Special Versailles panels

Photo – Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs

We’ve often written about Versailles panels and with good reason. In recent years, manufacturers have been almost falling over each other to be at least present in this segment. Moreover, Versailles panels now go far beyond purely solid wood and also include composite pre-finished tiles.

The direct trigger for this article is Ply Quet Holzimport, which is based in Bremen, Germany, and well known for brands TEKA Parquet and TEKA Design trademarks. Indeed, at the most recent edition of Domotex in Hannover, just before pandemic started, we gasped in amazement at a real work of art.

Old lives again in new forms

What the company displayed specifically was a hardwood Versailles panel with various sizes in a three-layer construction with a top layer of 3,4, or 5.4mm. The scale of the panel was 19 x 980 x 980mm and, to make it suitable for this 21st century era, it was fitted with tongue and groove, suitable for floor heating and with a V-groove on the four sides. Obviously, they’ve also provided various finishes: oiled (Master Oil), bare and therefore untreated, smoked (top layer completely smoked, changing from semi- to dark brown, with lighter sap wood). It is also available brushed (for more depth-effect) and in white wash to highlight the wood structure.

We won’t mention the other words of praise which accompanied this product, but this one example makes it quite clear: Antique Versailles panels have been attracting interest on the market for a few years now. Moreover, it’s also crystal clear that these are days in which the traditional beauty of the old is blending with today’s latest forms of technology so that old and new form new alliances.

In all that we might easily forget to define what Versailles panels actually are. We talk about them again and again, but what would you say to your clients if they asked you what exactly it is? Below we give a brief summary of how you can briefly present Versailles panels to interested clients.

You can start your story in the year 1684. At that time, floorboards which consisted of large diagonal squares became known as Versailles parquet. It’s worth knowing that it was actually known originally as ‘woodwork parquet’ (French: ‘parquet de menuiserie’). The reason for that name is fairly obvious. It was a replacement for marble floors. After all, those marble pests had to be washed constantly so that the beams under the floors tended to go rotten. In 1693, these ‘parquets en losange’ floors in the Palace of Versailles and in the Grand Trianon caught the eye of a Swedish architect called Daniel Cronströmn. The conquest of Europe had begun.

What exactly was this sort of parquet which entered into a palace designed and furnished by the renowned ‘Sun King’ Louis XIV? First of all, we note that only exclusive and high-quality materials were used to construct it. On the floors of the magnificent ballrooms our Swedish architect admired the first impressive varieties of this traditional and high-quality craft of the parquet of Versailles.

Diagonal wickerwork

The essence is that fine and delicate wooden strips appear to be ‘woven’ to each other. It’s about a constant repetition of a square and baroque design in the shape of a tile with diagonal wickerwork and therefore always a square frame made of oak. All this gave the rooms a unique atmosphere and, after its further dissemination in Europe, it was known for its elegance and for true craft. That’s why it soon made its way into stately villas and impressive buildings.

Two specialists have their say

Design Parquet

Panel floors continue to charm people even today due to their history and appearance. Although panel floors are usually associated with prestigious projects such as hotels, companies, and shops, Design Parquet has noticed a growing demand from private customers. Here, too, oak is the absolute champion. Since Design Parquet produces customised work, they can also offer lots of other wood sorts and in all finishes, such as distressed, brushed, or structured. And so, they offer customised work ‘on request’. The designs can be personalised or can revert to the old classics such as Versailles, Normandy, Aremberg, and such like. They offer a choice of wood sort, size, and finish. That’s exactly why panel floors are less attractive as ‘standard’, something which leave little scope for creativity. At Design Parquet these panels are produced by specialist teams, professionals with the qualities and experience required to make these design floors.

Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs

In recent years we have found Style panels are gaining popularity. We at Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs have had increasing demand and received many commissions for this product. Mostly commercial projects, think hotels, bars, restaurants and other public spaces. There is also growing demand for these Style panels by private customers who have a larger budget. People like to create a traditional atmosphere combined with a modern twist. When a specific request comes for something bespoke, we first do design drawings. After approval our highly skilled factory team starts production. Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs is very flexible when offering Style Panels. This can be done in several dimensions, pattern and wood species. Material can be smoked, brushed or aged (distressed) before the panels are assembled. Finishes such as staining, oiling or lacquering will be done on site. Houtbedrijf Kerkhofs produces Style Panels with great precision care and quality.