If you’ve been looking through social media or if you’ve seen the floor of some buildings, you might have noticed that they have inlays in the floor. The inlays could be simple, such as a square or a circle of a different color that is seamless with the floor. They can also be much more intricate. Some of them look like sundials or flowers. These are considered hardwood flooring medallions. They were popular for a long time in museums and other high-end buildings. Now, they have become more popular in homes as well. If you’re looking for a way to update your hardwood flooring or to repair damaged planks, a hardwood flooring medallion could be a good idea.
Where to Find Medallions
Hardwood flooring medallions can be found in a number of different places. You can buy premade medallions at a hardware store or at a flooring supplier. These are typically single pieces of wood that are made to be inlaid in the floor. Compasses and sundials are popular designs because they’re simple, classic, and not distracting. Typically, you will cut your existing hardwood planks so that they will fit the medallion. Depending on the size of medallion, you might even be able to just remove an appropriate number of planks to make them fit.
You can also design your own medallions. If you’re not very artistically inclined, you can hire a professional hardwood flooring installer or artist to make a medallion for your floor. They’re usually stained darker than the surrounding floor for a lightly-colored floor and vice versa for a darker floor. They can be as simple as a square of hardwood that is a different color than the rest of the floor. They can also be much more elaborate.
Where to Place Them
Many homeowners are choosing medallions for spots that are prominent. For example, a home might have a chandelier hanging in the living room. They might then place a medallion on the corresponding spot on the floor underneath the chandelier. That will highlight the chandelier and the medallion.
You can also use medallions to mark spots where the coffee table will go or to highlight an entranceway. Since they can be as subtle or as overt as you would like, your options are limitless. Lastly, you might place an inlay in a functional manner. For example, a compass inlay might be oriented so that the directions actually correspond to the cardinal directions. That will be a big help for anyone looking for a window facing a certain direction for houseplants or to maximize light.