This restaurant interior needed to feel warm, intimate and comfortable from the moment guests walk in, without feeling dark or heavy. The client specifically requested a rustic expression of French oak – visible knots, texture and natural variation – to soften the harder surfaces of stone, metal and glass.
ChêneOak supplied single-origin French oak for the wall panelling, flooring and select framing details, creating a continuous envelope of timber that ties the whole dining room together.
Restaurant / hospitality dining room
Full-height oak wall panelling, solid oak flooring and framed feature elements.
Interior Designer: Confidential
Builder / Joiner: Confidential trade partner
Material: Solid single-origin French oak
Board size: 220 × 8 mm
Orientation: Vertical, full-height panelling
Grade: Rustic, with knots and natural variation requested by the client
Fixing: Secret-fixed for a clean, continuous surface
Material: Solid French oak floorboards
Board size: 220 × 20 mm
Profile: Tongue & groove
Grade: Rustic, to align with wall panelling
Application: Main dining floor, with boards running along the length of the room
Material: Solid French oak planks
Section: 300 × 45 mm
Application: Framing for mirrors, shelving and feature openings, tying back to the wall panelling
Single-origin French oak, responsibly sourced and PEFC certified
Supplied solid, not laminated or engineered
Consistent board width – 220 mm boards on both wall and floor create a calm rhythm that feels contemporary while still showing plenty of character.
Rustic selection – knots, tonal shifts and the occasional check are intentionally retained, delivering the relaxed, lived-in feel requested by the client.
Framed moments – 300 × 45 mm planks build out deeper frames around mirrors and shelving, adding shadow lines and subtle depth to the walls.
Warm, durable finish – the oak is finished in a clear, hardwearing system suited to hospitality use, allowing the timber to patinate gracefully over time.
The French oak surfaces deliver:
Guests experience the oak from every angle – underfoot, at eye level and in their peripheral vision – making the timber a core part of the restaurant’s identity.
