Written Rug by Maartje Santbergen

This Writtenby rug from Dutch designer Maartje Santbergen is made from tiny rolls of paper, woven together to form a rug. Individual strands can be unwoven in order to read the writing traced upon the paper and create personalised patterns and textures.

Concept Interiors talks Flooring Trends 2010

This morning I spoke to Concept Interiors' head designer Samantha Morgan about her views on what trends we can expect in residential flooring for 2010. This article will feature in full in the February issue of Retail Floors magazine. "Spring is fast approaching and Samantha Morgan, head designer at Concept Interiors, has been looking at future home and interior trends. We asked her to give Retail Floors readers some advice on what materials, patterns and colour pallets will be featuring in homes over the coming year, with a particular emphasis on flooring.

Concept Interiors creates eye-catching and sophisticated living spaces for clients who want the very best in their homes. Says Samantha, “People are starting to opt for quality products in preference to cheaper alternatives for their homes. The current focus is on the more durable and eco friendly choices.” Samantha thinks 2010 will see high quality products and finishing touches such as black nickel curtain poles with lavish jewelled finials and oversized wool pieces such as knitted rugs or upholstered furniture featuring in our homes.

She explains that the two key interior looks for 2010 will be “English Kitsch” and “Eastern Glam”. Both use floral and organic shapes in their style and natural fibres. Weaves also feature in both looks.

English kitsch with the Ryalux william classics collection

Black will remain a signature colour in our bathrooms - but with more style than we’ve seen throughout 2009. Introducing luxurious purples into the theme will simultaneously soften the room and add to the glam factor. “Choosing the right focal point or element for each individual room is important,” Sam continues. “However, you’ll also need the other elements of the space to work with that focal point to complete your room design.” To help make this possible, dramatic flooring and statement lights will be hitting our homes to create a focal point for all of our rooms. Patterns such as stripes or a woven carpet, for example, will bring texture and an area of interest, while lighting can frame the room or highlight a specific element. Indeed, light fittings themselves can become features or the focal point - providing it helps to create an atmosphere.

In terms of wood flooring, Samantha is seeing a growing popularity of dark, chocolatey woods, especially wenge, a marked contrast to the walnut colours that dominated last year. Leather tiles are also making headway in living rooms and hallways, a material that only gets better with age and, like a favourite soft leather jacket, looks good even when worn and lived in.


leather floor tiles from alberta hardwood flooring

In the tile department, porcelain is making a comeback all across the downstairs areas, replacing natural stone as a favourite because of its ease of maintenance and durability.

wenge wood flooring from quick step

Concept Interiors have recently completed an installation of a large format tiled border (600 x 600) with an inset carpet, allowing a seamless flow from a tiled hallway into the living room. Whilst woods are getting darker in colour, carpets are remaining light and neutral, despite the explosion on colour and pattern at last year’s major flooring shows, it seems the consumer is not yet fully comfortable with bold, bright statement carpets in the home, a trend which may cotton on in a couple of years time.

Rugs are where the flurry of creativity remains in terms of pattern and texture, with homeowners more likely to choose a statement rug or a funky design no an item that can be moved or changed more readily than carpet or tile.

Interview with Sarah Ludlam, Designer for Ryalux Carpets

Contract Floors talks to Ryalux designer Sarah Ludlam about William Classics, British design and future trends for carpet.

EJ: William Classics was showcased at NFS last year, as well as a revamped luxurious Ultimate collection. What was the inspiration behind these and where do you generally look for inspiration?
SL: We generally get our inspiration for range development from numerous and diverse sources, for example inspiration for William Classics came in part from the work of our founder William Lomas who was known throughout the industry as a carpet innovator and quintessential English gentleman. For aesthetic and trend inspiration we visit the Milan Furniture Show, Maison et Objets, Decorex and London Design Week, anywhere where new ideas, colours and styles are previewed and fully embraced. In addition to this we spend time at art exhibitions and galleries such at the V&A (a fabulous place for inspiration), and try to take in graduate design shows as this often adds freshness and attitude to our developments. In terms of carpet development we look at new yarns, fibres, construction and manufacturing techniques which have been essential in the development of the new Ultimate range.


William Classics Bedroom Set

EJ: What steps mark the process from the initial idea to a fully realised collection on the stand?

SL: To develop a range is a complex team effort; first we find our colour samples which can be in the form of paper, fabric, yarn or any media really. We then match all the colours and make changes so that the range has a cohesive feel as well as individually lovely. Once we are happy we manufacture the product, create the point of sale and launch the range – easy when you look at it on paper! The reality when you are launching such a complex collection as Ultimate in time for Harrogate is that things get a bit last minute especially as we have completely re-designed our presentation concept and launched this at the show too.

