated tongue-and-groove border
Wood: Builder-installed prefinished engineered hardwood, 9-inch plank, 4 mm wear layer — ripped and re-milled to 4¼-inch herringbone pieces
Finish: Factory-prefinished face left intact; cut edges and bevels color-matched with Rubio Monocoat Fumed + Oil Plus 2C, Super White
Size: Approximately 130 square feet, entrance hallway
Context: A Dunwoody, GA home already floored in a 9-inch prefinished engineered plank, where the owner wanted herringbone in the entrance — a floor that was never manufactured in that pattern
There was no factory herringbone made from the home’s floor, so we fabricated it from the builder’s own plank in our shop: ripped the 9-inch boards down to 4¼-inch pieces, re-milled the tongue and groove, and recreated the factory bevel so the new pieces matched the existing floor’s profile. Fabrication took one day in the shop and installation one day on site, with a two-person crew.
Freshly cut edges and bevels expose raw wood next to the prefinished face, so the new edges and bevels were treated with Rubio Monocoat Fumed and color-matched with Oil Plus 2C in Super White — sampled and approved before we committed it across the hallway — while the factory surface was left untouched. The herringbone was installed as a nail-assisted glue-down over plywood in MAPEI Ultrabond ECO 980, and joined to the home’s existing straight-run floor by a fabricated tongue-and-groove border milled from the same plank.
Featured Project — Monroe Herringbone Dining Room
Service: Custom herringbone feature with tongue-and-groove border, shop-fabricated from straight-layout material and installed on site
Wood: Prefinished engineered white oak, 9½-inch wide, 5/8-inch thick, four-sided micro-bevel — the same product used for the home’s straight-lay floors
Finish: Factory-prefinished; cut faces re-beveled by hand to match the factory profile, no site finishing of the field
Size: Approximately 180 square feet including border, in the dining room
Context: A new-construction home in Monroe, GA, already being floored in prefinished engineered white oak for straight installation, where the client decided mid-project to make the dining room a herringbone feature
The prefinished engineered white oak had been specified for a straight layout and is made only as straight-lay plank, so the herringbone pieces were fabricated in the shop from the same boards and installed on site: each board cut to a consistent 48-inch length on a miter saw, a groove milled into the cut end on a router table, and the micro-bevel recreated by hand with a 180-grit block to match the factory profile on the other three sides. A workshop mock-up confirmed the proportions and the tongue-and-groove fit before installation began.
The field was set at 45 degrees in WAKOL MS 260, working outward from a green-laser center line, over a concrete slab that was ground, tested at 65% relative humidity with in-situ probes, and given two coats of WAKOL PU 280, with a third coat in the herringbone zone so the adhesive was applied within WAKOL’s 72-hour installation window. After the field cured, the stepped perimeter was cut straight with a track saw, a groove was routed into the cut edge, and the border boards — the same prefinished oak, a single board width around a 60-linear-foot perimeter — locked into that groove as a tongue-and-groove joint. The bevel was recreated along the joint so the line between field and border matched the rest of the floor.
The five projects above are part of the work Classy Flooring ATL documents in Our Work, where each project has its own page: the starting condition, the wood, how it was prepared, installed or refinished, and the finish system. See our completed work →
Why Pattern Installation Is Different
Custom pattern work asks more of every stage of an installation than a standard plank floor, from the subfloor up.
Subfloor Preparation
NWFA’s flatness tolerance depends on how the floor is installed. For glue-down floors and for parquet patterns, which in NWFA’s guidelines include herringbone and chevron, it is 3/16 inch in 10 feet or 1/8 inch in 6 feet. For nail-down floors, it is 1/4 inch in 10 feet or 3/16 inch in 6 feet with fasteners 1-1/2 inches and longer, and the glue-down tolerance with shorter fasteners. Both apply unless the flooring manufacturer specifies otherwise. NWFA’s ornamental floor guidelines call subfloor flatness critical for borders, inlays, and patterns, because irregularities mirror in the finished floor. Minor deviations that might not stand out in a standard layout become visible once the same angled pieces repeat across a herringbone or chevron field. The subfloor is evaluated, corrected, and prepared to the tolerance that pattern requires before the flooring is installed. Our page on subfloor preparation for hardwood installation covers how each correction is made and priced.
