Sometimes the word carpet just doesn’t totally convey the impact and pure beauty of soft floor coverings. Surfaces 2012 debuted some inspired soft-scapes (okay, carpets) that looked like works of art. Here are some of the selections that really stood out:

Nourisan:

Grosspointe – this introduction was possibly the most innovative carpet design at the Show. Grosspointe is a lacy masterpiece that brings to mind fine crewel work. Highly dimensional, the different heights of loop pile sculpt a finished product that looks hand-crafted.

RediWeave – this woven axminster is a blend of 80% wool and 20% nylon. The 13.2” broadloom width makes it ultra-functional in commercial settings. Nourisan is offering custom combinations of standard colors, so this style can be built in ‘made-to-order” unique harmonies.

Shadowscape – this unique pattern showcases neutrals and earth hues to their best advantage. A deeply sculpted cut-pile construction, Shadowscape lives up to its name. The large scale rounded diamond patterns shift from light to medium color gradations. Although monochromatic in nature, the interesting color values make this style extremely artistic.

Joy Carpets:
This manufacturer is well-named because touring their booth brings pure joy to visitors. You can’t help but smile at some of the unique themes and twists their product designers came up with. Picture Streamers & Stars, Stacked Deck, Splatter Paint, Party Time, Puzzled, and Kapow just to name a few. Some of these stunners are laced with fluorescent accent yarns to glow in the dark. The applications are many, and young-at-heart consumers will fall in love.

Star-On (Nobilis Area Rugs):
J.D. Star-On, out of Stamford, CT introduced a collection of area rugs under the Nobilis brand name. They are unique and akin to fine art. The beautiful rug pictured in this blog uses dramatic differentiations in pile heights to create a sculpted look. The vivid contrast colors are the other part of this artistic equation. Well-done!

Hopefully this mini-tour of what Surfaces put forth in soft floor coverings has inspired you. No doubt, there are some award winners in the line-up I’ve highlighted. There are so many more that deserve honorable mention, but blogs shouldn’t become novels. I will let the pictures included here tell the rest

of the story.

For more information on flooring visit the World Floor Covering Association’s Consumer Carpet & Flooring Guide.

I couldn’t resist using a play on words from The Wizard of Oz, ”lions, tigers and bears, oh my!” But in this case, lines, mosaics and swirls (oh my!) are the descriptives for something new in carpet.
When I discover something so incredibly different from the thousands of carpet choices out there, I have a responsibility to let you know about it.

Kane Carpet Mills is the reason for my excitement. Their tag line reads, “In the beginning, there was Kane Carpet…” Although their origins may not exactly be rooted in biblical times, they have been
manufacturing carpet in America since 1947. Now that’s a pretty good track record. Take a look at these break-away styles Kane has created -

	RIGOLETTO – sophisticated swirls are carved into the plush carpet face, giving it a velvety, dimensional look. If you are looking for something high style, this is it.
	MOSAICS – High-tech and contemporary describe this colorful carpet accurately. Very architectural in its miniature block pattern, this carpet is a scene stealer for any room.
	FIESTA – this carpet screams “party”. Beyond contemporary, it defies description, so I will let the picture do the job for me.
	AMAZING – Bold and beautiful come to mind immediately looking at this colorful linear design. Again, this carpet won’t settle for anything less than being the focal point of a room.
	SILKEN DESIRE – A longer pile height and a silky yarn system combine to create a carpet so soft to the touch, you may think it IS silk. Just the right touch of sheen adds luxury to this multi-colored style.
	CHECKERBOARD – Black and white never looked so good. This carpet style is dramatic, that’s for sure, but no need to shy away from it. Checkerboard can underscore the most memorable contemporary room design you can possibly dream up.

