Scouting out innovative new design products is something I love to do, not only to keep my own design library fresh and current, but to share with other designers and YOU.  To-the-trade publications are one way to read up on hot new products, and that has always been a great resource.  But professional designers take it further.  ASID designers are required to earn continuing education credits every year, in order to maintain their standing in the American Society of Interior Designers.  That mandate is important because design is an ever-changing landscape.  You can NEVER know everything that’s out there, but dedicating time to learning and researching new products is a great way to stay current.

I have another resource available to me, and that is attending floor covering trade shows.  Sometimes I am an invited guest speaker for education days, but mostly, I get to cruise the shows as a designer/writer on the search for innovative products— products to use in my own designs and (thanks to WFCA), to share with you.  That’s how I discovered Pedross USA.

Think of the myriad of floor coverings available in the marketplace:  hardwoods, laminates, luxury vinyl planks and tiles, cork, bamboo—and the list goes on.  The success of any design lies in the details.  Finding matching trim pieces, base moldings, and nosings for stairs, has always been a huge challenge.  Here’s a good example:  I received an e-mail from a design specification firm in Las Vegas working on a set of model homes.  They had chosen a beautiful weathered-wood plank luxury vinyl floor for the entire downstairs of four carriage style homes (three levels), but couldn’t find finish pieces to trim the stairs.  The entire design hinged on these beautiful, aged wood-look planks, but the designers were at a stalemate not knowing how to finish the staircases. They were considering switching the flooring material to hardwood, which would put them over budget and result in a very unhappy builder client.

The solution was to order made-to-match stair treads and nosings, which ended up matching the floors perfectly.  Finally, there is a company that recognized a huge gap in the floor accessory market and filled it.  They manufacture a complete range of flooring profiles, stair treads, risers, transitions, and moldings in cork, bamboo, LVT or wood.  Did that register?  A full range of flooring solutions!  It’s big news and I’m happy to share it.  One more thing:  they are masters at digital printing.  They can create customized moldings in leather looks, animal prints, 3-D designs, or whatever you dream up.  They even created a 3-D coffee-bean impression molding for a chain of coffee shops. You can see their gallery of products at www.pedrossusa.com.

Pedross originated in Italy (those Italians are pretty ingenious, capishe?) and their North American HQ is in Arkansas.  For a distributor or flooring professional that carries the line, feel free to contact Pedross directly (toll free) at 855-306-4611.  (Note:  Retailers carrying this line include Alliance Flooring, Carpet One and select Abbey dealers.)  If you go back to Pedross’ Italian roots, this company is 54 years old and operates in 49 countries.  That’s a pretty good resume and, I have to say it, one remarkable discovery.

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

My work takes me from Santa Barbara to San Diego. The upside to covering all those miles is that I get to meet quality floor covering retailers throughout half the state of California, and see all the latest in the world of flooring. Sometimes it’s not only newly introduced products that are newsworthy, but the store itself that stands out. One that certainly caught my attention recently was Old Town Flooring, a quaint family-owned store in Tustin, California. The historic downtown district of Tustin is totally charming, and Old Town Flooring fits right in as its center point. The building that houses Old Town was built in 1880 in a nearby location. In 1900 huge logs were used to transport the building (literally roll it) to its present location. Its history is rich and diverse in that it was once a meat market, then a community billiard hall, eventually becoming a sheet metal-works factory, and finally, housing Old Town Flooring.

There is a warm, welcoming ambience that surrounds you the minute you walk in the front door. Perhaps it’s the sunlight streaming through generous skylights, or the friendly little pooch that excitedly greets you, or the owner offering you a steaming cup of coffee. Whatever it is, it feels right.

Owner, Marge Redmond, is dedicated to making her customers (both the public and interior designers) have a pleasant experience as they browse for floor coverings and make some big decorating decisions. Her many years of experience in the floor covering business makes her an excellent guide amidst the many choices of hard and soft surface materials. Carpet, hardwoods, tile, area rugs, and luxury vinyl tile floors are all on hand and beautifully displayed. This store owner has carefully aligned with quality manufacturers to provide unique, well-constructed materials that include well-known American-made brands, along side some imaginative (and definitely high-style) European carpets and rugs. Masland Carpets, Wools of New Zealand, Arizona Tile, Amtico Luxury Vinyl Plank and Tile, and DuChateau Hardwoods are among the prestigious brands. Bottom line: quality, reputation, and solid product warranties are the hallmarks of the manufacturers showcased. A long-time member of the World Floor Covering Association, Marge Redmond also served as Past President for the Southern California Floor Covering Association. (You can locate other fine national retail members of WFCA right on this website. Click on “Find a Retailer” on our home page.)

