Flooring Focus: Products – DesignCurial

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Toby Maxwell discover the latest flooring collections and ideas.


Milliken

MILLIKEN’S Northern Soul collection of carpet tiles is influenced by the famous music and dance movement of the 1970s, utilising bold typographic elements and intricate patterns inspired by the musical rhythms, lighting effects and the distinctive fashion of the day.

The collection began its life as part of Milliken’s partnership with The School of Design and Creative Arts at Loughborough University. Design and textiles students worked on a project to design carpet tiles for commercial briefs set by Milliken. Student Charlotte Devereux based hers on the heritage of Wigan (where Milliken’s factory and headquarters are based). Devereux focused her work on the Northern Soul movement, born in the north of England in the late ’60s in venues such as the renowned Wigan Casino.

As part of the research for the collection Devereux spent time watching a visual representation of the music on a modular synthesizer that captured the Northern Soul music through the screen. This inspired the form and shape of the patterns and forms found throughout the collection. Inspiration was also taken from nightclub lighting effects, typography seen on tickets and posters, dance movements, spinning records and the fashion of the Northern Soul movement. To turn Charlotte’s concept into reality, Helen Lloyd, senior designer at Milliken, took up the next stage of the process, refining and developing Northern Soul into a fully realised, commercial flooring collection.

There are four designs in the collection. The first, Soundtrack, is inspired by retro prints and record labels of Northern Soul from the 1970s. Geometric shapes represent the movement of spinning records and the design can be used as a statement piece or softened with more neutral patterns, used to define walkways, in circulation areas, break-out spaces, or can even be used as a feature rug.

Night Flyer is inspired by Northern Soul club flyers, posters and tickets and references retro colouring, typography and graphics taken from the era. Strobe Light is inspired by club culture lighting, denoting linear patterns cast through strobe lights, with a contemporary modern herringbone effect.

Lastly, Floor Filler is inspired by Northern Soul dance floors. Contemporary commercial tones can be varied from tile to tile to replicate the changing light effects seen on a dance floor but, where required, it can be used to give the appearance of one overall colour.

The Northern Soul collection is made from Econyl yarn, which uses 100% regenerated content. www.millikencarpet.com

Shaw Contract

NEW PATH is the latest carpet tile collection from commercial flooring designermanufacturer Shaw Contract. The new collection marks the latest stage in the firm’s journey to combat carbon impact with the introduction of its new plastomer polyolefin EcoWorx S backing.

The new cradle-to-cradle silver-certified carpet tile collection is available as a 50×50cm carpet tile in three styles – Upbeat, Positive and Poised – each of which offers designers a choice of adaptive forms, undulating lines and organic shapes. Available in 12 colours, each styles can be used in isolation or in harmonious collaboration to create calming or stimulating schemes.

Closed loop recyclable, at the end of its useful life New Path on EcoWorx S carpet tile becomes the raw material for its own production. The entire carpet tile can be returned to Shaw Contract as part of Shaw’s Re[TURN] reclamation programme, enabling users to contribute to a closed loop life cycle. www.shawcontract.com

Interface

UPON Common Ground is a new biophilicinspired collection by Interface made up of carpet tile designs that reference Australia’s landscape and First Nations people.

Developed as part of a seven-year project in Australia, in partnership with the company’s European design teams, the range aims to offer a natural evolution of Interface’s biophilic design ethos.

Upon Common Ground comprises five biophilic-inspired carpet tile designs that aim to capture Earth’s natural beauty. Sandbank, Shallows and Undulating Water draw inspiration from waterways’ textured sands and the layering effects of ripples in shallow and deep water. Dry Bark encapsulates the naturally furrowed character of weathered tree bark, while Escarpment is the foundation of the collection, reflecting the earthy details of centuries-old stone cliffs. www.interface.com

Karndean Commercial

KARNDEAN Commercial has introduced the Opus abstract collection featuring 24 new colourways in a range of tones, textures and sizes inspired by traditional trends from the Italian Renaissance, including natural stone, textiles and human-made materials.

The designs include organic pigments with a textile base, terrazzo from the Adriatic coast and stucco reimagined for the 21st century, as well as distinctive stencilled and abstract visuals on natural stone bases and timeless poured and speckled concretes.

Designed for use in a range of settings including hospitality, retail and community living schemes, the new designs can be paired with existing wood planks and stone tiles from the Opus range to create imaginative bold bespoke floors. The collection makes it possible to create visual movement with areas of pattern in perfect symmetry or offset designs for a disjointed uniformity.

Fleur Carson, commercial sales director at Karndean Designflooring, says: ‘We’re proud of the craftsmanship of our product designers and what has been achieved by creating such detailed textures and textiles. Replication of natural wood and stone designs has always been a fundamental part of what we do and we wanted to expand these boundaries to open up new territory and opportunities for design. We’re excited to see how designers will use our new portfolio to let their imaginations fly.’

