2023 WFOY: Best in Parquetry

Custom Floors Unlimited | Houston, Texas

CATEGORY DETAILS:

Entries in this category include any parquet pattern installed into a flooring project.

WHAT MAKES THIS FLOOR UNIQUE:

Lorraine Vojack of Custom Floors Unlimited is celebrated for her passion for creating one-of-a-kind designs. This year’s Wood Floor of the Year winner for Best in Parquetry is a fantastic example of Vojack’s creativity.

For Vojack, the challenge was creating a floor that represented her client. “You have to try to get out of the box. Every client inspires me,” she explains. On this project, Vojack found inspiration in the weave pattern on her client’s watch, which she thought would be perfect for the wine room floor.

Vojack likens the completed double herringbone floor to a fine, tailored suit, where every single measurement is made, and the result is stunning. “This is a tailor-fit floor for this room,” she says.

According to Vojack, getting the correct scale is essential for any pattern. “It needs to be in scale with the room and within the pattern itself,” she explains. Vojack also is obsessed with working on samples until she achieves the desired result, trusting her instincts regarding design.

As for the finish, the chosen DuraSeal stain was applied by hand, which Vojack says provides a much richer color. Finally, the floor was finished with two burnished coats of sealer and European Milk Wax.

“It lacks a certain richness without the oil,” says Vojack. “It’s an oil look, and the color is just shy of all the bottles in the lighted center. You don’t want a really light or dark floor for that room. We went through three or four colors before finding one we liked.”

Thanks to the walnut double herringbone pattern, the resulting floor is unusual and visually striking. “If this were not double herringbone, it would look totally different,” Vojack says, adding that the floor is so luxurious you would want to lay down on it.

Installation Method: Other
Flooring Type: Solid, End-Grain
Flooring Finish: European Milk Wax
Finish Sheen: Semi-Gloss
Species: Black American Walnut
Pattern: End-Grain Double Herringbone
Square Feet: 293