EJ: What do you feel is missing on the carpet market, in terms of design, and how is Ryalux filling that gap?

SL: We are taking a multi level approach to this, we want to put the retailers at the heart of all our developments, we have listened to what they want and designed products and specifically points of sale that they have asked for. We have simplified our message, showing much more product on the point of sale, introducing beautiful photography and the creation of ‘inspiration boards’ to help our retailers talk about carpet as part of the whole interior scheme. We have also researched the preferences of our end consumer and have tried to make our presentation stylish, accessible and full of new, well designed and truly desirable products. We want to lead the way in terms of design and development, creating new and different products in fresh and stylish shades in order to increase the profile of our product and make it a creative force in any interior design scheme.

Part of the Ultimate collection

EJ: Your William Classics collection is a celebration of Britishness. What makes British Design so exciting in your opinion?

SL: I am passionate about British Design; I love the shock of the new combined with intelligence, intrinsic beauty, innovation, heritage and great humour. British design tends to be fresh, directional, quirky and it combines a rich shared design history though fashion, architecture, wallpapers, fabrics, furniture, and product design with free thought, a desire to innovate, a willingness to embrace the future and an unending need to improve our everyday lives, all of which results in iconic design recognized globally.

EJ: Scarlet Opus Trend declared the Ryalux stand to be the best at the show, because of its inclusiveness: portraying flooring in a complete interior design context, not in isolation. What trends do you see for interiors in the next 5 years and how will they be reflected in carpet design?
SL: Yes I met Victoria from Scarlet Opus for the first time at the show and was really pleased to read her blog about our stand. We feel it is so important to place our product in the context of the end consumer - the carpet is an important part of any scheme as a whole and is never viewed in isolation in the home so it felt very natural to us to use furnishing on the stand. For Ryalux, key trends for the next five years will be a move towards colour; this can be as subtle as new mauves, silver greys and cool aquas or for dramatic effect black, reds, oranges, teals and violets as we see our people becoming more confident and self expressive in terms of interior design schemes. Texture has a large part to play as the feeling of a room can be changed purely through the choice of twist pile, velvet or loop pile carpet. Stripes will be an important look as they offer groups of colours to style around and an element of practical pattern in an extremely usable way. We want our product to be as exciting a choice for our end consumer as any other part of an interior scheme.

Interview with Axel Griesinger, Education Director for the Society of British Interior Design

The traditional view from the construction industry pitches Interior Designers as haughty artists concerned purely with aesthetics and the “feel” and “look” of a space, whereas construction workers, floor fitters or electricians, being manual labourers, are generally perceived as the ones who actually “get their hands dirty”. In reality the interior design profession demands a thorough knowledge of architectural structures, specifications, materials and the practicalities of plumbing, electrics and brickwork. Interior Design and construction go hand in hand and pretending that Interior Designers can call themselves professionals and experts without an intimate knowledge of the shell that they work in is a fault that is sadly reflected in many Interior Design courses offered in the UK.
Axel was born and educated in Germany, back in the days when apprenticeships were commonly offered to students of design and architecture (he studied the latter). He himself trained as a bricklayer and learnt carpentry, often working on building sites, something he found very helpful later on in his career saying it “improved his communication skills” no doubt implying that being able to banter with construction workers is an invaluable skill for a designer. This apprenticeship practice is disappearing due to EU regulations aiming to standardise qualifications offered across the European Union countries. Axel hopes to introduce his university students to apprenticeships, internships and training schemes within the construction and flooring industries and hopes for a free exchange between the two worlds to encourage interior design students to look beyond the parameters of their courses but also enable manufacturers to market schemes to the interior design industry.