All of these winning looks are Wilton-weaves made with Kane’s exclusive Eurolon polypropylene fiber. Since the fiber is solution dyed (color is built right into the fiber), the carpets have superior colorfast properties. The hand is soft and inviting, but still offers great performance characteristics. If this little teaser blog has grabbed your attention (and please leave me a comment if it has), you can explore further by logging on to Kane’s website— (kanecarpet.com).

For more information on flooring visit the World Floor Covering Association’s Consumer Carpet & Flooring Guide.

We’ve all heard the term “Tartan Plaid”, and our thoughts immediately go back to a design of Scottish origin.  After a bit of research, I’ve found out that part of our assumption as to the definition of a tartan plaid is correct, but use of the word “plaid” has a different connotation in North America than it does in Scotland.  According to Wikipedia:

Tartan is a pattern consisting of criss-crossed horizontal and vertical bands in multiple colors. Tartans originated in woven wool, but now they are made in many other materials. Tartan is particularly associated with Scotland. Scottish kilts almost always have tartan patterns. (Tartan is also known as plaid in North America, but in Scotland, a plaid is a tartan cloth slung over the shoulder, or a blanket.)  Tartan dates back as far as 1782, when it was adopted as the symbolic national dress of Scotland.

The reason for giving you this back story is to bring a point to your attention.  Today’s textile and carpet designs often draw from history to create a fresh version of a proven winner.  That’s exactly what Shaw Industries did as they featured a Tartan design as the center point of their new introduction, “Bentley”.  As part of their Woven Expressions collection, “Bentley” captures the essence of a traditional tartan in updated, easy-to-live-with colors.  Burnished Gold, Wheat, Garnet and Ebony are the color-rich choices (learn more at ShawFloors.com).

The scale and replication of true Tartan design is beautifully represented in “Bentley”.  Not only is it available in 13’2” width broadloom, but also in a large selection of area rug sizes.  This definitely enhances decorating possibilities.  Using the same stunning Tartan design, you can carpet entire rooms, and then punctuate hard surface floors with a matching area rug.  Continuity is one of the key elements of good design, and here’s a great way to achieve that.

The entire Woven Expressions collection is constructed from 100% Marquesa™ solution dyed olefin.  This yarn system offers outstanding stain and fade resistance, and superior durability is a given.  The warranty validates the manufacturer’s confidence that this carpet will perform:

• 10-year Stain Warranty
• 10-year Texture Retention Warranty
• 10-year Abrasive Wear Warranty
• 10-year Quality Assurance Warranty

I love a new product that has a real story behind it. It adds a bit of romance and authenticity to any introduction. Given the Gaelic roots and Scottish traditions behind “Bentley”, I’d say its international flavor is bound to make some history of its own.

Color Marketing Group International recently hosted a successful West Coast color forecast meeting in Irvine, California. The stunning twelve colors decided on by the design professionals in attendance will make their debut in 2012 and 2013.  Now that’s exciting stuff in itself, getting twenty-five creative opinions to come to a consensus.  But even more stunning is the fact that 80% of the final colors projected paralleled those forecasted at the New York City regional meeting just a week earlier—especially since attendees on either side of the country had not shared any prior research or projections.  What that proves is that CMG’s processes work and produce valid results—nationally!

I can’t tip my hand to clue you in on those projected colors just yet, but I can tell you that one design-conscious carpet mill is on to something with the color palette of two new products.  That would be Shaw/Tuftex and the carpet styles are “Rush Hour” and “Tumbling Dice”.  First of all, I love the product names.  You have no idea how difficult it is to appropriately name carpets and colors.  To describe “Rush Hour”, picture an aerial photograph of city streets forming an imperfect

perpendicular grid.  It reads ‘softly contemporary’ with its cut/uncut loop patterned look.  “Tumbling Dice” is also a cut/uncut loop, constructed in tiny squares (yes, exactly the shape and size of dice).  It, too, is a subtle pattern that can satisfy a number of design styles.

