Herringbone uses rectangular blocks with square ends, laid at 90 degrees to each other so the ends sit against the sides of the next block, creating a broken zigzag. Chevron uses blocks cut at an angle on both ends, so they meet point to point and form a continuous unbroken V.
Look at the seam running up the middle of the pattern. If it zigzags in little steps, it’s herringbone. If it’s a clean straight line of perfect Vs, it’s chevron.
Beyond that: herringbone is the more traditional, more forgiving and cheaper of the two. Chevron is sharper, more contemporary, more formal, and runs roughly 10 to 30 percent more once material and labour are added up.
For most Melbourne homes, herringbone is the right answer. It suits more architectural styles, it’s available in far more colours and sizes, and it handles awkward room shapes better. Chevron is the choice when you want a strong directional statement in a well proportioned space and the budget allows for it.
We provide quality Engineered Timber Floors Melbourne for homes and businesses.
Visual Comparison: 90 Degree Staggered Joints vs Angled Point to Point
Herringbone. Every block is a plain rectangle, usually something like 600mm by 120mm. The end of one block butts against the side of the next at a right angle. Because the ends are square, the blocks step past each other and the pattern has a slight stagger to it. The overall effect is woven, textured, and it has movement in it.
Chevron. Every block is cut at 45 degrees (sometimes 30 or 60) on both ends. Two blocks meet nose to nose and form a perfect point. Every row lines up exactly with the row above, so you get continuous unbroken V shapes marching down the floor. The effect is sharper, more graphic and more directional.
Two practical consequences of that difference:
Chevron blocks are handed. Every left facing block needs a matching right facing block. They’re manufactured as a pair, you can’t cut one to make the other on site, and if you run short of one hand you have a problem. Herringbone blocks are all identical, which is why they’re cheaper to make and easier to work with.
Chevron shows set out errors instantly. Because every point has to line up down a straight seam, a couple of millimetres of drift compounds visibly across a room. Herringbone’s staggered joints are far more forgiving of small imperfections.
Side by Side Table
| Herringbone | Chevron | |
| Block shape | Rectangular, square ends | Angled ends, cut at 45, 30 or 60 degrees |
| Pattern read | Woven, stepped, textured | Continuous V, sharp, directional |
| Feel | Classic, warm, traditional to transitional | Modern, formal, architectural |
| Handed blocks | No, all the same | Yes, left and right pairs |
| Supply price | $85 to $170 per m² | $95 to $190 per m² |
| Installed price | $180 to $280 per m² | $200 to $320 per m² |
| Labour premium over straight lay | 30 to 40 percent | 40 to 60 percent |
| Wastage | 10 to 12 percent | 12 to 15 percent |
| Install time, 40m² | 4 to 5 days | 5 to 7 days |
| Tolerance for error | Forgiving | Very unforgiving |
| Availability in Australia | Wide, many colours and sizes | Narrower range |
| Best room | Entry, hallway, living, kitchen, most spaces | Living, dining, formal spaces, long galleries |
| Suits small rooms | Yes, with a smaller block | Less well |
Take a look at the main categories available:
Cost Difference: Why Chevron Runs 10 to 30 Percent More
Three separate things stack up.
- Manufacturing. Cutting a 45 degree angle on both ends of every block throws away material at each end, and it has to be done to a much tighter tolerance because the points must meet perfectly. Chevron also has to be produced in matched left and right pairs. That typically adds $10 to $25 per m² at supply.
- Wastage. Chevron typically needs 12 to 15 percent versus herringbone’s 10 to 12 percent, because the angled offcuts at the walls usually can’t be reused elsewhere. On herringbone many offcuts can be flipped and used at the opposite wall.
- Labour. Both patterns cost far more to lay than a straight plank floor, which is normally 30 to 50 percent more for herringbone and 40 to 60 percent for chevron. The set out is the reason. Getting the centre line right, dry laying to check the pattern lands well at every wall, and then keeping the points aligned across a whole room takes real skill and a lot of time.
Put together, on a 40m² living area:
| Herringbone | Chevron | |
| Material with wastage | $6,700 | $7,900 |
| Labour | $3,600 | $4,400 |
| Total | $10,300 | $12,300 |
| Per m² | $258 | $308 |
Roughly $2,000, or about 20 percent, for the same square metreage. Whether that’s worth it is a taste question, not a value question, since both floors will perform identically.
Which Works Better in Small Rooms and Hallways?
Herringbone, in most cases, and the reason is scale and forgiveness.
Herringbone works in a small room because the block size can shrink with the room. A 400mm by 90mm block in a small entry keeps the pattern legible and in proportion. Chevron in a small space tends to look compressed, because the eye needs to follow the V down the room to appreciate it, and a small room cuts that off after two or three repeats.
Hallways are where the difference is starkest. A herringbone hallway looks classic and traditional, and it handles the inevitable doorways and returns without drama. A chevron hallway can look spectacular if the hall is long and straight and the pattern runs down its length, but it’s punishing if there are doorways breaking it up, because every interruption disturbs the alignment.
Both patterns visually widen a narrow space, which is one of their genuine advantages over straight boards. A narrow hallway laid with straight planks running lengthways can feel like a corridor. Herringbone breaks that up and softens it.