“I always want to know how students can get involved”, says Axel, “either with design professionals or manufacturers who can approach the students, like Dalsouple have done, organising student competitions. The head of Dalsouple came to the ID Department of AIU London and gave a very interesting lecture to our students. He talked about rubber flooring and its various qualities such as it being a natural product and therefore supporting sustainable design. This was extremely helpful for students to understand and appreciate the different aspects of flooring materials and their appropriate use. They also appreciated the complex processes which are involved to create high spec flooring materials.
We have great interest in the flooring industry; “I’d like to give the manufacturers a chance to inspire the students to better understand specifics, like floor fitting, floor laying, and types of flooring. The same applies to construction and electrics, etc”.
Bemoaning the loss of the apprenticeship scheme, Axel added, “Now we’re moving towards a standard European BA model, so there won’t be a one-year apprenticeship offered anymore. It’s a shame. I think we should use the possibilities of internships / apprenticeships to get students back into on site learning, get them practically involved either within the university programme or outside. The more diverse knowledge the students can acquire, the more employable they will be in the ID profession. This is one of the reasons why the ID department at AIU London has established a SBID student chapter to establish strong links with manufacturers.
Breanna Wucinich is one of the Interior Design department’s SBID student representatives at AIU. Breanna has had a lot of experience as student liaison at her previous university in the US with the IIDA (International Interior Design Association). She arrived in London last year just in time to be elected to represent the ID department of AIU London in the newly established Society of British Interior Design (SBID). She feels that this involvement will bring a fresh outlook and establish useful links to the manufacturing industries. It all started when Vanessa Brady, president of SBID, approached Axel with her education-driven ideal and he was named Director of Education. Their fresh approach was to ensure a high-standard entry level for SBID student membership, to guarantee students a certain standard of quality at networking meetings and student events. SBID will only welcome student chapters from universities that offer a BA.
“Each student chapter will publish its own newsletter and we want to be able to meet, organise events and student networks, first nationally and internationally, especially in America” (Axel is a member of IDEC, the Interior Design Educators Council).
“We want to make sure that academic standards in education are high but we also feel the need for industry based learning experiences. It’s important for us to talk to the trade press, like Contract Floors magazine, for us to get into apprenticeships, get students involved with the flooring trades. We are looking to achieve very high standards.”



“SBID’s student chapters are also great for recent graduates. When they first go out in the world to make a career for themselves they already have a fully-fledged network behind them, a support system of excellent, high-standard contacts. We also offer CPD’s (Continuous Professional Development Units). This brings the designers to the University, our students can come for free and we always have drinks and nibbles afterwards to give students opportunities to network and ask the participating professionals questions in a relaxed atmosphere.
“In times of recession, the more skills you have, the more employable you are when you graduate. If you have a possibility as an interior designer to get involved in an area of industry, such as flooring, and you have some experience in that area, you may be able to design specifically for it. Remember the Bauhaus in Germany, which was very hands on - students developed certain projects within the construction and building industry and that is what we need to work on developing more here”.
The American Intercontinental University offers design students opportunities that many of the better-known design colleges or universities don’t. For starters, graduates here are equipped with a degree recognised both in the US and Europe, because they gain accreditation through an US academic accrediting body and London South Bank University. This opens doors to those who will travel abroad for work, or return to the US after their London experience.
For designers living, working or studying in London, Axel believes they experience the best design environment in the world. To readers familiar with British flooring designers, from rugs and carpet-makers to ground-breaking floor coverings in rubber, vinyl and bold colour-rich designs, this statement may come as no surprise. Axel also believes the recession will not hamper interior design, rather inject some necessary creativity, something he believes the Brits have in bucketloads, thriving in moments where thriftiness and quirk are required.
“Good designers are educated here, then go to Paris or Milan. Paris and New York are very interesting, but London has no rival. English is now the most important business language, which is reflected, in the cosmopolitan mix of different nationalities and their talent in London. There’s money here, a bit less at the moment, but we still invest. Thrift and thriftiness are excellent qualities to have as a designer. I asked Breanna from a student’s perspective what she saw as being interior design student’s major concerns today.
“I always try to tell students what to do to be a better designer. This is actually my second career, I come from a customer service background and what I tell students is this: Don’t forget about that. Get out there, network, talk to people. Design students can get wrapped up in their little worlds and can be very shy. They forget that you have to sell yourself. You have to get involved and build relationships, learn how to communicate.
And it’s not just about the talking, but listening to feedback, and other people’s opinions. Learning to listen as well as be outgoing.
Axel agrees, “Yes, it’s dangerous if you feel that you don’t have to listen any more. Always be curious and always listen.”
If you are interested in promoting apprenticeships or internships to the SBID student chapter contact Axel Griesinger:
Axel@sbid.org
American Intercontinental University:
agriesinger @aiulondon.ac.uk,
www.aiulondon.ac.uk

Interview with Vanessa Brady, Founder of Society of British Interior Design

Interior Designer Vanessa Brady, whose award-winning creations have appeared in everything from national papers to Homes and Gardens and idFX is the Chairman of the Society of British Interior Design, an internationally reaching organisation aimed at promoting excellence in design and extending professional accreditation to designers to protect the profession of Interior Design in Britain. As she prepared for the SBID official launch event in October, she spoke to Retail Floors about her vision for the future of Interior Design in the UK, the importance of education within the design profession and her vision on future flooring trends.

