The Artist Collection: Wide Plank Oak for Chelsea and Flatiron Lofts
Posted October 31, 2026
The Artist Collection groups wide plank floors by cut and origin, from live sawn French oak to quarter sawn white oak.
Call (908) 232-6600 or book a virtual consultation to review samples and specifications for your project.
Lofts in Chelsea and the Flatiron District often have tall ceilings, big windows and open plans that suit a serious wide plank. Our Artist Collection, with floors named for painters, groups wide plank floors by the way the wood is cut.
Here is what each cut looks like and which floors to sample.
Live Sawn French Oak: Nolde and Maynard
Nolde is live sawn French oak sourced from managed forests in Normandy. Its page notes light brown tones with subtle, fine grain, and a format of 1" by 13.5" in lengths of 4' to 14' and longer, with a shrunk face, character grade and oil finish.
Maynard uses the same French oak in a 5/8" by 7.5" engineered plank, 5' to 8' long, wire brushed with a poly finish. Nolde suits a loft that wants the widest possible board, and Maynard suits a smaller room or a tighter budget for site work.
Live Sawn European Oak: Canaletto, Bazille, Constant and Ingres
Canaletto is live sawn European oak from Northern Europe, 3/4" by 7" engineered in 2' to 10' lengths, character grade, smooth, with a poly finish. Its page lists arching cathedral grain, pith, sound knots and figure.
Constant and Ingres are wire brushed with oil finishes in 5/8" by 7" engineered planks, while Bazille is smooth with a poly finish. Brushed and oiled floors have a softer, more matte look that suits raw brick and steel, and smooth poly floors read cleaner beside white walls.
Quarter Sawn and Flat Sawn White Oak
Merisi is quarter sawn white oak, milled to reveal medullary rays, often called flake or figure. Its page notes this cut is among the most stable and may include straight rift grain. It is 3/4" by 7" engineered, light character, with a poly finish.
Urbino and Pissarro are flat sawn white oak, milled to accentuate arching cathedral grain, select and better grade, 3/4" by 7". Pissarro is offered solid or engineered. Flat sawn gives the classic oak look, while quarter sawn gives a quieter, more architectural surface.
Want samples from the Artist Collection for your loft? Call (908) 232-6600 or book a virtual consultation.
Reclaimed Heart Pine: Chirico
The collection also includes Chirico, a reclaimed longleaf heart pine. Its page explains that this timber was widely used in 19th century factories and warehouses, and is prized for amber heartwood, golden sapwood, sound knots, nail holes and checks.
In a loft that was once a warehouse, a reclaimed pine floor can feel like a natural part of the building's story. Chirico is flat sawn with a new face, offered solid or engineered at 3/4" by 8". For more reclaimed options, see our reclaimed collection.
Choosing Within the Collection
Start with the cut. Live sawn gives the most natural movement, quarter sawn the calmest grain, and flat sawn the classic cathedral pattern. Then choose width and finish, keeping in mind that wider boards and oil finishes suit raw loft interiors, while poly finishes are easier to keep clean in a busy kitchen.
Every Artist floor is tongue and groove, end matched and micro-beveled. A virtual consultation with your plans lets us narrow the list to three or four samples, and our wide plank post covers the basics if you are new to wide boards.
Quick Answers
Where does the French oak in Nolde come from?
Its page says managed forests in Normandy, France.
Which Artist floor is quarter sawn?
Merisi is quarter sawn white oak, milled to show medullary rays.
How wide is Nolde?
Nolde is 13.5" wide and 1" thick, in lengths from 4' to 14' and longer.
Are Artist floors end matched?
Yes. They are tongue and groove, end matched and micro-beveled.
Plan Your Floor
Renovating a loft in Chelsea or the Flatiron District? We can send Artist Collection samples and review wide plank options with your architect.
Call (908) 232-6600, email joe@hugginsflooring.com, or book a virtual consultation. Browse our collections: Herringbone, Chevron, Wide Plank, Parquet.
About The Author
Joe Avila has worked in wood flooring for 26 years. He is NWFA certified (CSI, CI, CWFI, CFS) and teaches NWFA continuing-education courses for architects, designers and flooring professionals. Luxury Wood NYC, a Huggins Wood Floor Specialist brand.
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