FloorTalk – for all the latest flooring fashions

Submitted by Annette M. Callari, Allied ASID; Chair Holder CMG

The floor covering industry is gearing up for one of the major trade shows of the year—Surfaces 2011–to be held in Las Vegas in late January.  I observe this trade show with a reporter’s mindset, so I can discover the best new products and bring them to you via FloorTalk.  Manufacturers are excited about the debut of their new products, and sometimes they are willing to give me a sneak peek as to what’s coming.  Good news for us that Emser Tile has done just that.

Stone and porcelain floors have a natural beauty that is unique and singular only to them.  The clean, concise looks are the reason why consumers gravitate toward these materials.   The longevity of the product is a secondary benefit, as these floors maintain their good looks for decades.  But I don’t want you to overlook a way to personalize your choice of floor.  Listellos are a designer’s best friend when it comes to customizing floor designs for our clients.  The extraordinary beauty these tiny accents can add to a floor is staggering.  You can take a travertine, limestone, or porcelain floor to a new level, simply by using your imagination and putting listellos to work for you.  Design a perimeter border, create a faux ‘area rug’ in a room; surround a treasured piece of furniture with an artistic listello.  All of these ideas are the way to create a room with character.   Here are a few extraordinary possibilities:

Introducing TEXTILE from Emser Tile.  These high profile listellos can support both contemporary and classic interior design.

Here we see PIEMONTE, a stunning mosaic of natural stone and polished accent stones. There are even matching corner pieces to complete your design.

STRANDS is one of my favorites.  The linear design in pencil thin strips gives an urban chic finishing touch to your beautiful hard surface floor.  This pattern is available in both the dark (shown below) and a light version as well.

ECLIPSE offers two well-designed choices:  Sun Listello pictured left, or Moon Listello shown below.  Again, corner pieces are available to handle right angles with grace.  The combination of smooth, solid color tiles with a patterned inset adds high style to this choice.

I truly hope you are as captivated by these designs as I am–something truly different and well crafted to inspire you.  If one of your New Year’s resolutions is to install new flooring in 2011, well I can’t think of a better starting point than right here, right now, with one of these “made for you” listellos.  Happy New Year!

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

Submitted by Annette Callari, Allied ASID; CMG

Shaw Industries is best noted for being a major carpet mill in the United States.  But things have taken a turn in that they have also joined the ranks of manufacturers offering stunning glass tile products.  One recent introduction that is gathering applause from the design community is their Bangle Glass series.  The pattern called “Micro Blocks” dances with crystal-like colors in both matte and gloss finishes.  Colors include Seaglass, Azure, Tortoise and Topaz.  What I am particularly drawn to is that the glass is lively.  There are variations and striations in each individual mosaic that combine stunning shades and tints of each color. What a great addition to any kitchen or bath backsplash!

So how do you coordinate something with so much personality with your countertops?  Carefully.  These beautiful designs have a lot of life to them, so it’s probably best not to pair them with high movement granite patterns.  But many of the quartz surfaces (Corian, Silestone, Caesarstone, etc.), “quieter” granites, and tile countertops would be perfect companions to Micro Blocks.

So what else has Shaw Industries been up to?  Shaw continues to amaze me as to their product development in carpets.  I’d like to spotlight their Kathy Ireland and Couture collections for a moment.  This is an ever-changing compilation of artistic, dimensional carpets.  I like the proportions of these patterns because they will suit most any sized room without being overpowering.  The subtle patterns are created by combining loop and cut pile constructions, which gives a luxurious but understated does of pattern to your room design.  Carpet makes such a strong statement in a room because of the expanse of the space, and Vogue styles add interest without screaming “pattern”. 

Let’s talk about color palettes for a moment.  This is one area where Shaw’s product development absolutely shines.  Shaw’s on-staff product designers pay a lot of attention to major trends and color preferences in different parts of the country.  Product design is most successful when input is gathered from a sound base of “field experts” who are interacting one-on-one with consumers. Historically Shaw has held design forums around the country where designers are asked to preview experimental products (and colors) and rate them. Shaw heavily weighs their new introduction decisions based on the information they gather from those forums. For any company looking to stay relevant in today’s consumer market, this is exactly the way to bring highly-sellable products to the consumer. 

The days of big companies designing for the masses from secluded R & D ivory towers are long gone.  The cost of introducing even one new carpet style can run in excess of a million dollars.  Reason enough for the manufacturer to utilize every tool possible to ensure success. Better built products, excellent styling, and awesome color palettes are the end result.  And the ultimate benefactor of all their research is YOU.