“SBID is not a trade association but rather was established to promote the profession and to protect the interests of the public by providing a one-stop destination for sourcing fully-qualified interior designers and support services for the industry. We can look after the interests of suppliers and that makes us hugely important as we embrace manufactures and suppliers of quality and in doing so further protect our profession from cheap duplication. Our business model is protected so we can’t be replicated. Our membership (672 so far!) is predominantly interior design and larger architectural practices followed by manufacturers and suppliers. We have a few affiliates at present and the student chapter for Universities, but we do not recognize design schools as promoting the profession at adequate practice level. The Society of British Interior Design was conceived at Christmas 2008 after Vanessa heeded the call to found an organisation that would set a national standard and represent the industry. Vanessa knew from the start that education would be the key to SBID because it formed the “absolute basis” of what she wanted to achieve. To this end she enlisted the help of designer Simon Cavelle who has extensive knowledge and experience of design education and an international reputation for championing the profession in the UK.

Vanessa with designer Mark Wilkinson at the MACEF press conference in London, July 2009.

“I knew together we could create a much awaited change to the landscape of design in Britain. I know business and how to amortise a company, industry or product within the property and interior design sector. Simon has been proactive in Britain as a promoter of the profession and best practice for many years and it is he who is responsible for the partnerships of the most highly respected international bodies that exist in Britain today.”

The pair agree that many design schools currently are not adequately preparing students for the challenges and demands of the interior design market. So strong is the focus on actual design that little attention is paid to finance, business skills or specification training. Vanessa cites an example of a graduate intern who, when asked to source a bed for a client, did little more than Google a list of six beds then declared the work done. “I explained that the client can do that on his own but as a professional charging a fee for a service we need to deliver much more than a sourcing service - that’s not design that’s shopping. We have to give clients options. It’s not just about budget - although that is very important, but there are so many other concerns that as a recent graduate, she possessed zero knowledge of. I found that shocking. Besides deliveries, there are logistical issues: How will the couch get up the stairs? Will it turn round the staircase? Are there any weight impact issues, traffic areas, regulations and codes, etc? If you don’t consider these things you could end up with a lot of furniture sitting in the streets which you are responsible for.

Interior Design by IDS, Vanessa Brady's Interior Design Service.

“If you work in a company or for a business, you have to understand costs because budget is everything. Graduates also don’t seem to have a very good understanding of installation in terms of the product. If they don’t understand the facilities and the use of a product, then they’ll specify the wrong product. Beauty in my view is the final consideration as a professional. The first is function, then performance and cost. From that array of product choice you create the correct specification. If you hold yourself out as an expert you also have to understand the mechanics of a building: electrical, plumbing and water - they affect everything else in the design. As for surfaces, a designer should know and fully understand issues such as floor levels and unevenness, dampness, traffic areas, sustainability and budget as well as transportation, originality of source and manufacture techniques etc. This is the true meaning of a designer.” From years of positive and high-quality experience using interns from certain American universities, Vanessa wants to see the standard of internship schemes raised in the UK where, she says, “many interns are simply used as cheap labour: cleaning cupboards, making coffee, faxing, etc. instead of learning as much as possible about the job.” “The US has a very different level of measuring to qualify as a professional. There’s an inspection of the projects contained within a CV, a professional must have a minimum requirement of a degree to be a professional designer. This is measured by an independent exam, health and safety monitoring and enforced practice regulations. Clear guidelines on measuring knowledge and ability exist and students complete feedback forms, it’s very much more structured and professional.

Interior Design by IDS, Vanessa Brady's Interior Design Service.

This is something we want to achieve with SBID and we want to address how graduate degree courses are preparing students for their career.” SBID is also reaching out to Europe and beyond to become an organization that will “incorporate the European Standards of qualification for an interior designer, which are the highest measured levels for the profession, making SBID the industry bearer in Britain. The benefit for the consumer is huge, as those who look for an ECIA (European Council of Interior Architects) represented country will get the same standard measure across the board.” Already SBID has links to 17 European countries and the USA. No other British organization has previously been a member of the ECIA, which has left Britain so far disadvantaged in competition as well as opportunity. “It’s good for competition, enthuses Vanessa, those countries’ residents get the benefit of the standard here in the UK, and when our members go to Europe they automatically get equal opportunity. We intend to further promote our industry standard and apply to the Government to protect the title of a Designer and therefore the profession and its value to Britain.” This move is yet another step SBID are taking towards combating “cowboy elements” within the design world. Interior Designers in the UK do not yet have the protection of governing or accrediting bodies which protect both professionals and consumers in other construction-related trades. SBID aside, I couldn’t sit with such a talented designer and not get her views on flooring trends. Vanessa sees a return to what she calls the “Shepherd’s Pie era”, a return to comforting, homely items brought on by the recession.