Layout Planning
Pattern installation requires more than measuring the room and starting from one wall. The center point, pattern direction, border width, transitions, and relationship between the field pattern and the room geometry all have to be resolved before installation begins. In open-plan spaces, foyers, and rooms with architectural angles, that planning matters even more.
Precision Cutting and Border Integration
Pattern floors depend on consistency. Piece dimensions, angles, and border relationships all have to stay controlled so the pattern reads cleanly across the full floor. For precise, repeatable cuts, we use a Milwaukee plunge track saw with rail during pattern installation. Where borders are part of the design, we integrate them into the main floor system with a routed tongue-and-groove connection that helps create a more stable relationship between the border and the field pattern over time.
Patterns We Install
Herringbone
Rectangular pieces with square ends, set so the end of each piece meets the side of the next, forming a stepped zigzag. Herringbone is one of the most recognized custom hardwood layouts and requires clean subfloor preparation, consistent dimensions, and precise layout planning for the pattern to read correctly across the room.
Chevron
Pieces cut at a consistent angle so the ends meet in a clean point. Chevron requires tighter cutting control than herringbone because each point must close correctly and remain consistent throughout the installation.
Custom Borders
Borders define the edge of a pattern field and help frame the floor against the room. We design and install custom border widths and species combinations based on the project, then integrate the border into the main floor system for a more stable long-term result.
Additional Pattern Work
When the design calls for more complex layouts — Versailles parquet panels built in our shop, medallions, or feature inlay work — the pattern is planned project by project around the space, the material selection, and the design goal. Read Should Hardwood Floors Be Nailed or Glued? for how the installation method is chosen for each floor.
Formal Parquet Training Through the NWFA
Claudiu Toma completed the NWFA Precision Patterns: Parquet Flooring course in St. Louis, Missouri, in January 2026. The course covers traditional parquet panel construction, including Versailles-style pattern work.
Patterns like these depend on precise planning — small layout errors can affect the entire panel, which is why cutting accuracy and the fit of every piece in the assembly matter. This training reinforces the same standards Classy Flooring ATL applies to herringbone, chevron, borders, and custom pattern work across the Atlanta area.
Claudiu Toma completed the NWFA Precision Patterns: Medallions course in St. Louis, Missouri, in August 2026. The in-person course covers producing medallion styles by hand, including medallion symmetry, mosaics, and other decorative elements that form the focal point of a floor design. Classy Flooring ATL takes on medallion work as part of its custom pattern installations.
Wood Species for Pattern Work
Pattern floors are most commonly installed in white oak and red oak because they offer strong availability, reliable performance, and compatibility with a wide range of finish systems. White oak is often the first choice for premium residential pattern work because of its grain structure, color range, and flexibility with custom staining and modern finish options.
We have also installed pattern floors in walnut, maple, hickory, and selected exotic species when the design calls for a more specific visual result. Wood species selection affects cut behavior, finish absorption, visual character, and long-term movement, so that discussion is part of the planning process before the project is scoped.
What to Expect on a Pattern Project
In-Person Consultation
Claudiu visits the space before any scope is defined. He assesses the subfloor, takes measurements, discusses pattern options and wood species, and explains what the installation process will involve for that specific space. Once the scope is clear, you receive a written estimate and a project-specific scope of work, typically within 24 hours.
For what drives the price of a herringbone floor, see Why Does Herringbone Cost More Than Straight Plank?
Layout Planning and Material Specification
Before work begins, the layout is planned, the pattern direction is confirmed, and the materials are specified.
For when a herringbone floor should have a border, see Should a Herringbone Floor Have a Border?
For choosing solid or engineered wood for herringbone, see Solid Wood vs Engineered Wood for Herringbone.
For turning prefinished engineered flooring chosen for a straight layout into herringbone, see Herringbone from Prefinished Engineered Wood.
Subfloor Preparation
The subfloor is evaluated, corrected, and prepared to the standard required for the specific pattern installation before any flooring is installed.
For how flat the subfloor needs to be under a herringbone floor, see How Flat Does the Subfloor Need to Be for Herringbone?
