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Interior designer Aniela Thorman has described herringbone flooring as the “live, laugh, love” of 2020s interiors, arguing that mass-market vinyl versions and repetitive use have weakened its appeal. A Livingetc report also presents the counterargument: designers continue to value the pattern, and its effect depends on the home, material and overall design.
Interior designer Aniela Thorman has called herringbone flooring the “live, laugh, love” of 2020s interiors, arguing that its widespread use in mass-market luxury vinyl tile and neutral new-build homes has diluted its appeal. A Livingetc report presents her criticism alongside a counterargument from designers who still see value in the pattern, making the issue less a verdict that herringbone is out of style than a debate about where and how it is used.
Thorman, of the studio Foundry Interiors, told Livingetc that the pattern’s accessibility has helped turn it into a default choice. She said mass-market manufacturers use herringbone to make cheaper flooring materials appear more high-end. The pattern, she argued, has become especially associated with synthetic materials, grey finishes and modern, ultra-neutral interiors.
Her criticism is not that the layout has no design history. Herringbone is a distinctive zigzag arrangement used in wooden flooring, and the Livingetc report traces its adoption to European interiors and aristocratic homes. Thorman’s view is that it made more sense in buildings with period details and generous proportions than in contemporary homes that lack those features.
For modern spaces, Thorman told the publication, longer straight-plank timber can be a better fit because it may visually elongate walls and expand a room. She also argued that homeowners are often steered toward one popular option rather than choosing flooring in response to a home’s architecture. The report also includes support for herringbone, saying the pattern can add movement and rhythm; the available source excerpt does not provide the full details of that case.
Why Flooring Choices Signal More Than Trend
The debate matters to homeowners because flooring is a substantial, long-lasting part of an interior, while online trends can make a particular look seem like the obvious choice. Thorman’s criticism puts the focus on fit, material and context: the same pattern may read differently in original hardwood in a period home than in a mass-produced vinyl finish in a new build.
Her comments are an individual designer’s opinion, not evidence that the pattern has broadly fallen out of favor. Still, they offer a practical caution for people planning renovations: popularity alone does not show whether a floor suits a specific room. The report’s opposing perspective also matters, since a pattern’s continued use does not make every version or installation interchangeable.
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From Heritage Pattern to New-Build Staple
The Livingetc report describes herringbone as a long-established flooring layout, rather than a recent invention. Its present-day controversy, in Thorman’s account, comes from its spread into lower-cost imitation materials and its repeated pairing with neutral, contemporary interiors. That shift, she says, has changed what the pattern brings to mind.
The article connects the criticism to a wider concern about interiors shaped by social-media references. Thorman said homeowners can be funneled into familiar trend choices instead of considering what their architecture calls for. Livingetc also notes that herringbone remains a point of disagreement among designers, rather than presenting a consensus that it is dated.
“I called it that because of the massive influx of LVT (luxury vinyl tile) flooring.”
— Aniela Thorman, interior designer, speaking to Livingetc
No Broad Verdict on Herringbone
The source does not establish that herringbone flooring has gone out of style across the interiors industry. It reports Thorman’s opinion and indicates that other designers disagree, but the provided material does not include survey data, sales figures or a broader assessment of current demand.
The excerpt also ends before fully explaining the pro-herringbone argument. It does not identify how widespread the alleged shift is, or distinguish the popularity of natural hardwood installations from vinyl imitations. Whether the pattern looks dated in a particular home remains a matter of material, scale, architecture and execution, not a settled industry finding.
Homeowners Face a Room-by-Room Choice
The report describes an ongoing design debate, not a formal decision or a scheduled industry development. For homeowners choosing floors, the immediate next step is to compare options against the building’s existing details, room dimensions and desired finish rather than treating either herringbone or straight planks as a universal rule.
Further evidence would be needed to show whether consumer demand or professional recommendations are shifting away from herringbone. Until then, the source supports a narrower conclusion: Thorman objects to its repetitive, mass-market use, while the pattern remains a choice some designers consider effective.
Key Questions
Are herringbone floors officially out of style?
The source does not establish that. It reports designer Aniela Thorman’s criticism and presents a counterargument from designers who still support the pattern.
Why did Aniela Thorman compare herringbone to “live, laugh, love”?
She said the pattern has become widely available, including in luxury vinyl tile, and is often used by mass-market manufacturers to make cheaper flooring look high-end.
Does herringbone work in modern homes?
Thorman argues that straight-plank timber can suit many modern spaces better, but the report does not establish a universal rule. The choice depends on the architecture, material and overall design.
What is the case for keeping herringbone flooring?
The report says supporters see the pattern as a way to add movement and rhythm to a room. The source excerpt does not provide the full details of their argument.
Source: livingetc.com
