Élément Collection
One chevron, many arrangements
Élément reduces the traditional chevron to a single end-grain oak component. The maker likens it to an aperiodic monotile, a shape that can cover a surface without ever repeating, and that one piece can be set down in many arrangements, from minimal and quiet to dense and intricate.
The idea comes from mathematics. A shape was found that covers a plane endlessly without repeating, and Élément applies that thinking to the chevron, one of the oldest parquet patterns. From a single block a floor can be spare or complex, and the maker proposes eight starting arrangements, with more to be drawn for a project in any combination of the three finishes.
The blocks are end-grain oak in natural, smoked and black, carried on a birch plywood base. The maker rates the collection usage class 34, for very heavy commercial traffic, and it suits residential, hospitality and retail interiors. Samples of each finish can be prepared so that weight and grain are judged in the room.
Collection details
| Material | End-grain oak |
| Construction | 12 mm birch plywood base with a 6 mm oak top layer |
| Finishes | Natural / Smoked / Black. No stain is used |
| Format | One chevron component, laid in a choice of arrangements |
| Application | Usage class 34, for very heavy commercial traffic |
| Fire rating | Cfl-s1, as stated by the maker |
| Joints | Under 1 mm, with optional filling in brown or black |
| Companion boards | Plain boards in the same finish for adjoining rooms and transitions, confirmed with the maker |
| Certification | FSC and PEFC, as declared by the maker |
| Underfloor heating | Confirmed with the maker for each project |
| Made by | Our workshop network, for Make Bespoke Studio |
From one block to a whole floor
A conventional chevron floor is made of long boards cut at an angle, laid in a single strict pattern. Élément takes the chevron apart and keeps one piece. Because that piece is the whole system, the character of the floor comes from how the blocks are set against one another, and the same block can read as a calm, even field in one room and as a dense, interlocking composition in the next.
The maker proposes eight starting arrangements, and architects and designers can draw more. Finish is part of the composition: natural, smoked and black blocks can be combined within an arrangement, so a plan can carry a pale field with darker accents, or a single deep tone from wall to wall. Plain boards in the same finish can be specified for adjoining rooms and transitions, confirmed with the maker.
End-grain oak, and why it lasts
In end-grain oak the blocks are cut across the trunk, so the growth rings and rays face upward and the cut end of the fibre, not its side, takes the wear. It is the orientation once chosen for workshop and factory floors because it wears far more slowly than a flat-sawn plank. The same character gives the surface depth: light falls across the textured surface and ring structure, and no two blocks show the same figure.
Finishes
- Natural: oak with a textured surface that catches the light.
- Smoked: oak smoked through its full depth, so the colour runs through the block and shows natural brown tones, not a surface stain.
- Black: based on the Japanese shou sugi ban technique of charring, which gives a black with real surface texture. The hardened surface is sealed like the others.
No stain is used in any of the three. Each is sealed with a two-component invisible varnish, which gives a high resistance, the maker says, and all three carry the same usage class and fire rating. For how varnish, oil, brushing and smoking compare, see our guide to wood floor finishes.
Construction and joints
Each tile has a 6 mm oak top layer on a 12 mm birch plywood base. Joints are under 1 mm and can be filled in brown or black, or left as they fall. The usage class of 34 is the maker’s own rating for very heavy commercial traffic, which is why Élément suits hospitality and retail floors as well as private rooms.
Where Élément is used
- Residential: private rooms where the floor is meant to be the feature.
- Hospitality: spaces where traffic is heavy and the floor has to stay composed.
- Retail: boutiques and showrooms that want a floor with a pattern of its own, from minimal to intricate.
Installation
As with any timber floor, the units should be acclimatised to the room before fitting, and the subfloor should be flat, dry and sound, with the fixing method following the maker’s installation instructions. The joint is small, so the setting out of the arrangement matters, and it is agreed on the plan with the contractor before any unit is fixed. Whether the floor can run over underfloor heating is confirmed with the maker for each project. Our guide to wood flooring installation sets out what a good specification includes.
Care and maintenance
Care guidance is handed over with the floor. As a general rule a varnished end-grain surface is swept or vacuumed to keep grit off and wiped with a barely damp mop; follow the maker’s instructions for cleaners, and use felt pads under furniture.
Common questions
What does one component mean for the floor?
The whole floor is built from one end-grain oak chevron block. The maker took the aperiodic monotile, a shape that covers a surface without repeating, as its starting point, and the block can be set in many arrangements, so a floor can be minimal or dense by changing how the blocks are set, not by changing the product.
Which finishes does Élément come in?
Natural, smoked and black. Smoked is oak smoked through its full depth, black is charred in the shou sugi ban tradition, and no stain is used. All three are sealed with a two-component invisible varnish.
Is it hard-wearing enough for a busy floor?
The maker rates it usage class 34, for very heavy commercial traffic, with a stated fire rating of Cfl-s1. End-grain oak is also the orientation traditionally chosen for floors under constant use.
Can Élément be used over underfloor heating?
It depends on the substrate, the heating system and the project, so it is confirmed with the maker for each project before specification.
Is it certified?
The maker declares the collection FSC and PEFC certified. Certification and documentation depend on the batch, so ask for them to be confirmed against your specification.
For an end-grain square-block grid, see the Cube collection, and for end-grain oak in six patterns, Forêt.