Interior Design by IDS, Private Members Club, Mayfair.

“Perhaps we have moved on from the era of “show” to that of comfort. You come home to a comfy sofa to crawl onto, luxury floorings, soft carpet underfoot as well as warm textured wood flooring. These textures add a layer of comfort as well as being practical for cleaning and easy sweeping. There’s a lot of country furniture, cosiness and warmth, the security that came with yesterday. In terms of flooring we’re moving back to carpet. I think we’d moved away because of heat. I like wood flooring but I love to have rugs and insets, there’s nothing like getting out of bed and putting your feet into a squishy rug or carpet in Britain we are still cold in the morning with the still too frequent gray skies, I love tiles as well in all the communal areas. Ground floor interiors are good for wood and sisals. “ Our clients nowadays are driven by source as much as by price and longevity as well as sustainability. Reflecting over the last ten years, people used to ask “How long is this wood flooring guaranteed?”. Now it’s also “Where is it from?”, “How is it manufactured? It’s a very important sales point from our perspective. We always need a certificate for wood flooring. Dampness and leaks are major issues in the UK because we have so many historic buildings, crooked floors etc. We’ve just used this woven vinyl in an old shed conversion that led into a house and the levels were different. We didn’t want a ridge so we used the vinyl flooring and floated it into the next room where it met the 10mm tile and it worked wonderfully.”

SBID /
www.thesocietyofbritishinteriordesign.org/

(Photography courtesy of IDS Interior Design Services.)

New Rug Designs 2010

RIMO Volume 1 Collection design 120-01

Although Britain is primarily a carpet-loving country, there is a growing trend for laminate and engineered wood floors. Many of Britain’s listed buildings also have exposed solid wood floors. The coolness and minimalism of a wood or laminate floor means that rugs have come into play to offer both a touch of warmth and comfort underfoot and acting as the focal point in a room. Rugs boast many advantages from a design point of view. If they are small, they can be moved around easily when you feel like rearranging furniture or you need to empty a room to clean the floor. A strong coloured rug can highlight details in curtains or a painting lending an air of harmony to a living or bedroom space. Rugs can hide stains, chips or markings on a wood floor and can help to bring a luxurious feel to a room even if you have a small budget. Splashing out on a special rug as your one big spend can lighten up a space and there’s nothing like sinking your toes into a soft rug as you lie on the couch or when you get out of bed in the morning. Other advantages, for people who have small children, or work from home, is that a rug can cushion a slip or trip and a really plush rug is a great place to lie down and do work on your laptop if you don’t want to feel tied to your desk. In recent years, interior design trends have seen a resurgence of natural fibre rugs such as jute, sisal, coir and hemp that add a clean, organic feel to a room and have sound ecological properties, being made as they are of natural and biodegradable materials.


Sisal Rug 'Mahale Weave' by Natural Rug Company

Sisal in particular is flame-retardant, very durable and has good sound absorbing qualities. Made by twisting and weaving the fibres of the Agave sisilana plant, a native species from Mexico, sisal now comes to us primarily from Brazil and China. It is low-maintenance and resists wear and tear. Because the fibres absorb dye so easily, it can offer the largest range of colour options for homeowners and designers. Coir mats and rugs make effective doormats or entrance matting as they are great for cleaning dirt and grit off shoes. Made from coconut fibres, coir is one of the most durable fabrics around. Natural fibre rugs look great in rooms with modern design complementing a natural-themed design or homes with a marine or seaside theme. Natural fibre rugs are also making an appearance outside the house, on patios and decking and in garden outdoor dining areas. Wool, of course, is the most popular of all rug fabrics and Britain has an immense variety of wools and wool manufacturers.



