Herringbone Floors Are The TikTok Trend That Might Actually Improve Your Home's Value

TikTok is quickly setting itself apart as the platform that's at the forefront of the latest trends. While herringbone floors are not a social media invention, they're gaining popularity as more people tackle home renovations and find details that customize their spaces. This wood floor design looks both classic and updated, adding a flare to any room that creates an eye-catching detail.

Instead of laying the floor planks or tiles in an offset stacked pattern, herringbone floors are a staggered zig-zag pattern. They're easily confused with another zig-zag pattern, chevron, which cuts the tips at an angle, so they meet together at a point. Herringbone, however, leaves the planks or tiles cut in a rectangular shape with one stacked on top of another to create a point. Scrolling through TikTok, you're bound to find plenty of home DIYs and trends you might want to try in your own home. But herringbone floors are a trend that can actually benefit your home's value long term.

Herringbone has timeless appeal, having been used in parquet flooring since the 16th century. It was a popular style in homes that are now antique and has maintained its appeal for centuries. As a classic and timeless design, it adds some warmth and character to modern spaces, complementing contemporary furniture and décor with a slight vintage touch. The pattern also creates movement and can actually give the appearance of a larger room in narrow or small spaces. The style is loved for how it dresses up a standard wood floor.

Herringbone also lends well to a variety of finishes and plank sizes, so you can really customize the look of a space. Light, blonde woods tend to look more modern with a touch of character when done in a herringbone pattern. But using darker woods can give your home some old-world charm and elegance. Many original hardwood floors also have variation in the wood from plank to plank that creates a unique visual interest.

TikTok user @allie.provost shows the before and after of a pre-war apartment in New York City that was updated with narrow, blonde wood herringbone floors. The space initially had cookie-cutter modern flooring, which she argues doesn't belong in pre-1939 apartments. When she reveals the results of the renovation, you can see the space transformed with character while still maintaining a sleek, contemporary appeal.

The charm and beauty that herringbone floors provide come at a cost. Compared to the offset stacked layout of standard hardwood floors, herringbone floors have a more complicated installation process and material. The extra labor and material will make this type of flooring more expensive, and you can expect for a price jump of about 30%. A TikTok by @albflooring shows the labor-intensive process of installing this type of floor, which requires caution to ensure the boards are at the angle needed to create the pattern. The video shows workers using a laser to keep the planks even. The two center rows are laid first before building out to the sides of the room.

You won't have to purchase special boards to create herringbone floors; any planks you use for hardwood will work. You will, however, need to order about 20% to 25% more boards than you wood for a standard layout. And for a room that's 300 square feet, you can expect to pay about $950 and $1,200 in materials alone. This estimate can change depending on the kind of wood and where you purchase it. And the cost of labor for installation can vary depending on location and company.

Hardwood flooring is sought after for most modern homes as it's considered the standard. "Most buyers nowadays are expecting hardwood," says realtor Matt Laricy with Americorp Real Estate in Chicago says in an interview with Realtor.com. "They want things move-in ready, and don't want to do any work. Seeing carpet could make them pass on your place." So if you're looking to add value to your home, hardwood floors, in general, are a great idea. The average return on investment can be between 70% and 80%.

Herringbone flooring with hardwood planks will add value because of the material alone — but the design could draw in even more buyers. In fact, a study from RatedPeople estimates that herringbone can increase your home's value by around $6,000. So, if you're putting a home on the market or just want to update your space, you can consider this trend a good investment.