A note on rooms that aren’t square. Melbourne homes, especially older ones, often have walls that aren’t parallel. Herringbone hides that. Chevron announces it, because the straight centre seam gives the eye a perfect reference line to compare the walls against. If your room is visibly out of square, herringbone is the safer choice.
Block Size: How Scale Changes the Result
This gets far less attention than it deserves, and it changes the finished floor more than the colour does.
| Block size | Reads as | Best in |
| 400mm by 70mm to 90mm | Fine, traditional, busy | Small entries, bathrooms, period homes |
| 500mm to 600mm by 100mm to 120mm | The current standard, balanced | Most rooms, most homes |
| 700mm to 900mm by 130mm to 160mm | Bold, contemporary, calm | Large open plan, high ceilings |
| Over 900mm long | Architectural, statement | Big volumes, commercial, galleries |
Two rules that hold up well:
Match block scale to room scale. A small block in a huge room looks fussy and dated. A very large block in a small room only shows you two repeats and the pattern doesn’t read at all.
Match block scale to ceiling height. High ceilings can carry a bigger block. Standard 2.4m ceilings usually suit the 500mm to 600mm range.
The length to width ratio matters too. A ratio around 4:1 or 5:1 (say 600mm by 120mm) is the classic proportion and reads well. Ratios much longer than that start to look stretched, and much shorter start to look chunky.
Which Pattern Suits Your Home Style?
Herringbone suits:
- Federation, Edwardian and Victorian homes, where it’s period appropriate
- Hamptons interiors, especially in a light to mid oak
- Transitional and classic contemporary
- Kitchens and entries, where a bit of texture is welcome
- Homes with a lot going on elsewhere, since herringbone’s texture is softer than chevron’s graphic lines
Chevron suits:
- Modern and architectural homes with clean lines
- Formal living and dining rooms
- Long galleries and hallways where the V can run uninterrupted
- Minimal interiors where the floor is the one decorative element
- Apartments and penthouses with a designed, considered feel
Where neither is the right call: if your budget is tight and you’re choosing between a pattern floor in a thin wear layer product versus a quality straight lay wide plank, take the straight lay. A well specified plank floor in a good board beats a cheap pattern floor. The pattern doesn’t rescue a poor product.
Also worth thinking about longevity. Herringbone has been in continuous use for 400 years and reads as timeless. Chevron has cycled in and out of fashion more sharply. That’s not a reason to avoid it, but it’s worth knowing if you plan to sell in five years.
Top recommended flooring options for every style and space:
See Herringbone and Chevron in Person
There’s a limit to what a photo can tell you here. The two patterns look similar on a screen at small scale, and the thing that actually decides it, how the pattern reads across a whole room in your light, only shows up in person.
At Flooring Expert we carry both across our engineered parquetry range: herringbone in a wide selection of block sizes and colours, chevron, plus parquetry panels and wide format parquetry. All of it in engineered European Oak, which is the construction that makes pattern floors practical in Melbourne’s climate.
Because we run our own install teams, the set out is done by people who do pattern floors regularly rather than a subcontractor doing their first one this year. On chevron in particular, that’s the difference between a floor you’re proud of and one where the points don’t quite line up.
- Visit the Balwyn North showroom on Doncaster Road to see both patterns laid at full scale
- Book a free measure and quote so we can check your subfloor, which matters more for parquetry than for any other floor type
- Take samples home and look at block size against your room, since scale is the decision most people get wrong
We install parquetry across all Melbourne suburbs.
Frequently Asked Questions
What’s the difference between herringbone and chevron?
Herringbone blocks have square ends and meet at 90 degrees in a staggered zigzag. Chevron blocks are cut at an angle and meet point to point in a continuous V.
Which is more expensive?
Chevron, typically 10 to 30 percent more once material, wastage and labour are combined.
Which is more popular in Australia?
Herringbone, by a wide margin. It has a broader range available, suits more homes, and is more forgiving to install.
Can herringbone or chevron go over a concrete slab?
Yes. Engineered parquetry is normally direct stuck to a slab, which is the preferred method for pattern floors because it’s the most stable.
Do I need a flatter subfloor for parquetry?
Yes, flatter than for a straight lay. Small blocks with lots of joins telegraph every undulation. Budget for levelling and have it assessed before you commit.
Can you sand a herringbone floor?
Yes, if the wear layer allows it, but it costs 20 to 30 percent more because the grain runs in two directions and the sander has to work diagonally.
Which direction should the pattern run?
Usually pointing towards the main light source or down the longest axis of the room. For chevron, the direction matters much more than for herringbone.
Does parquetry work in a small room?
Herringbone does, if you scale the block down. Chevron generally needs a bit more room to read properly.
Is solid parquetry better than engineered?
Not in Melbourne. Solid blocks move seasonally and pattern floors have hundreds of joins for that movement to show up in. Engineered is the practical choice.
How long does a parquetry install take?
For a 40m² area, roughly 4 to 5 days for herringbone and 5 to 7 for chevron, plus set out and prep time. Roughly double a straight lay.
Can I lay parquetry in a kitchen?
Yes, timber is fine in a kitchen as long as spills get wiped up. Avoid it in laundries, bathrooms and full wet areas, where hybrid or vinyl is the right product.
