BMK Laminate Flooring

Two distinct product lines make up this range: Empire, a standard plank format, and Aspen Herringbone, a pattern format. Both are oak-effect, but they're built for different jobs and different rooms, so it's worth treating them as separate decisions rather than variations on one product.

Empire

Empire is the plank line, 193mm wide, 10mm thick, the thickest laminate BMK stocks here, which tends to feel more substantial underfoot than the thinner 8mm options elsewhere on the site. Colourways all take their name from New York neighbourhoods: Brooklyn, Liberty, Madison, Hudson, and Soho, spanning a fairly tight range of oak tones rather than a dramatic spread from very light to very dark. Because the names don't tell you much about the actual shade on their own, it's worth checking a sample rather than assuming Brooklyn and Soho, say, sit at opposite ends of the colour scale.

Aspen Herringbone

Aspen is the herringbone line, individual blocks at 133x8x665mm, laid in the classic zigzag pattern rather than as continuous planks. This range covers more genuine colour variety than Empire, running from Natural and Light Grey Oak through Silver Natural, Silver Light, and Silver Grey Oak, down to Dark Grey Oak, plus a Golden Walnut option that's a different species effect rather than another oak shade. At 8mm thick, it's thinner than Empire, which is typical for herringbone laminate, since the smaller block format doesn't need the same board rigidity a long plank does.

Edge profile

The Empire plank range uses a 4-sided micro-bevel edge, a slight recess running around all four sides of each board rather than just the long edges, giving each plank a bit more visual definition against its neighbours than a flat, square-edged board would.

Fitting

Both lines use a click-lock system for a floating installation over underlay. As with other herringbone laminate on the site, Aspen takes longer to fit than a straightforward plank run like Empire, since each block needs positioning individually and the pattern needs checking as it goes.

FAQ

What's the difference between Empire and Aspen Herringbone?
Empire is a standard 193mm plank at 10mm thick. Aspen is a herringbone pattern laid from individual 133x8x665mm blocks. They're built for different layouts, not just different colours.

Is Aspen Herringbone available in walnut as well as oak?
Yes, the Golden Walnut colourway sits alongside the oak-effect options in this range.

Which BMK laminate is thicker, Empire or Aspen?
Empire, at 10mm, compared with 8mm for Aspen Herringbone.