Sustainability for the client and for the environment is the driving philosophy for Forté Flooring in Queenstown.

The showroom has been open for just over a year and specialises in authentic engineered wooden flooring and Millboard decking with a sustainable outlook.

Company spokesperson, Emma Timmins, says  assisting clients to find the ideal flooring for their home is an important role of the Hawthorne Drive showroom.

“We look after clients from the get-go to finish. They can bring in plans and swatches and we’ll show them our full range and help them choose the right flooring. We’ll then help them find an approved installer.”

“For interior flooring, real timber is coming back in. Many of our clients are looking for something that reflects nature, and a natural grain you can feel underfoot – you want the right flooring to be an experience, not just a look.”

Emma says the important aspect of timber flooring is that it lasts a long time andis available in a variety of stains and patterns to suit the interior décor.

Sustainability, for both the client and the environment, is significant and the  company only sells Millboard outdoor decking, due to its sustainability features and proven longevity.

“It’s a plastic-free composite, made from minerals that have been hand-moulded from  wood, so it looks and feels like real wood but lasts so much longer in Queenstown’s harsh environment. Unlike real wood, it doesn’t splinter, mould or expand so it’s perfect for family life and lasts a good 40 years without the need for maintenance. It’s truly something many people haven’t heard of.”

Queenstown homeowner, Christal Shaw is sold on Forté Flooring’s products which she recently installed after visiting the showroom, featuring more than 100 samples of timber and Millboard decking.

She selected a French oak, known as Manor Atelier Class for the interior flooring and a smoked oak effect Millboard decking, with the assistance of staff who had an in-depth knowledge of the products.

“We wanted our flooring to look and feel ‘real.’ When choosing the floor, it was important that it fit into our overall scheme. We wanted a balance between modern and country, so the colour of the timber was very important. Also, because we have young children and several pets, we needed the flooring to be very durable and to enhance as it wears. It needed to look great no matter what is dropped or spilled onto it.”

Christal is delighted with the result which is an interior flooring that “looks and feels warm, both underfoot and visually, giving us that homely feeling we were after.”