Filip Redant of Atelier Passe Partout began his career by restoring stringed musical instruments. As time passed, he worked with an organ builder, and then eventually developed an interest in restoring antique furniture. Discovering his passion, he decided to start his own business.
“I worked for several years as a flooring subcontractor before deciding to go my own way as a traditional parquet craftsman,” says Redant. “By choosing to work with solid parquet only, I know I’ve excluded a large part of the market; however, I can focus on what I love. I believe solid parquet or traditional parquet is, in quality and possibilities, far above all other types of parquet flooring. Solid plank flooring with tongue and groove is, of course also of excellent quality, but I find the tongue-and-groove system less suitable for difficult patterns or motifs,” explains Redant.
Redant says his passion for traditional parquet also comes from its long-term durability and the potential ease of restoration. “The most beautiful parquets that I know today, installed inside numerous mansions and palaces, demonstrate they can last hundreds of years. Moreover, damaged solid parquet can almost always be restored,” says Redant.
For this Best Parquet/Inlay Application winning floor, Redant used 22 types of wood to create an intricate, hand-made parquet floor.
“Every single piece of the floor was hand-crafted. Neither a CNC nor a laser was used; hence, no two pieces are the same. My design also grew during the execution, and the big challenge was making every single piece of wood fit together while ending up a well-balanced whole,” explains Redant.
Leaning on his past doing the restoration of musical instruments, many of the types of wood Redant used for his installation are common in that field, including flamed ash, ebony, mahogany, and rosewood.
Other woods used in the floor are on the CITES list, which means they can no longer be exported, although existing stocks can still be used. Some of these woods include Rio-rosewood, and Cuba-mahogany. Redant says he has long had a policy of acquiring exceptional pieces of wood, and thanks to that, he still owns a considerable stock. It was this stock that he was able to pull from for his award-winning installation.
In Redant’s design, some of the most beautiful and rare types of wood from all over the world collide with more common types of wood, such as teak, walnut, and cherry. The floor also features intricate brass inlays and a satin finish, both oil-based and waxed. After assembling all the parts, the entire panel has been sanded and finished off with oil and a layer of wax.
Redant designed the 60-square foot nail down, glue down floor as a removable whole. While currently installed in a private residence, the floor can be moved and put on display as needed. He says he did this to show the floor to as many people and potential customers as possible.
“I wanted to inspire people to consider a floor like this in their own homes. Those who see it have enthusiastic reactions. When the light hits the floor, the brass glows even more than the wood with the soft shine of the wax. It’s very satisfying and quite gorgeous. We’re delighted with the outcome of this beautiful, carefully executed masterpiece,” says Redant.
CATEGORY DETAILS: Entries in this category include any hand-cut parquet pattern, medallion, marquetry, or intarsia inlay.
WHAT MAKES THIS FLOOR UNIQUE: The floor contains 22 species of wood and brass inlays, and was installed in a private residence in Belgium. All pieces are solid wood with a thickness of 9mm at subfloor. The oak mosaic thickness is 8mm.
SUPPLIERS:
Wood: Filip Redant, Holz Bois
Adhesive: Bostik
Sanding Equipment: Bona, Festool
Finish: Bona
INSTALLATION TYPE: Nail-down, Glue-down
FLOORING TYPE: Solid
FLOORING STYLE: Parquet
FLOORING FINISH: Jobsite Finished
FINISH SHEEN: Satin
FINISH TYPE: Oil-based,
SPECIES: European Oak, Plane Tree, Ebony, White Ebony, American Cherry, American Walnut, Belgian Walnut, Moulmain Teak, Rio-Rosewood, Mahogany (America), Mahogany (Cuba), Satin Wood (East India), Rosewood, Maple, Flamed Maple, Ashwood, Flamed Ashwood, Afzelia Dousse (Africa), Merbau, Wenge, Snakewood, Imbuya
SQUARE FEET: 60