Opus abstract designs feature an R10 slip rating and 0.55mm wear layer, making these suitable for a wide range of residential and commercial settings. Karndean flooring is also compatible with underfloor heating systems. www.karndeancommercial.com /opusabstracts

Tarkett

TARKETT has launched Safetred Serenity, a sustainable slipresistant safety floor suitable for a wide range of applications, including hospitality, leisure, workplace, education, healthcare and aged-care environments. The range is available in a variety of neutral hues inspired by the beauty of the UK and Irish natural landscapes and environments. Each of the 12 shades were designed to evoke feelings of tranquillity, from palettes that reference sand, water or stone.

Created as a multifunctional safety floor solution, the collection is suitable for both barefoot and hard-sole shoes. This, combined with its calming serene palette and DSDC accreditation, lends itself for use in dementia-inclusive and neurodiverse settings.

Shaz Hawkins, segment marketing manager for healthcare, aged care and education at Tarkett, says: ‘The Safetred brand was originally created by pioneering British company Marley Flooring in the 1970s, and joined the Tarkett family nearly 20 years ago. Safetred Serenity is a new practical, multifunctional and hard-wearing safety floor with impeccable eco credentials that blends seamlessly into any space, no matter the style.

‘I’m really proud of what we have developed and the flexibility this flooring solution offers – myriad opportunities for creative exploration that supports neurodiverse design, all the while protecting people and the planet.’

Safetred Serenity is manufactured from almost 50% recycled content, using 100% recycled and recirculated industrial water as part of a closed-loop water system. The collection is free from phthalates and biocides to protect people’s health and well-being while in use, and once it has served its purpose, it can be recycled in Tarkett’s in-house recycling centre in Kent. www.tarkett.co.uk

Karndean

KARNDEAN’S new Korlok Regent collection aims to provide the natural textural detail of oak flooring in a luxury vinyl tile. Featuring wood grain emboss, this rigid core collection comes in a range of neutral tones to suit contemporary interior trends, including greys, beige and chocolate brown. Each design is available in a choice of four formats: long plank, herringbone, chevron and large chevron.

Korlok Regent includes six oak designs in 24 style variations. It has an 8mm rigid core construction, click-locking installation, and is waterproof to make it easier to maintain than real wood. The range also has a 0.55 wear layer and EN33 classification for commercial heavy specification, and reduces sound transfer to rooms below by 17dB. www.karndean.com /korlokregent

Amtico

THE updated Signature collection from Amtico includes a broad range of colour and texture, including timber and marble. Signature features 65 new LVT products across Woods, Stones and Colour & Abstracts, which have been refined into 18 palettes. The aim for the collection is make designs look as natural and realistic as possible, with products that work well flooding a space on their own with tile sizes up to 36×36in, as well as laying patterns that flex and adapt to add character, zone or make a statement.

Signature can be specified with acoustic high-performance backing to reduce sound transmission by up to 18dB, and 36+ safety flooring with slip resistance for the lifetime of the product. It can also be specified with Amtico’s Bio offering, which is made from bio-attributed PVC. www.amtico.com /commercial

Forbo

FORBO has added Tessera Harmony to its Tessera Union collection, joining Tessera Infused and Tessera Accord to complete the carpet tile range. Made and stocked in the UK, Tessera Harmony comprises 12 colourways made up of six neutral shades, such as Morning Song and Linen Weft, as well as six accent colours, including Corn Silk and Lucky Shamrock.

Sharing tonally coordinated yarns, the Tessera Union collection allows the individual ranges to be combined for interesting pattern changes or single tone design schemes to be curated. The collection can also be combined with other Tessera carpet tile ranges, such as Chroma and Layout, or Forbo’s Allura Flex LVT tiles and planks, without the need for transition strips, additional profiles or subfloor build-up.

Suitable for workspaces, learning environments and other commercial spaces, Tessera Harmony tiles are available in 50×50cm. www.forbo-flooring.co.uk /tesseraunion

Bjelin

BJELIN has launched a smaller size for its hardened wood flooring, suitable for both residential and commercial environments. Earlier this year, the company released an updated 3.0 range with improved colours and technologies alongside medium-sized floor panels. The new half-size Small panels measure 1,170×151 ×9.2mm and allow for creative designs to complement the larger and wider floor planks.

‘The new size maximises the use of wood and limits waste,’ says Hannes Lindblom, sales and marketing director at Bjelin. ‘And aesthetically, we believe in the ability to adapt and optimise space. These smaller-size panels reflect our commitment to efficiency, flexibility and sustainability.’

Size Small is available in the pro matt lacquer. The firm says that the surface is extremely durable and ensures that the floor is easy to maintain while protecting it from stains, making it ideal for heavy traffic areas like hotels, restaurants, offices and shops. www.bjelin.com



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