Walnut and walnut-look flooring
This collection mixes two different materials, so it helps to know which you are looking at. Of its 14 floors, 5 are engineered wood and 9 are walnut-look luxury vinyl, from Ferma Flooring, Terra Legno and MSI Surfaces. Real walnut suits living rooms and bedrooms where you want rich, dark wood. The vinyl suits kitchens, rentals and busy homes that want the look with more water tolerance.
14 floors in the catalog · see them at 446 Avenue P, Brooklyn
Choosing walnut and walnut-look flooring
How can you tell real walnut from walnut-look vinyl here?
Check the category on each product page. The engineered floors have a real wood surface. The vinyl floors, including the Ferma products described as registered emboss and the MSI Walnut Waves planks, use a printed walnut image. Registered embossing means the surface texture is lined up with the printed grain, which makes vinyl look and feel more like wood.
What should you know about real walnut?
American black walnut is prized for its chocolate-brown color and flowing grain. It is softer than oak, so it dents more easily under heels, dropped objects and pet claws, and it tends to lighten and warm with sun exposure. Some floors sold as Brazilian walnut are a different, much harder South American species, so check the details on each product. Our wood species guide compares walnut with oak and maple.
When is walnut-look vinyl the better choice?
If the floor will see spills, heavy traffic or a run of tenants, vinyl is the practical way to get a walnut tone. It installs floating or glue-down, handles water far better than wood and shrugs off the dents that soft walnut shows. Read LVP vs engineered hardwood to weigh the trade-offs.
How do you style a dark walnut floor?
Walnut looks richest with light walls and pale or painted cabinets, which keep the room from feeling heavy. Dark floors show dust and lint, so a low-luster or matte finish is easier to live with than satin. See care by material for cleaning wood and vinyl.
Is walnut flooring durable enough for a family home?
Real walnut is softer than oak and will show dents and scratches sooner, which some owners accept as character. For busy homes with pets, walnut-look vinyl or a harder wood in a walnut-colored finish may be easier to live with.
Is the walnut-look vinyl in this collection real wood?
No. The luxury vinyl floors here are vinyl with a printed walnut look and a textured surface. Only the engineered floors in this collection have a real wood top layer.
Does real walnut change color?
Yes. Walnut tends to lighten and take on a warmer, more golden tone with light exposure, while oak tends to darken. Moving rugs now and then helps it change evenly.
Before you choose
Related collections
Don’t see what you’re looking for?
We carry far more than we can show online. Many of our lines, colors and widths never make it to the website. If you’re after a specific product, brand or finish, call (718) 252-6177 or email us a photo — we’ll tell you if we have it, or what comes closest.