It’s the color palette shared by these two products that brought me to feature them in this blog.  Tuftex has long been a leader in color technology and fashion-forward palettes.  “Rush Hour” and “Tumbling Dice” continue that legacy.  They share a palette of 24 livable colors.  The three blues featured are green based, hitting the light, medium and dark range.  Half the palette is dedicated to interesting neutrals that are bound to complement a huge percentage of interior color schemes.  Add to that colors like Riverbank and Sleek Suede, and you can picture how browns were interpreted.  One of my favorite colors in the palette is Apricot Passion.  It validates one of the key color drivers identified by CMG (colors that identify closely with health and well being).  Flower Pot is the strongest color in the palette, looking exactly as it sounds (a new twist on terra cotta).

Definitely worth a good long look if you are searching for new carpet, these two styles represent a winning roll of the dice.  Just as important as the aesthetics is the fiber system.  Both are constructed of StainMaster ExtraBody II Ecosoft nylon fiber.  This is an interesting combination of regular 6.6 nylon fiber with a bio-based nylon derived from castor beans (a high-yielding, renewable resource harvested annually).  Tuftex uses is a dual extrusion process that produces a nylon fiber with exceptional strength and improved fiber bulk.  Now that’s quite a story!  I’d say hats off to Tuftex Carpet Mills for delivering something unique AND beautiful for the soft floor covering market.

For more information on flooring visit the World Floor Covering Association’s Consumer Carpet & Flooring Guide.

Shaw Industries has done amazing things with their Anso® Nylon brand, positioning it as a premier brand in the marketplace. If you are familiar with Anso®, you may already know some of these important facts:

Assurance: Unbeatable Warranty Coverage

• Warranted for over 40 years and over a billion of yards of Anso® nylon on floors throughout North America.
• Anso® nylon was the first and holds the distinction of the longest continuous fiber brand over 40 years.
• All Anso® nylon styles are certified for performance with comprehensive warranties: transferable, labor included, non-prorated, stairs and hallways included.

CARPET TO CARPET™: Never Needs to go to the Landfill

• All Anso® nylon is designed to be recycled and is SCS certified with 25% post-consumer carpet content.
• Anso® nylon has also been Cradle-to-Cradle™ certified by MBDC.
• Shaw recycles more carpet than all others combined…over 100 million pounds in the past 12 months alone.

This roster of facts is pretty impressive on its own, but when you add to that the exceptional styling of their newest introductions, you really have some big news in floor coverings. Let’s take a closer look at Shaw’s couture Collection…

Designer’s Vision is well-named because it was conceived by Shaw’s talented design staff. This is a sculpted cut & loop product that is constructed of fine-denier yarns to give it a soft, luxurious feel. It’s indulgent and offers some amazing colors.

Classical Chic is one of my favorites. Designed as a large-format, tailored grid pattern, it has an English gentry look to it. It’s perfect for a home library, home theater, casual family room or den.

Tailored Luxury is the bold, striped companion to Classical Chic and they share a common color line so you can mix and match to your heart’s content.

Perfectly Suited has character, definition and strong appeal. A smaller scale, well-defined weave, it gives a tailored look to any room.

Unique Charm echoes the styling of Perfectly Suited, but with a bit larger, blocked repeat to the weave. It has a natural, earthy look to warm up interiors.

Calabria is the final style I’d like to highlight in this collection, and although it is not a brand new introduction, it continues to be one of the most unique in the market.  When so many styles are linear or geometric, along came Calabria with its fluid circles in a woven relief pattern.  It’s fun, energetic, yet still soft on the eyes and underfoot.  Definitely a long-term winner!

Without a doubt, couture is an inspired collection overall. Shaw takes the time to survey interior designers across the country to get their reactions and suggestions on experimental products. And when a super-mill like Shaw takes the time and effort to listen to working designers, the result becomes stunning, live-able carpet styles that are designed to please YOU!

For more information on flooring visit the World Floor Covering Association’s Consumer Carpet & Flooring Guide.