Pattern Installation
Pieces are cut and installed to the planned layout, and the border is joined to the field with a routed tongue-and-groove connection as part of the main floor system. Throughout the job, updates are sent by text, email, or call — whichever you prefer. At the end of each workday, we go over what was completed and what happens next: in person when you are at the house, or by photos and videos when you are away.
Finishing
Where the project includes site finishing, the floor is sanded the way NWFA’s guidelines set out for parquet patterns, which include herringbone and chevron: angled cuts in opposing directions, then a multi-disc machine through the final grit. On our jobs that work is done with our planetary sanders, the American Sanders Epoch and FG Floortec Discus, and the final grit is 120. The finish system is matched to the wood species, the design goal, and the wear the space will take, and each is used as one manufacturer’s complete system, as NWFA recommends. Finish systems we use include Bona Traffic HD, LOBA 2K Duo, and Rubio Monocoat Oil Plus 2C.
For what changes between a site-finished and a prefinished herringbone floor, see Site-Finished vs Prefinished Herringbone.
Final Walkthrough
Claudiu walks through the completed floor with you in person and answers any questions. After completion, you receive a floor care guide written for your floor’s species, construction, and finish system, following the manufacturer’s maintenance recommendations.
If you are planning a herringbone, chevron, custom border, or brass inlay installation in the Atlanta area, we can evaluate the space, discuss the design options, and give you a clear picture of what the project involves.
To see project examples, visit our Gallery.
To learn more about our services, visit our Services page.
If you are ready to discuss your project, contact us through our Contact page.
Client Review from This Project
★★★★★ 5-star review — Source: Google Business Profile
“We had a fantastic experience with Claudiu and Classy Flooring. We live in a Buckhead high-rise condo, and they handled the project seamlessly, including all building and elevator requirements.
The craftsmanship is outstanding. We installed a white oak herringbone floor with a 7-inch tongue-and-groove border, finished on site, and the results are beautiful — truly high-end work with great attention to detail.
Claudio was professional, calm, and a pleasure to work with from start to finish. I would highly recommend Classy Flooring to anyone looking for exceptional quality and a smooth experience.”
— Arthur Simon
Project: White Oak Herringbone with 7-Inch Custom Border — Buckhead High-Rise
Client Review from This Project
★★★★★ 5-star review — Source: Google Business Profile
“Another masterpiece by Classy Flooring ATL. Just finished installing about 5,000 Sf. of engineered white oak flooring. Classy did an excellent job incorporating a herringbone design in the dinning room to break up the floor. I highly recommend this group and do not see myself entertaining any other company. Quality, cleanliness and attention to details speak for itself. Thank you again Classy Flooring ATL. for surpassing all expectations.”
— Steven Steven
Project: Herringbone Dining Room — Monroe, GA
Frequently asked questions
How much do herringbone floors cost?
At Classy Flooring ATL, herringbone installation starts at $7 per square foot, the same starting rate as chevron and custom borders, for projects of 1,000 sq ft and up; smaller projects are priced by the job. Straight-lay installation starts at $3.50 per square foot for solid and $4.00 for engineered, so the pattern runs close to double the straight-lay rate; the difference is the layout from working lines and the angled cuts at every wall and fixed element. The flooring itself is priced separately, by the product chosen. Other work is added only when the floor needs it: removing an existing floor starts at $4 per square foot, subfloor correction depends on its condition, and an unfinished floor is sanded and finished on site from $6 per square foot, with dustless sanding included. A herringbone entry or a single room is priced by the job, because a per-square-foot rate doesn’t cover the layout and setup on a small area. Every number is confirmed in a written estimate after Claudiu sees the space.
Which is better, chevron or herringbone?
Neither is better; they read differently. Herringbone uses rectangular pieces with square ends, set so the end of each piece meets the side of the next, which gives a stepped zigzag. Chevron uses pieces with ends cut at an angle, so they meet point to point in a continuous V down a center line. NWFA’s installation guidelines treat both as parquet patterns, with the same flatness tolerance — 3/16 inch in 10 feet or 1/8 inch in 6 feet — and a layout centered in the room, with the working lines set off the pattern’s own dimensions. Chevron takes tighter cutting control, because every point has to close exactly along the line. Classy Flooring ATL installs both; the documented projects on this page are herringbone, from the 130-square-foot Dunwoody entrance to two penthouse residences in Savannah.
