Chevron floors have long been associated with Paris and grand European interiors, and the centuries-old pattern is enjoying renewed popularity in some of New York City's most luxurious residences. With their combination of craftsmanship, geometry, and visual drama, chevron floors have a timeless appeal. After decades of straight-laid hardwood floors dominating residential interiors, the pattern is once again appearing in high-end renovations and new developments across the city.
Chevron floors are part of a broader tradition of parquet flooring that flourished in France during the 17th century. Chevron is also known as Point de Hongrie (Point of Hungary), a name associated with a zigzag embroidery pattern dating to the 16th century. The flooring became most fashionable in Paris during the city's 19th-century transformation, helping establish the enduring connection between patterned wood floors and elegant French interiors.
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Chevron is often confused with herringbone, which we covered earlier this year in this piece. However, the constructions of the two are noticeably different. Herringbone uses rectangular boards with square ends laid at right angles, creating a broken, interlocking zigzag. With chevron, the ends of each plank are cut at an angle, typically 45 or 60 degrees, so they meet point to point and create a continuous series of Vs. The result is cleaner and more directional, drawing the eye through a room. Moreso, it often gives a relatively simple room a more tailored appearance.
The angled precision makes chevron considerably more labor-intensive than a conventional straight-laid wood floor. The pattern has to be carefully laid out, the angled pieces must align precisely, and installation generally produces more cutting and waste. Arpa Flooring Design currently quotes labor starting around $10 per square foot for chevron, compared with about $3.50 to $6.00 per square foot for standard nail-down or glue-down hardwood installation, before the cost of the flooring itself or any necessary subfloor preparation. Custom cuts, borders, premium oak, and complicated room layouts can send costs considerably higher. Arpa also says that a typical two-bedroom apartment may take 3–5 working days for straight-laid flooring versus 7–10 days for herringbone or chevron.
For those reasons, true chevron floors remain much less ubiquitous than straight-laid hardwood. But they are increasingly turning up in high-end new construction, where interior designers are using the centuries-old pattern to add warmth and craftsmanship to otherwise contemporary interiors. Recent examples include the boutique Diamond Exchange Condominium in the Financial District, DUMBO's Front & York, the east tower of One High Line, and The Rowan II in Astoria.
How much value does that add? There is no reliable figure showing that chevron flooring by itself adds a specific percentage or dollar amount to an apartment's resale price. Its value is more likely to come from perception. A well-executed good condition chevron floor can make a home feel custom, expensive, and architecturally considered, and, as you'll see below, can photograph particularly well when a property comes to market.
Generally, hardwood floors have strong buyer appeal. The National Association of Realtors research has found high cost recovery for new or refinished wood flooring, though those figures should not be interpreted as a chevron-specific premium. In a luxury apartment, chevron is therefore better viewed as a distinguishing finish that can help justify the overall quality of a renovation rather than an upgrade guaranteed to pay for itself dollar for dollar.
Generally, hardwood floors have strong buyer appeal. The National Association of Realtors research has found high cost recovery for new or refinished wood flooring, though those figures should not be interpreted as a chevron-specific premium. In a luxury apartment, chevron is therefore better viewed as a distinguishing finish that can help justify the overall quality of a renovation rather than an upgrade guaranteed to pay for itself dollar for dollar.
For those who cherish the look, and seek to possess some European elegance in their New York apartments, we rounded up two dozed active listings that have chevron floors.
687 West 204th Street, #1A (Corcoran Group)
Rowan II, #2-M (Nest Seekers LLC)
The Octavia, #11A (Corcoran Group)
222 16th Street, #3C (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
14 Sutton Place South, #1B (Sothebys International Realty)
Front & York, #15H (Compass)
The Florian, #6C (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
Rockefeller Apartments, #11D
$1,495,000 (-21.1%)
Midtown West | Cooperative | 3 Bedrooms, 3 Baths | 2,100 ft2
Rockefeller Apartments, #11D (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
660 Lexington Avenue, #4C (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
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J.W. Marriott Essex House, #407
$1,999,000
Midtown West | Condominium | 1 Bedroom, 1.5 Baths | 1,132 ft2
J.W. Marriott Essex House, #407 (CitiSuites International Realty LLC)
Mandarin Oriental Residences Fifth Avenue, #8F
$2,595,000
Midtown East | Condominium | 1 Bedroom, 1 Bath | 947 ft2
Mandarin Oriental Residences Fifth Avenue, #8F (Serhant)
The Strathmore, #PH1A (Corcoran Sunshine Marketing Group)
825 Riverside Drive, #TH
$2,695,000 (-9%)
Washington Heights | Townhouse | 4 Bedrooms, 5 Baths | 4,482 ft2
825 Riverside Drive, # (Corcoran Group)
Greenwich Lane, 130 West 12th Street, #10D
$3,200,000
Greenwich Village | Condominium | 1 Bedroom, 1 Bath | 875 ft2
130 West 12th Street, #10D (Corcoran Group)
37 Decatur Street, #TH
$3,795,000
Bedford-Stuyvesant | Townhouse | 6+ Bedrooms, 5.5 Baths | 3,905 ft2
37 Decatur Street, # (Compass)
One High Line, #E19E (Compass)
Fifty One Domino, #PH1A (Serhant)
Soori High Line, #3A (Compass)
108 Leonard, #12G (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
1001 Park Avenue, #6S (Brown Harris Stevens Residential Sales LLC)
The Belnord, #910
$6,495,000 (-.8%)
Broadway Corridor | Condominium | 3 Bedrooms, 3.5 Baths | 2,444 ft2
The Belnord, #910 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
1228 Madison Avenue, #7 (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
108 Leonard, #6N (Simple Real Estate)
Central Park Tower, #33F (Douglas Elliman Real Estate)
304 East 82nd Street, # (Compass)
The Cammeyer, #PHA (Corcoran Group)
Mandarin Oriental Residences Fifth Avenue, #PHB
$15,000,000
Midtown East | Condominium | 2 Bedrooms, 2.5 Baths | 2,437 ft2
Mandarin Oriental Residences Fifth Avenue, #PHB (Serhant)
334 West 20th Street, # (Compass)
109 East 79th Street, #12W
$25,000,000
Carnegie Hill | Condominium | 5 Bedrooms, 5.5 Baths | 4,140 ft2
109 East 79th Street, #12W (Corcoran Group)
21 Beekman Place, #TH
$27,500,000
Beekman/Sutton Place | Townhouse | 5 Bedrooms, 6+ Baths | 7,226 ft2
21 Beekman Place, # (Compass)
1016 Fifth Avenue, #2ABC (Sothebys International Realty)
Walker Tower, #PH2 (DGSIR Realty)
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