April 10, 2025
Variation: Why One Sample Doesn’t Tell the Whole Story
by Haley Holm-Pedersen
Pictured: Five small samples of Forest, each showing different levels of character.
One of the best things about natural wood flooring? No two boards are the same. So if you’re looking at samples and wondering how well they represent the full floor, here’s a little insight into how we help you get the full picture—and why variation is something to celebrate.
Small Samples: A Close-Up Look
Our free small samples are ~9" tall and as wide as the floor plank. They give you a great feel for the tone, finish, and texture—helpful when you want to compare colors or finishes. But ultimately, it’s a small section of one board. And you’ll likely be installing hundreds or thousands of square feet in your home.
Large Samples: Zooming Out a Bit
Our large samples measure approximately 2' x 3'. They’re made from two or three planks (depending on the floor) joined together with an end seam so you can see the floor’s bevels on the sides and ends. This gives you a broader look at the floor’s character—more grain, more color shifts, maybe a knot or two. But even at 6 square feet, it’s still a mini moment compared to the full installation.
Design and photo: Armando Vara Photography | Floor: Little Square
Photos, Photos, Photos
The best way to envision the true personality of a floor? Real homes. Our product pages are packed with photos from designers and customers who’ve installed that exact floor. We try to show as many rooms, lighting situations, and angles as possible, so you can see how each floor lives and breathes in the wild. For even more, check out our Instagram story highlights, where we feature customer photos and videos. You’ll also find a personality scale on each product page, showing where the floor falls—from clean and modern to knotty and rustic—so you can easily compare.
What About Ordering a Box?
We sometimes hear from folks who want to order one box of flooring to get a better sense of variation. Totally understandable—but here’s the catch: that box might contain several boards cut from the same part of the same tree. So, while you’ll get a bigger surface area, the variation might actually be less than average. That’s why, during installation, we recommend opening multiple boxes at once. Your installer should blend the boards across the space for a more natural, balanced look—and avoid creating any areas that feel too uniform.
The Beauty of Variation
Natural materials aren’t supposed to be perfect. Whether it’s marble, handmade tile, or solid wood, the little differences are what give them life. The grain, the knots, the color shifts—they work together like highlights and lowlights in hair. When done well, you don’t notice a “light board” or a “dark board”—you notice a floor with depth, dimension, and soul.
Manmade materials like vinyl or laminate often aim for uniformity. But uniformity can feel flat and sterile. Human eyes are great at picking up patterns, and we’re naturally drawn to the random, organic patterns found in nature. Even faux wood floors that try to create variation with slight differences in their printed planks’ colors and patterns don’t quite fool the eye.
Real wood has warmth, telling a story with every step. Once you install them in your home, you’ll stop noticing the individual boards and start noticing how the whole space just feels right. Natural, grounded, and effortlessly beautiful. It’s the kind of decision you won’t overthink twice.
