Hardwood Floors June/July 2026

CATEGORY: Best in Marquetry/Inlay

Renaissance Floor Inlays | Kyle, Texas

CATEGORY DETAILS: Entries in this category include any hand-cut marquetry/intarsia, or inlay featured within a wood floor as a stand-alone feature, inlaid into the floor, or throughout the entire project.

WHAT MAKES THIS FLOOR UNIQUE:

Renaissance Floor Inlays in Kyle, Texas, has earned the 2026 WFOY Best in Marquetry/Inlay award for a 1,400-square-foot custom floor spanning five rooms, a hallway, and an elevator in a residence in Durham, New Hampshire. The project carries a personal history. In 2001, company founder Eugene Klotz designed a floor for the same homeowner at his previous residence in San Jose, California, a floor that won the NWFA Wood Floor of the Year award that year. Twenty-two years later, the homeowner retired and began building a new home, searching to see if Renaissance Floor Inlays was still in business. They were, and the project began. All medallions and borders were drawn by Eugene Klotz over decades of work before his passing, with the homeowner’s wife selecting the designs from the catalog. Master craftsman Piotr Witkowski, who trained under Eugene Klotz and now leads inlay production in Poland, hand-cut every piece, selecting species for shading, detail, and contrast. The parquet background is European white oak, with borders featuring walnut feature strips and brass accent inlays. Medallion and border species include sapele, maple, ash, avodire, padauk, wengé, okoume, framire (idigbo), and European white oak, with brass ring details throughout. The inlays were produced during two and a half months, then shipped overseas for installation. Lead installer Artur Kaminski, who has worked with the Klotz family for decades, handled the installation alongside Charlie Klotz (Eugene’s son). The team lasered and measured the space extensively before cutting a single piece, then glued and nailed the floor into place. A few months later the team returned to sand and finish. The floor was hand sanded and buffed twice before four coats of Bona Traffic HD Commercial Satin were applied. As Charlie Klotz reflected, “This project honors my father’s legacy and showcases the technical abilities of a family business that still goes on to this day.”

INSTALLATION METHOD: FLOORING FINISH: FINISH SHEEN: SPECIES:

Nail Down Bona Traffic HD Commercial Satin

European White Oak, Sapele, Maple, Ash, Avodire, Padauk, Wengé, Okoume, Framire (Idigbo), with Brass inlay 1,400

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