The French affair

French Oak invokes a luxury European aesthetic, and it’s most commonly chosen for its inherent rustic beauty. In the case of the newest engineered French Oak flooring, it’s stability is much greater than the raw product, while the aesthetic retains its natural charm.

Forté has released what it believes is the only engineered timber flooring product on the market to utilise a new technology that incorporates a 6mm French Oak base and top, while the middle layer of the boards is manufactured with multiple layers of plywood put together in different directions, giving it additional stability. Generally, engineered timber boards only incorporate a natural timber veneer on the top layer and utilise a plywood base layer.

“Manor is the only product on the market of this type of construction,” Forté’s Miguel Uribe says. “Other engineered timbers only have the top layer, but don’t also have the base layer in natural timber, which is where this product stands out.”

Forté’s French Oak collection, known as Manor, has been on the market for eight years, but it’s only in the last few weeks that the boards constructed in this new way have been released.

“French Oak is chosen for its rustic qualities,” Miguel says. “And that hasn’t changed. What it means for the market is that people can enjoy the rustic luxury of French Oak flooring while knowing they are buying a much more stable product that is constructed with the latest in technological advancements in engineered timber flooring.”

The Manor Collection highlights French Oak’s natural beauty and as such acts as an instant feature in any room in which it is installed. “You see the knots, the cracks and the character of the timber."

Once engineered French Oak has been decided upon for flooring, the choices don’t stop there with scores of options available in regards to finish, texture, colour and the way it is laid.

“One of the most popular ways to lay it at the moment is in the Herringbone pattern, which evokes a very European feel,” Miguel says. “It’s a very stylish look that fits particularly well with various interior schemes, and especially in older homes or new homes that are designed around a more European aesthetic.”

The texture chosen can have a significant impact on the presence of the flooring, and Miguel says various considerations need to be made in order to choose the finish that will suit each application best.

“What we call the Classique finish allows for all that character of the wood to still be visible, so you’ll see marks, knots and scratches, but it is sanded so it is soft to touch and feels beautiful underfoot. If a more rustic feel is desired, people often choose to go with the Atelier finish that is not sanded and is left natural. And from there, you can also take another step and choose the Rustique finish, which is purposely distressed either by machine or hand to highlight the knots and natural wood texture even further.”

If you’re interested in what can be achieved with the latest in engineered French Oak, have a look through Forté’s gallery on ArchiPro here for a feast of inspiration.