Is chevron flooring cheaper than herringbone?
At installation, they start at the same rate: at Classy Flooring ATL, chevron and herringbone both begin at the $7 per square foot custom pattern rate for projects of 1,000 sq ft and up; smaller projects are priced by the job. Where the totals differ is the material and the cutting. Chevron pieces have angled ends that must close into a point along the center line every time, so the cutting control is tighter, and the price of the flooring depends on the product chosen in either pattern. The written estimate after Claudiu sees the space sets the actual figure for the room and the material.
What is the difference between parquet and herringbone?
Herringbone is one kind of parquet. Parquet is a wood floor made of pieces set in a repeating geometric pattern, and NWFA’s installation guidelines list herringbone and chevron among the parquet patterns. What separates them in a home is how the floor is built: herringbone is installed one rectangular piece at a time from working lines through the room, while a pattern such as Versailles is assembled first into square panels, and the panels are installed. In the Buckhead high-rise, the herringbone was installed one 5-by-20-inch solid white oak piece at a time inside a 7-inch border. Classy Flooring ATL builds Versailles panels in its shop; What Is Versailles Parquet Flooring? covers how they are made.
Can you still get parquet flooring?
Yes. Parquet is made today in three ways, and each appears in Classy Flooring ATL’s work. Factory-made parquet arrives ready to install: the Savannah penthouse residences are Anderson Tuftex European Ash herringbone in 4.72-by-23.62-inch pieces. Herringbone can also be fabricated in the shop from the same plank as the rest of the house, so the pattern is the same product as the surrounding floor: the Woodstock estate herringbone was milled from 9-1/2-inch RW Floors plank, and the Dunwoody entrance from the builder’s 9-inch engineered plank. Versailles panels are built by hand in our shop, installed unfinished, and sanded and finished on site.
Is herringbone flooring suitable for kitchens?
Yes, in hardwood, when the layout is planned around the kitchen and the floor is cared for the way NWFA directs. In a kitchen, the layout does most of the work: the pattern has to land correctly against cabinet runs, an island and appliances, and every cut at a fixed element shows. A border helps by giving the field a straight edge along the cabinetry. For care, NWFA’s guidelines call for wiping spills right away and damp-mopping only with a well-wrung mop, with no mop and bucket and no steam cleaner. In the Buckhead high-rise, the herringbone and its 7-inch border run through a non-rectangular kitchen with an island and an offset refrigerator and dishwasher, in the same direction as the rest of the residence, finished on site with LOBA EasyPrime and two coats of LOBA 2K Duo, which LOBA rates for extremely heavy wear and chemical resistance.
Does herringbone make a room look bigger or smaller?
That depends on the size of the pieces and the direction the pattern runs. A herringbone field points one way, and NWFA’s guidelines set that direction by the client’s preference, noting that the points often run toward the room’s longest dimension or toward a focal point. The piece size sets the scale of the pattern against the room: in the Buckhead high-rise, 20-inch boards were chosen over 25-inch boards in consultation with the client, so the pattern would feel balanced in the space rather than visually heavy. Classy Flooring ATL plans the layout and direction for each space, from the 130-square-foot Dunwoody entrance to the two Savannah penthouse residences.
What is the best pattern for wood flooring?
The one that fits the room and how the floor should read. A straight lay runs the boards in one direction and carries a floor through connected rooms. Herringbone and chevron set pieces at angles and make a room into a feature, and a border frames the pattern where it meets the walls. NWFA’s guidelines treat herringbone and chevron as parquet patterns, with the layout set from the center of the room so the pattern balances against the walls and focal points. In Classy Flooring ATL’s documented work, the pattern marks one space within a straight-lay floor in Monroe, Dunwoody and Woodstock, and runs through the whole residence in the Buckhead high-rise.
For more on subfloor preparation, moisture control, flatness correction, and the conditions that must be addressed before hardwood installation begins, see: Subfloor Preparation for Hardwood Installation in Atlanta