What’s the difference between marquetry and parquetry?
Past student on our popular weekend Veneering; Parquetry and Marquetry course (next course on 13 -14 June 2026)
When answering this question, most people have an idea of what the two terms mean. It’s common to think of parquetry in connection with flooring (parquet flooring) and marquetry with more decorative pictures and intricate designs. In this article, we will break down the differences in more detail.
Parquetry
Parquetry is characterised by arranging wood pieces in a geometric pattern. The herringbone and chevron repeating patterns are commonly seen in wooden flooring, but the geometric patterns of parquetry can also be found in furnishings.
When speaking of parquetry, many people think of the famous parquet floor of the basketball court that the NBA team the Boston Celtics play on, featuring pieces of Northern Tennessee red oak laid out in an alternating pattern.
Other common parquetry forms include regular squares, rectangles, rhombus, triangles, stars and sun shapes created using wood blocks or wood strips.
Example of a parquet floor with a diamond pattern
In terms of materials used in parquetry, wood is used predominantly. Particularly with flooring, even solid wood or engineered wood can be used, and woods with contrasting colours or grains are often chosen to make the geometric patterns pop.
A herringbone pattern with wood strips of contrasting tones
Marquetry
Marquetry refers to the creation of a decorative image or design, which is usually a recreation of real images of scenery, animals or objects. It is usually achieved by laying pieces of veneer onto the surfaces of furniture or flooring, although it is less common to see it in flooring.
Beautiful marquetry by ex-student Sofia Karakatsanis
In marquetry, the wood veneers are often used alongside other materials such as mother of pearl or brass. Similar to parquetry, contrasting woods and materials can enhance the final pattern.
Made by ex-student @guyprivettdesigns who completed the Professional 40 Week Fine Furniture course
We’ve had students in the past create incredible parquetry box lid designs with geometric designs that trick the eye, or use marquetry techniques to create intricate flowers, a repeating squirrel pattern and even the skyline of Bath! You can see our student gallery for more examples.
Our next weekend course in Veneering; Parquetry and Marquetry is coming up on 13 and 14 June 2026. Students will have the chance to explore both marquetry and parquetry techniques and applications over the course of two days.