Raising the Bar - Antiqued French Oak Flooring: Great House & Country House Collections

March 15, 2022

Antique French oak floors are one of beauty, adding an historic ambiance of warmth and tranquilly.  At Historic Decorative Materials, we specialize in offering four antiqued French oak flooring collections that elevate a variety of interiors. 

Admiring the photo above, it is no easy task to take newly milled French oak planks and create it into the appearance of French reclaimed oak flooring.  Not to be taken for granted, the softness of the grain and edging, the matte patina and translucency of hue is extraordinary.

To create the nuances of these antiqued French oak floors, our technicians and wood craftsmen use a 7-10 step oxidation method. Working within the tannin of the oak planks, an accelerating aging and coloring process takes place, which achieves the matte patina and translucent colors of an authentic, reclaimed French oak floor.  They arrive pre-finished for the patina and color are now apart of the surface texture of the wood floor - there are neither stains nor oils floating on its surface. 

Hand crafted, our woodworkers artistry and discipline is revealed in every Kings of France 18th Century French Oak Plank

The planks, sizes up to 12" in width and 118" in length, are available in solid or engineered, end matched with spline or tongue and groove.  Creativity knows no bounds as well, for these antiqued French oak floors also come in chevron, herringbone, parquet de Versailles and custom stair treads. Hand-finished, the efforts made to recreate a French reclaimed oak floor, are heroic.  For a peace of mind as well, these oak planks come from sustainably managed forests in France and are PEFC and FSC Certified.

The Great House Antiqued French Oak Flooring Collection

The Great House Antiqued French Oak Flooring Collection has a soft elegance visually. The prized matte patina and translucency of colors resemble a French reclaimed oak floor, as well the aged edge detail.  This type of French oak floor can find a home in such a variety of interiors.  From charming English cottages and old country homes and French farmhouses to historic NYC brownstones and carriage house to a Parisian pied-à-terre.  The diversity of interiors will always be anchored with an historic warmth, elegance and authenticity of a Great House Antiqued French Oak Floor.

Two very different but beautiful Parisian apartments revealing how versatile our Kings of France 18th Century French Oak Floors are - from a traditional pied-a-terre with the parquet de Versailles French oak floor to a modern interior showcasing the chevron pattern.

One of our most popular colors, The Great House Antiqued French Oak Flooring Collection in the Cepes has a mix of brown and gray hues.

This French oak floor called Vintage Oak, has incredible tones of warm oak with grey and black undertones.  

The Great House Antiqued French Oak Flooring Collection in Weathered Oak is a warm, inviting honey colored oak that works so well with historic interiors. 

Weathered Grey is one of our most popular French oak grey wood floors that exude historic authenticity.  

The Great House Antiqued French Oak Flooring Collection is elegant and soft in matte patina.  The colors are subdued and can marry with a variety of antique French limestone floor colors.  

The contrast between the high-gloss painted white walls and the historic soft, matte patina of this Great House Antiqued French Oak Floor in the chevron pattern allows a minimalist interior to have a warm aesthetic.

This particular interior emphasizes soft surfaces where the hand worked scroll banister marries beautifully with The Great House Antiqued French Oak Floor where the French oak grains and patterns are nuanced and quiet.

A mix of farmhouse and industrial - this interior with the black metal window casings and white walls is softened and warmed by this Great House Antiqued French Oak Floor in color, Smolder.

This is a Parisian pied-à-terre where the natural oak color of this Great House Antiqued French Oak Floor in the parquet de Versailles pattern heightens the elegance of the olive painted mill work, yet retaining a sense of historic authenticity.

The Chevron pattern from the this Great House Antiqued French Oak Floor plays off the modernity and geometry of forms while creating a beautiful tension from the wood floor's softness and history.

An up close image of a Parquet de Versailles panel from The Great House Antiqued French Oak Flooring Collection allows one to appreciate the matte patina, the mill work, the authentic color that seems to just live inside the oak itself and it's hand worked edge detail. 

The Country House Antiqued French Oak Flooring Collection is luxurious.  The wide-planks and historic lengths, the time-worn authentic colors that seem to be coming from within and the raised French oak grain following the noble patterns of the French oak call out to be walked upon.

The surface texture of The Country House Antiqued French Oak Flooring Collection is a weathered, highly brushed and aged French oak floor with an undulating surface that makes for an historic masterpiece.  It's the French oak floor that gets the most appreciation for it's width, length, texture, color and patina, as well as it's ability to fit into a variety of interiors from historic farmhouse and luxury to minimalist and industrial styles.

The Country House Antiqued French Oak Flooring Collection marries with so many interiors.  The contrast of this minimalist coastal home is softened and retains a sense of history, when contrasted with the white, silver and black elements of this room.

At first glance, one is impressed by the girth of these planks, which is available up to 11 3/4" wide and up to 118" long.  The option of fixed width seems to enlarge a room, where its scale calls for handsome accouterments.

One of the best French grey wood floors on the market with historic accuracy, the Country House Antiqued French Oak Floor compliments this showroom where a mix of contemporary and farmhouse elements marry beautifully.

The textures of the Country House Antiqued French Oak Flooring Collection is more vigorously hand worked and aged, removing the soft wood from the oak.  The result reveals the hard wood left behind, following the veining and patterning of the the noble French oak grain.  And like the Great House Collection, the edging detail of the Country House Collection is also hand worked - which allows for the most authentic installation similar to a reclaimed French oak wood floor.

In this image above, the depth and beauty of the Country House French Oak Floor is the backdrop for this minimalist interior that emphasizes organic materials and bringing the outside in.

In the image above, notice the incredible widths of the French oak planks and it's matte patina. This inspired Axel Verdvoordt interior using an oak and white color palette combines minimalist and contemporary details where the floor is the anchor.

Burnt Oak Country House Antiqued French Oak Floor: A shou sugi ban technique where the natural oak is slightly burned to enrich the color and texture.  Notice the incredible aging technique that reveals in the most natural of ways the French oak grains and patterns.

Country House Antique French Oak Floor in Vintage Grey will be the wood floor you will fall in love with if you are wanting an authentically reclaimed looking grey wood floor.  It's warm and cool -  where the undertones of oak colors intermingle with the dark and light grey tones. These colors allow for creativity in design - a floor color that marries so well with blacks, whites, oak and various metals.

Authentic Oak in the Country House Antiqued French Oak Flooring Collection is the natural French oak floor one dreams of when creating aesthetics from old world to minimalist interiors. The soft natural oak colors and incredible aging techniques create a natural environment that marry well with various color schemes - like blues, creams, grays or blacks.

Olde Walnut is an incredibly warm gray brown from the Country House Collection. Due to the oxidation method, one can see how the depth of this color seems to reside within the oak planks intermingling with the oak grains and patterns. A deep, rich and historic French oak floor will make a variety interiors a success.

The beauty of these antiqued French oak floors is that they are pre-finished.  The matte patina and colors reside within the surface of each plank. Upon installation completion, these floors will seem to reside in the 18th century.  Thinking about the talent and effort to create these floors must be acknowledged.  One could never arrive at this authenticity by installing newly milled French oak planks and then going through the steps of sanding, staining or applying an oil color over the surface.  This technique does not come close to the artistry of these antiqued French oak flooring collections.

Thank you for your time,

Emmi Micallef, Co-Founder
Historic Decorative Materials, a Division of the Pavé Tile, Wood & Stone, Inc. Showroom

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