Our latest lookbook highlights 10 homes with decorative parquet flooring including a Victorian terraced home and 1930s apartment feature in Portugal.

Parquet flooring is a traditional style of hardwood flooring, that is used to create decorative and mosaic-like patterns in homes and interior settings.

The decorative hardwood flooring is made from short wooden battens that are slotted and placed together in often intricate, geometric and mosaic arrangements.

Parquet flooring rose in popularity during the 1600s as it became a favoured option with European aristocracy, offering an alternative to decorative marble floors that required less maintenance.

It can be installed in a number of different patterns including, herringbone, Versailles, chevron and chantilly.

This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing cavernous interiors, bright-white kitchens and self-designed homes by architects and designers.

1930s apartment, Portugal, by Aboim Inglez Arquitectos

Portuguese studio Aboim Inglez Arquitectos incorporated parquet flooring, stone surfaces and a bright sunroom in its update to a 1930s apartment in Lisbon (above and top).

Hardwood, parquet flooring uncovered during the renovation was restored across the home. The floor is comprised of blocks of different tones which are arranged to create a checkerboard-style pattern that is framed by strips of light wood.

Find out more about the 1930s apartment ›

Apartment Basta, Russia, by Blockstudio

A mixture of different textures, materials and time periods were all combined within this Moscow apartment by Blockstudio, which aimed to recreate the look of a Parisian apartment.

To create a lived-in feel within the new-build structure, reclaimed-oak parquet flooring sourced from Italy was used throughout the living and dining room.

Find out more about Apartment Basta ›

Charred House, UK, by Rider Stirland Architects

Rider Stirland Architects remodelled this Victorian terraced home in south London and added an extension clad in blackened wood to the rear.

To juxtapose with the extension's charred exterior, materials were chosen to provide the interior with warmth. Parquet flooring stretches across the home and was paired with bespoke joinery.

Find out more about Charred House ›

Leith apartment, UK, by Luke McClelland

Scottish architect Luke McCellard renovated the interior of this Georgian apartment in Edinburgh, creating a bright, light and contemporary home for a formerly dark space.

McClelland blanketed the floors of the 19th-century apartment in warm oak parquet flooring which was arranged in a herringbone pattern. The wood complements the stark white walls throughout the property.

Find out more about Leith apartment ›

Victorian terraced house, UK, by Matthew Giles Architects

This Victorian terraced home in Wandsworth, London, was updated and extended by Matthew Giles Architects.

On the ground floor, parquet flooring in a herringbone pattern was designed to draw the eye from the entrance through to the garden at the rear beyond the newly added dropped-level kitchen diner.

Find out more about the Victorian terraced house ›

Hatfield House, UK, by Archmongers

Located on the iconic Golden Lane Estate in London, local studio Archmongers renovated the duplex flat using bold colours that aimed to complement the home's modernist look.

The studio uncovered parquet flooring which was restored and made a focal feature of the home.

Find out more about Hatfield House ›

Portland Residence, Canada, by Atelier Barda

Black furniture and fixtures sit on top of the chevron-patterned oak parquet flooring in this Montreal home by Canadian architecture studio Atelier Barda.

The studio added a rear extension to the existing stone house and reconfigured the floor plan to create open-plan living areas and a better flow between spaces. The home's original rounded walls and mouldings were preserved and highlighted by the oak flooring beneath.

Find out more about Portland Residence ›

Dutch townhouse, The Netherlands, by Antonia Reif

This early 20th-century townhouse in The Hague was renovated by Dutch architect Antonia Reif. The home was previously divided into two apartments which the architect reversed to reconnect the building's four floors.

Reif fitted the interior with herringbone-patterned oak flooring to create continuity between the home's different spaces.

Find out more about Dutch townhouse ›

Apartment Vilnius, Lithuania, by Kristina Lastauskaitė-Pundė

Original features at this apartment in Vilnius were spotlighted and paired with grey-painted joinery and brass accents.

The overhaul was completed by interior designer Kristina Lastauskaitė-Pundė who wanted to give the home a contemporary update that still spotlighted its historic and original features. Muted chevron flooring spans the interior of the apartment to visually connect its different rooms.

Find out more about Apartment Vilnius ›

1970s apartment, Portugal, by Aurora Arquitectos

Wooden panelling lines the walls and ceiling of areas of this apartment in Lisbon which was refurbished by Aurora Arquitectos.

The home was defined by its use of wood seen through its vast pale herringbone-patterned parquet flooring and blonde panelling that frames skylights across the ceiling. Wood and marble were arranged in a herringbone pattern to define the apartment's different zones and spaces.

Find out more about the 1970s apartment ›

This is the latest in our series of lookbooks providing curated visual inspiration from Dezeen's image archive. For more inspiration see previous lookbooks showcasing cavernous interiors, bright-white kitchens, and self-designed homes by architects and designers.