Left: Grading British Wool

We also import wools from New Zealand which produces many sought after varieties such as prized Merino. Wool rugs are great insulators, providing real warmth in winter and helping to cut down on heating bills. They are luxurious underfoot and help absorb humidity, ideal in our rainy climate. Again, families with young children will appreciate the anti-static and dust-retaining properties of wool fibres, making it easy to vacuum, and the fact that a wool stain can be generally be cleaned using soap and water, rather than harsh chemicals. The U.S has a vast tradition of independent rug designers and small artisanal workshops, a trend which is picking up over in the UK too. Homestead Weavers is a small artisanal rug weavers located in idyllic Brown County, Indiana where there is a strong artisan community. Chris Gustin holds workshops and produces colourful and quirky designs using recycled, reclaimed materials such as old sock and clothing yarns and plastic shopping bags. Artisans and new designers bring ecological concerns into their work, helping further highlight the concerns of consumers and focus our attention on the origins of our products. Speaking of her work, Chris says, “Recycling was a relatively new concept in the 1970s when I started weaving rugs. Looking for inexpensive sources of material, I used old clothing, sock toe-clips, denim and fabric roll cuts and anything else that would provide an affordable supply of fabric for my rugs. Reusing satisfied the environmentalist in me and helped me spread the concept of recycling. The idea to use plastic grocery bags (HDPE #2 in the U.S.) came from the disgust of seeing bags hanging in trees along the highways near where we lived. I was challenged to find a way to recycle the used bags to put them on the floor and get them out of the trees. I am still finding new sources of material for my "Recycled Rugs" from industry waste, although some of the sources have left the U.S. I feel that recycling is phenomenally important for the world. We need to reuse what we can and save something for the next generations.”

Left and Below: Rusts home with Chris Gustin's designed recycled rugs.














Jane Exley is The Woolly Rug Co.'s designer-maker of bespoke and commission hand-tufted Herdwick floor rugs. Jane is based in Ambleside, the English Lake District where she creates unique pieces from her living/work premises located by the river Stock. Inspiration is drawn from the immediate and uniquely beautiful landscape from the slate strata, colourful flora to the ever-changing colours and immutable forms of the skies then finally being translated into exclusive semi-abstract artworks for the floor. Her work recently featured at a Royal College of Arts exhibition, the rugs were commissioned by Littoral Arts to reproduce two of Kurt Schwitters' sketchbook ideas for his Merz barn in Elterwater, Ambleside. Moorland Rugs offers a bespoke service for the contract market although interior designers will also find everything here to suit all their client’s requirements. You can visit their combined retail shop and studio in Stanhope, Co Durham or make an appointment with their designer, Brian Sales, for a more detailed discussion on your requirements. Alternatively visit their website at www.moorland-rugs.co.uk which features many of their exciting ranges. The Moorland Rug Company offer stock and bespoke ranges to suit all budgets. Many stock items can be custom sized to your requirements. They offer 2 hand knotted qualities, featuring handspun Tibetan Highland Sheep yarn, that are both soft and durable. Alternatively they can supply handtufted wool qualities with your bespoke design incorporated into the overall effect. Existing designs can be recoloured or your own design can be adapted by their in-house designer to suit your scheme – almost any shape and size can be created. Brian has designed carpets and rugs for over 30 years and is well respected within the industry. Brian has an extensive design library containing 1000s of designs that can be used as a starting point for your rug and over 5000 colours in tuft form to match to. Working closely with your client, Brian will first produce printouts to show the design effect and where necessary he can then supply small trials showing how colours work together. Only when you and your client are completely happy will we then go into production. If you have ever hankered after a unique designer rug, or can rarely find quite what you are looking for off-the-peg, or simply prefer to express your own creativity …look no further than FLOR by heuga. With the exciting new Tonal Trends concept from the experts in stylish, versatile and ultra-practical soft flooring, you can design - and create - the rug that’s ideal for you.



Left: FLOR by Heuga 'Inspiration'

By selecting tile by tile from a carefully researched collection of on-trend colours and in either a neat cut pile texture (Puzzle Pieces/2) or a comfy high pile (Lazy Lounge/2), the possibilities are almost limitless. What’s more, it’s as easy to put together as it is to imagine using nothing more than our TacTile connectors, a sharp knife and a straight metal edge. And if you decide to change your mind you can just as easily change the design. Destined to be a well-loved creation that can be adapted to any home, your one-of-a-kind, bespoke FLOR by heuga rug could become the talking point of the room. When it comes to harmonising colours, the hard work has already been done for you. FLOR by heuga have worked closely with designer and colour expert Cenk to devise the Tonal Trends palette of warms, bolds, darks and neutrals that work beautifully with each other. The system is also great for solving tricky design challenges, especially when it comes to awkward shapes and sizes, as the dimensions and configuration of your rug are entirely up to you.