Note: This article was written in collaboration between Swatchbox and Floor Gallery, a leading UK supplier of performance wood flooring. Learn more at thefloorgallery.co.uk.
Few materials move as comfortably between residential and commercial interiors as wood flooring. It brings warmth to a home and credibility to a flagship store, often looking equally at ease in both. The shift happens in what's required structurally. Homes allow for more forgiving wear patterns. Commercial spaces demand slip resistance, abrasion tolerance, and maintenance cycles that can stretch a floor beyond what standard residential specifications are built to handle.
The Winderen Collection by Floor Gallery addresses these requirements through controlled sourcing, unified manufacturing, and engineered surface treatments designed for environments where wood has traditionally been difficult to specify.
Residential project - chevron pattern with Taj Mahal colour
Manufacturing Consistency as a Starting Point
Winderen timber is always sourced from the same regions in Europe. This ensures consistent grain pattern, colour tone, and moisture content across production runs. All products are manufactured in the same factory, using the same production and finishing lines.
Planks, herringbone, and chevron (all available in various widths) align precisely in thickness and tongue-and-groove profile. For projects that transition between patterns or run across multiple rooms, this removes uncertainty at installation. The construction combines a European plywood core with carefully dried oak lamellas, giving the engineered stability needed for wider formats and underfloor heating compatibility. The layered structure also extends service life where floors face constant use.
Finish Options That Expand Application Range
The Winderen Collection offers Lacquer, Natural Oil, Hardwax Oil, and Nano Technology Lacquer. The nanotechnology option is particularly relevant for commercial specification. It achieves PTV 36+, the slip resistance benchmark commonly referenced in UK contract guidance for lower slip risk in wet conditions. This finish also has higher wearing capabilities than traditional lacquer, which matters for retail entrances, hotel lobbies, and other zones where durability and safety intersect.
Santa Luzia Arthotel in Guimaraes, Portugal - Winderen collection flooring with plank pattern
Designers can also choose from multiple gloss levels, plus different degrees of brushing and bevel options. These decisions affect how surfaces read under different lighting and how wear patterns develop over time.
All finishes are supported by FSC certification and a comprehensive 25-year warranty. Surfaces remain free from PVC and harmful chemicals, supporting healthier indoor environments alongside compliance with fire behaviour (EN 13 501 / Cfl-s1) and formaldehyde emissions (EN 717-1 / E1) standards.
Together, these specifications expand where wood flooring can be used with confidence, particularly in spaces where safety, durability, and long-term maintenance are tightly scrutinised.
Proven Performance in Demanding Environments
The collection has been specified for luxury cruise ships and some of the world's most exclusive private yachts, where floors face constant movement and rigorous cleaning cycles. It's also been supplied to luxury hotels from London to Dubai, along with prestigious offices including embassies and palaces. In retail, Winderen appears in some of the most demanding environments globally, across brands like Gucci and Louis Vuitton.
Louis Vuitton store in Zurich, Switzerland - Winderen collection flooring with herringbone pattern
Format Versatility
Planks, herringbone, and chevron are all available in various widths. Plank formats range from 90mm to 250mm wide, while herringbone and chevron are available in 90mm, 120mm, and 140mm widths. Because they're produced through the same manufacturing system, they can sit within a single project without visual or structural mismatch.
Pattern becomes a practical design tool rather than a stylistic choice. Chevron (available in 30° and 45° angles) can guide movement through an entrance sequence, herringbone can articulate zones, and plank formats can stabilise larger areas visually.
Hospitality project - plank pattern
In residential contexts, the same system logic applies. Light oak tones work comfortably with daylight and support open-plan layouts. The colour consistency comes from European Oak sourced from sustainable forests in the same regions, with unified finishing that ensures a steady tone as flooring moves through spaces. The collection also includes Ash, Canadian Maple, and American Black Walnut options.
Residential project in London, UK - herringbone pattern
For workplace, gallery, and educational settings, Winderen delivers 18 dB footfall noise reduction (DIN EN ISO 10140-3), delivering measurable footfall noise reduction. This is particularly relevant in open offices and educational settings where acoustic comfort directly affects usability. The engineered structure supports acoustic comfort alongside long-term durability, which matters for spaces where floors are in constant use and maintenance schedules need to be predictable.
Torre Puig in Barcelona, Spain - plank pattern
Customisation for Project-Specific Requirements
The collection offers nearly unlimited colour possibilities, with multiple thicknesses (11mm to 19mm), gloss levels, bevel profiles, and brushing effects. All products can be manufactured to project-specific requirements, and installation can be either fully bonded or floated depending on site conditions. The polyurethane adhesive system (not PVA) maintains performance with underfloor heating.
Gucci Ginza store in Tokyo, Japan - Winderen collection flooring with chevron pattern
Blending Classic Beauty with Modern Performance
Across hospitality, retail, workplace, and residential projects, the Winderen Collection demonstrates how engineered wood can meet modern performance expectations without sacrificing material integrity. The collection’s strength lies in predictability, from tone consistency to installation compatibility. For teams working across multiple spaces or formats, that reliability becomes a design advantage.
For those specifying performance wood flooring across residential or commercial projects in the UK, free samples of the Winderen Collection are available on Swatchbox Pro.
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