When doing wood flooring in miniature, I love using pre-made wood sheets.  They are quick and easy to use, which to me makes up for their cost.  I also think they look wonderful once finished and installed.

For the parlor, I wanted to make a fancier floor.  I picked up two herringbone wood flooring sheets to use with the regular walnut flooring.  Since I wasn't entirely sure what I wanted to do or how things would look, I made color copies of the flooring sheets that I could cut, tape and rearrange until I figured out a good layout.  I could then use the copies as a guide for cutting the real deal.

Keep in mind, the coloration of the color copies is off.  I plan to stain the actual wood darker so the pattern will be more subtle than it looks in these photos.  There will also be a rug for the middle of the parlor (not the Navajo rug, though).

I've decided to use Houseworks narrow doors upstairs to have a more open foyer.  That gives me a very precise measurement as to where the stairs need to be.  This will still allow for trim around the pocket door.

I started with the herringbone placement first since that is the main element of the floor.  I taped pieces together to cover the entire area.

I put the wallpaper in place to see the overall look, and as I expected the herringbone is a little much all by itself.

So, I continued with my original plan, adding a plain wood border around the room as well as the area under the stairs.  Already better!  :D

I've borrowed the marble hearth from the Newport and continued the border around it.  I didn't continue all the way around since I'll need to make a hearth for the Heritage fireplace first.  This just gives me a rough idea of how it will look.  I then put in the furniture to see how it all looks together.

I love the way it looks in mockup, but I want to see how it will look with a thin inlay border between the outer border and the middle herringbone pattern before I make my final decision on a layout.