Structural Efficiencies: Carpet Trends 2010

Vorwerk Scale


As if they sensed it was time to stick two fingers up at the recession and fight back with boldness and positivity, this year’s carpet collections oozed colour, wow factor and bright, jazzy prints. What were once safe, muted stripes and block colour carpets were updated with warmer colours, rich dark shades and the occasional burst of fuschia pink, ruby red and even panther black. Designers such as Ryalux encouraged experimentation by allowing consumers to “build their own design” laying stripes and block colours side by side, choosing the combination of stripe colours to match any element in a room and create a variety of moods. Flor by HEUGA had zingy oranges and olive greens, Brintons offered a range of contract carpet designs with intricate Japanese patterns and large, sketched floral patterns in hues of gold, purple and lime green. Designers were invited to talk to visitors at the stands, bringing the design element to the fore and furthering the notion that over the last few years the floor coverings trade has pushed to market flooring as an integral part of an interior design, something durable and of quality but also the element that pulls a room together and is vital in creating the perfect mood for a commercial space, as much a decorative element as a lamp, wallpaper or curtains. For 2010, this move towards increasingly design-led and “fashion conscious” carpets goes a step further, with many manufacturers adding architectural themes or structures into the design and colourings of their collections.


Desso Carpetecture

Desso even went as far as to name their collection “Carpetecture” consolidating the idea that a floor and the building it houses blend seamlessly, the creations beneath a person’s feet emphasising the lines, shapes and textures of urban landscapes. The basis of Desso’s new Carpetecture® collection, Core Structures, comes from the very essence of a building. Pillars, wall surfaces, roofs and beams become concepts for the design and creation of these carpets which draw inspiration from the repetitive forms and individual complexities of architecture. Core Structures consists of seven products providing a choice of carpet tiles and broadloom carpet. Verso offers a delicate, repeat pattern of contoured facets creating an elegant finish in neutral colourways emulating the look of a hard surface due to the flat nature of its structure. With its strong replication of rhythmic pattern, Verso Grid offers a powerful, distinct look as its lattice format provides added depth and dimension of an almost three dimensional quality. Whilst the neutral brown and grey weaves of Verso Bars present a striking finish of durable quality. Pure is a modern office carpet tile, its precise yet subtly textured rib and mosaic effect add depth and dimension for a warmer, natural look. The neutral palette of grey, yellow and brown hues makes it easy to combine with other interior products in any environment. Wilton Profile, Wilton Metallic and Wilton in Ribs are inspired woven broadloom carpet designs with highly textured surfaces and geometric inspired patterns. The natural tones of Wilton Profile conjure up images of light filtering through a framework. Wilton in Ribs takes inspiration from the simple repetition found in walls and windows emulating the look of wire framework. Its durability and timeless quality is perfect for the commercial environment. The black palette of Wilton Metallic is a contemporary option at the cutting edge of design and at the heart of this striking collection. Texture is also a major factor of Desso’s current design philosophy. Texture is an inspired finish of choice providing an array of high quality, visually stimulating options. Patterns and textures, for example, provide an extra dimension and sense of movement.


Vorwerk Scale

A couple of issues back we previewed Scale, the new collection by Vorwerk designed by Iranian-born architect Hadi Teherani. This visionary designer worked with Vorwerk to create a modular carpet range which could take on almost any form, creating dramatic patterns and shapes. As Vorwerk themselves put it “Modular carpet has become architecture in itself.” From pattern and texture to colour and form, carpet tiles can be explored in a new way to create defining floor spaces.

The brainchild of German architectural powerhouse, Hadi Teherani and Vorwerk Carpets, SCALE is more than a labelled collection of regular carpet tiles. It is a collaborative effort at every level, from the creation of different sizes and shapes to the GreySCALE and ColorSCALE colourbooks, the input of award-winning architectural thinking is plain to see. Each element of SCALE is designed as a distinct entity, yet with the intent of linking in a harmonised space creating a floor that becomes part of the architecture. In six defined textures, five defined formats, five defined patterns and seven defined colour groups comes a carpet tile collection that breaks new ground. All works within the collection, including the right angle omitting FreeSCALE, utilise Vorwerk Carpets advanced TEXtiles® backing technology. Completely bitumen and PVC free, made from 60% recycled materials and completely recyclable, TEXtiles® is flexible and light, yet dimensionally stable enough to meet the demands of commercial locations. With both tufted and woven faces in high performance INVISTA Antron® carpet fibre, the entire SCALE collection achieves CE, GUT and TÜV certification. As suitable for the hallway as it is for the workspace or the boardroom, SCALE a TEXtiles® collection by Hadi Teherani begins a new era in carpet tiles.


Interface FLOR

InterfaceFLOR, a worldwide leader in the design and manufacture of modular flooring has launched a new flooring concept: The VersaflexTM System from InterfaceFLOR. The patent-pending system enables hard and soft surfaces to be combined in a single installation for the first time and reflects InterfaceFLOR’s strength in innovation and sustainability on every level – from its The VersaflexTM System has been developed with complete versatility and portability in mind, making it ideal for fast-changing retail and office environments. It is six times quicker to install than a conventional ceramic or porcelain floor and can be walked on immediately after it is laid, resulting in minimum downtime and disruption to business. Also, it is installed in such a way, using a unique grid system with flexible grout and without damaging the sub floor, that it can be easily replaced or re-used. Customers can create a whole new look, change layouts or repair any damage simply by removing and replacing individual tiles. It is even possible to take up the entire system, so that if you move offices or premises your floor can move with you.


Antron Elemental Spectrum

INVISTA’s Antron® carpet fibre forms a fundamental part of Elemental Spectrum, a carpet tile that draws inspiration from the ‘building blocks of everyday life’ by Mannington Commercial, part of the Victoria Carpets Contracts Division. Designed in conjunction with Tom Pelsoi of HOK Chicago, Elemental Spectrum was developed to provide a solution for tighter budgets. Each style is influenced by the readings of elements such as carbon, zinc and iron when placed under a visual spectrograph, giving a linear appearance that can either be strong or subtle. Antron / www.antron.net InterfaceFLOR / www.interfaceflor.co.uk Desso / www.desso.com Vorwerk / www.vorwerkcarpets.co.uk