LVJ Timber Floor is based in Braybrook and installs herringbone flooring across Melbourne's inner-western suburbs every week. We have done hundreds of jobs in period homes, new builds and commercial fitouts across Footscray, Yarraville, Williamstown and Newport. This is what we see every time.
The housing stock is built for it
Melbourne's inner-western suburbs - Yarraville, Footscray, Williamstown, Seddon, Newport, Spotswood - are dominated by Victorian, Edwardian and Federation homes. These houses were built in an era when herringbone parquet was a standard feature of quality interiors. When you install herringbone flooring in a Yarraville cottage or a Williamstown terrace, you are restoring something the house was always meant to have. It is not a trend. It is historically accurate.
It makes small rooms feel bigger
The diagonal pattern of herringbone creates movement that draws the eye across the room rather than stopping at the walls. In the smaller rooms typical of period homes - narrow hallways, compact bedrooms, cosy living rooms - this visual effect is significant. A properly laid herringbone floor makes a room feel 15-20% larger than the same room in straight lay. If you have ever walked into a small space and had it feel unexpectedly generous, there is a good chance herringbone flooring was part of the reason.
High ceilings and herringbone are a natural pair
The homes in Melbourne's inner west often have ceilings that are 3m or higher. Straight lay flooring can sometimes make these tall, narrow rooms feel like corridors. Herringbone anchors the room visually. The pattern creates a strong horizontal reference point at floor level that balances the vertical height, making tall rooms feel proportional rather than imposing. It is one of the reasons period home renovators almost always choose herringbone for the main living areas.
It photographs better - which matters at sale time
More than half of all property decisions in Melbourne now start online. The first impression is a photo. Herringbone flooring photographs extraordinarily well - the pattern catches light differently at different angles, creating depth and texture that straight lay simply does not have. In a market where Yarraville and Footscray properties routinely attract multiple buyers at auction, looking premium in photos is not a vanity consideration. It is a financial one.
Property values in Melbourne's west reward quality renovations
Melbourne's inner-western suburbs have seen sustained property value growth over the past decade. Buyers in these markets are renovation-savvy - they know what a quality renovation looks like and they price it accordingly. Herringbone flooring has become one of the recognised markers of a quality finish. In suburbs where a kitchen or bathroom renovation can add $50,000-$100,000 in perceived value, a herringbone floor is often the finishing touch that ties the renovation together and justifies the premium.
Hybrid herringbone is waterproof - something traditional parquet never was
Traditional herringbone parquet - the kind you find in older Melbourne homes - is solid timber. Beautiful, but vulnerable. It swells with moisture, gaps in dry weather and requires periodic sanding and re-coating. Modern hybrid herringbone uses the same 7mm SPC core as straight lay - meaning it is 100% waterproof, dimensionally stable in Melbourne's temperature swings, and requires nothing more than a regular mop. You get the look of traditional herringbone with none of the maintenance headaches.
You will still love it in 10 years
Interior trends come and go. Herringbone does not. The pattern has been used in high-end interiors since the Roman Empire - literally. It appeared in Versailles, in Georgian townhouses, in Melbourne's own grand period homes. It is not having a moment. It has always been there, it is just more accessible now that quality hybrid flooring brings the look within reach of most renovation budgets. When you choose herringbone, you are choosing something that will still look right when the next three trends have come and gone.
The bottom line
Herringbone flooring costs more than straight lay. That is true and we will not pretend otherwise. But in Melbourne's inner-western suburbs, the gap between what it costs and what it adds - in liveability, aesthetics and resale value - makes it one of the most defensible renovation decisions you can make.
If you are renovating a period home in Yarraville, Footscray, Williamstown or Newport, the question is not really whether to do herringbone. The question is which rooms to prioritise and which product suits your home best.
Long will come out and give you an honest recommendation based on your actual space. No obligation, no pressure. Just a straight answer about what will work.
Get a free herringbone quote for your home
Based in Braybrook. Serving Footscray, Yarraville, Williamstown, Newport and all of Melbourne's western suburbs.