The parquet perforated grille pattern (CA815) is a popular choice for historic renovations hearkening back to the 17th century, as well as contemporary spaces with geometric themes.
Parquet (pronounced pahr-kay) is French for “flooring”, a term derived from the French word parc, translated to “an enclosure”. Parquet encompasses a variety of patterns and ornamentations to create unique, fluid designs. Essentially, the parquet design is made of geometric patterns, typically angular with squares, diamonds or triangles.
The origin of parquet
In 17th-century France, marble was the preferred flooring for the elite population, compared to dirt and concrete floors among the lower class. The most famous example of parquet flooring is seen in the Palace of Versailles. Louis XIII began construction on the palace in 1630, yet the project was not completed until 1963. At this point, Nicodème Tessin, a Swedish Baroque architect, wrote, “parquetry is quite like paneling. There’s one single room in Versailles which parquet is not by squares…the entire rest is diamond-shaped in the new style.”
The parquet de Versailles was widely popular in the 18th century and was kept in style through Louis XIV, Louis XV and Louis XVI. At the time, only a few professionals had the skill required to hand-cut and lay the wood in the proper patterns, so parquet flooring was considered a work of art and only available to the extremely wealthy. To construct parquet flooring, geometric shapes are cut out of wood and glued to a concrete sub-floor. The pattern was adopted by other well-to-do aristocrats and modified to fit their taste.
[“Salon de Mars” by Jorge Láscar is licensed under CC BY 2.0.]
Another example of parquet flooring among the elite is found at The Château de Maisons-Lafitte, which features parquet flooring with floral ornamentations. Luckily, these architectural works of art are still viewable today. After Louis XVI was forced to leave the Palace of Versailles during the French Revolution, the building was still considered a work of art. In 1837, it became the Museum of History in France by King Louis-Phillippe.
Parquet patterns
There are a wide variety of parquet patterns, the most popular of which is herringbone. Other patterns include brick, hexagon weave, Bordeaux, Brentwood, Celtic, Chantilly, Versailles, chevron, basket weave and others. The key to parquet flooring is to begin in one section of the room (in Versailles, the flooring always began at the fireplace) and move to the other end. This keeps the pattern unidirectional and uniform.
CA815 Parquet Perforated Grille
The CA815 Parquet perforated grille is based on the square basket weave parquet pattern. The alternating directions of the squares create an entrancing design popular in both historic renovations and contemporary builds. This pattern provides 30 percent free air flow through the 1 3/16” squares.
Is the parquet perforated grill the perfect perforated metal grille for your space? Our team is happy to discuss installation options or assist you in selecting an alternative pattern. Make sure to view our product catalog for a full, detailed list of our products. For a consultation or to order your perforated grilles today, contact us at 631.482.9449 or sales@cocometalcraft.com.
