Highland Oak

Highland Oak is the palest board in this range and, despite the name, an Australian hardwood rather than a European oak. The tone is a soft blond-to-straw with the faint pink undertone characteristic of the Tasmanian Oak group, and the grain is fine, straight and largely free of dramatic figure.

That fine even grain makes it the quietest floor in a range that otherwise runs to strong character. Where Spotted Gum and Jarrah assert themselves, Highland Oak recedes, which makes it the right choice when the floor needs to be a backdrop rather than a feature — a room with strong art, bold joinery, or a view doing the work.

It is a good historical match for mid-century Victorian homes, where this timber group was laid extensively. In a 1950s or 1960s Peninsula house the pale blond floor sits naturally against the original timber windows and simple skirtings, and it brightens the compact rooms typical of the era.

It is softer than the eucalypt species in this range, so it will mark more readily under heavy traffic. As with any pale floor it hides dust well and shows dark grit more, and the light colour makes a small room feel appreciably larger. Available in both 136mm and 190mm widths — the narrower board is the more period-appropriate of the two.

Highland Oak is a real Tasmanian Oak floor. If you want to know how Tasmanian Oak behaves underfoot on the Peninsula — how it sands, what coatings suit it, how it handles coastal humidity — read our Tasmanian Oak species guide.