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Interior designer Aniela Thorman has criticized the widespread use of herringbone flooring, comparing its current popularity to “Live, Laugh, Love” decor. Her argument focuses on mass-market vinyl versions and the pattern’s use in modern homes, while the report also presents support for keeping herringbone when it suits a home’s architecture.
Interior designer Aniela Thorman has called herringbone flooring the “Live, Laugh, Love” of the 2020s, arguing that its mass-market use—particularly in synthetic materials and neutral new-build interiors—has weakened its association with elegance. The criticism, reported by Livingetc, is not a declaration that the pattern is universally out of style: the article sets out competing views and says context, material and the architecture of a home matter.
Thorman, of @foundry.interiors, told Livingetc that the spread of luxury vinyl tile (LVT) has helped make herringbone a default choice for lower-cost flooring. She argued that manufacturers use the recognizable layout to make inexpensive materials look more high-end. The report notes that vinyl can offer a cheaper alternative to hardwood, but does not independently assess the quality or durability of specific products.
Thorman’s criticism also concerns where the pattern is installed. She said herringbone was historically associated with heritage buildings and can look out of place in modern homes, especially when combined with synthetic flooring and grey finishes. In her view, a simple straight-plank timber floor can be a more natural fit for contemporary spaces and may help visually elongate a room.
Livingetc’s report also presents the case for herringbone rather than treating the designer’s view as a settled consensus. It describes the pattern as capable of adding movement and rhythm to an interior, and says some designers are not ready to dismiss it. The available source excerpt ends before giving the full counterargument, so the range of views and the details of other designers’ positions cannot be fully established from the material provided.
Why Material and Setting Matter
The debate matters to homeowners and renovators because flooring is a major, long-lasting design choice, while trends can change more quickly. Thorman’s comments challenge the assumption that a familiar pattern automatically makes a room look classic or expensive. She says the result depends in part on the material used and whether the floor works with the home’s architecture.
Her argument also points to a broader tension in interior design: widely shared online references can make different homes look alike. Thorman told Livingetc that people can be funneled into a single fashionable option instead of choosing flooring based on the space itself. That is her professional assessment, not a measured finding about homeowner behavior or a prediction that herringbone sales are falling.
For readers considering a renovation, the report offers a design perspective rather than a rule or market forecast. It does not establish that herringbone has gone out of style across the industry. Instead, it suggests that a pattern’s appeal may depend on its execution, surrounding finishes and fit with a home’s proportions.
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From Heritage Floors to New Builds
The report traces herringbone’s history to 16th-century Europe, describing how French aristocracy and nobility adopted a wooden flooring pattern inspired by stone formations associated with ancient Rome. It became linked with luxury and elegance, according to Livingetc. That history helps explain why the layout can still carry traditional associations, even as its use has expanded into contemporary interiors.
Thorman says the shift in perception is tied partly to mass availability: the same zigzag pattern now appears in lower-cost LVT and in modern, neutral homes. She argues that it is not the pattern alone that creates the problem, but its repeated use in settings where it may not suit the architecture. The report contrasts this with period homes, where herringbone may feel more cohesive alongside features such as crown molding and other architectural details.
“I called it that because of the massive influx of LVT (luxury vinyl tile) flooring.”
— Aniela Thorman, interior designer, as quoted by Livingetc
A Design Opinion, Not a Verdict
The source material does not establish whether herringbone flooring is losing popularity in sales, search interest or professional specifications. It provides no market data, survey results or industry-wide consensus showing that the style has gone out of fashion. The “Live, Laugh, Love” comparison is Thorman’s opinion, reported by Livingetc.
The supplied report excerpt also cuts off as it introduces designers who favor herringbone. Their full arguments, names and examples are not available here. It is consequently unclear how broadly designers agree or disagree with Thorman, and whether consumers are changing their flooring choices. No specific products, prices, performance tests or installation recommendations are provided.
How the Debate Develops
The source does not announce a survey, industry response or upcoming decision that would settle the question. For now, the development is a design debate reported by Livingetc, with Thorman’s criticism set against the continued case for using herringbone in suitable spaces.
Further reporting could clarify how other designers assess the pattern, whether demand for herringbone is changing and how buyers distinguish hardwood from vinyl imitations. Until then, the evidence supports a limited conclusion: one designer objects to the pattern’s mass-market use and some of its modern applications, while the report does not show that herringbone is universally out of style.
Key Questions
Did Aniela Thorman say all herringbone floors are out of style?
No. She criticized the pattern’s mass-market use and its application in some modern homes. The report presents her remarks as a design opinion, not a universal verdict.
Why did Thorman compare herringbone with “Live, Laugh, Love” decor?
She said a large influx of luxury vinyl tile had made herringbone widely accessible and that manufacturers use the pattern to make cheaper materials appear more high-end.
What flooring does Thorman suggest for some modern rooms?
She said longer, straight-plank timber can suit modern spaces better because it may visually elongate walls and expand the room. That is her design assessment, not a rule for every home.
Is there evidence that herringbone flooring is losing popularity?
The supplied report includes no sales, survey or search data showing a decline. It reports a designer’s criticism and a broader debate about how the flooring is used.
Can herringbone still work in a home?
The report indicates that some designers still support the pattern and describes it as a way to add movement and rhythm. Its fit may depend on the material, finishes and architecture of the space.
Source: livingetc.com