Floor coverings continue to be one of the major design choices that a consumer will ever make. It’s a worthwhile investment of decorating dollars, time, and energy, but requires some research on your part. With so many good retailers to choose from, selecting floor coverings has evolved from what used to be perceived as an overwhelming “task”, to a rewarding, well-guided selection process. Today’s floor covering professionals aren’t selling you something, they are professionals guiding you through the selection process, to find what best suits your tastes and needs. They know how to make you feel comfortable, welcome, and most of all, how to create a memorable experience.

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

Now you’re talking!  I mean that literally.  We are getting some great questions and comments on FaceBook from you, our readers–and everybody at FloorTalk loves that.  It lets us know that you are really out there, reading, thinking, and understanding how important floor coverings are to your design.  We’ve had a request to address soft-handed carpets and the pros and cons of these styles.  All of the major fiber producers have a version of a soft-to-the-touch yarn system that equates to comfort and luxury underfoot.

Shaw Industries’ Anso (Type 6) nylon, is one of the best on the market.  The Anso Caress brand was a pioneer in this area.  Introduced in 1999, it has a proven track record that “soft” can also interpret to durable.  There is a mistaken conception that the softness of a carpet has something to do with a finishing rinse on the yarns.  That is not the case.  The denier (thickness) of each fiber that makes up the yarn is ultra fine. Shaw then adds a tight twist to each yarn bundle and tufts it into carpet.  The twist builds in the performance while the fine-denier yarn system provides the soft hand.  Ultimately this combination provides the best of both worlds for the consumer. The Anso Caress brand offers a 5-year limited texture retention warranty, 10 years for soil and stain resistance, and 10 years for abrasive wear resistance.  The texture retention warranty addresses the overall appearance of the carpet, which gives this product a lot of credibilility.

Another brand leader from Shaw Industries is their EverTouch. Here’s what Shaw has to say about EverTouch:

 It’s exactly what carpet was meant to be – wonderfully soft and exceptionally durable. EverTouch carpets are crafted with fine-denier filaments.   The smaller denier, which is a weight-per-unit-length measurement, produces the supple touch, while advanced yarn engineering accounts for the superior durability.  In contrast to their softness, EverTouch carpets are tough enough for any room in the home. As with all Shaw carpets, each style is rigorously tested and given an appearance-retention performance rating. Test results confirm that EverTouch styles perform as well or better than comparable products made from traditional nylon fiber systems.

In early 2006, Mohawk Industries and DuPont filed a joint petition for the FTC to establish a new generic fiber subclass name under the “polyester” classification.  That is significant because it means their Triexta fiber has performance qualities above and beyond regular polyester carpet fibers.  Triexta is the “ingredient” used in Mohawk’s SmartStrand and SmartStrand with DuPont Sorona carpets.  Not only is this fiber type totally renewable, the soft-handed comfort is exceptional.  Mohawk has good reason to be proud of their patented Triexta.

Anticipating growing consumer preference toward an even softer carpet experience, in January of this year Beaulieu Carpet Mill created its softest Bliss collection ever—–Bliss by Beaulieu “SoftSense”.  The line offers 48 solid colors and another 14 berber colorations.  Beaulieu loaded-up their new SoftSense collection with an impressive array of standard features. For the first time in Beaulieu’s history, the company offered a Lifetime Stain – No Exclusions Warranty. Additionally, 3M Scotchgard Protector is also standard on every SoftSense carpet. These soft-oriented carpets are made from 100% nylon and multi-colors are solution dyed polyester. 

The technologies that brought soft-handed carpets to the marketplace are among the best of this decade.  We like to “live” on our floors–playing with the kids, watching TV, enjoying video games—it’s all more fun on plush, silky-soft carpet.  Marrying technology to performance has moved “soft” to the top of our shopping list as carpet consumers.  Performance, durability, and comfort–now we can have it all.

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

It’s time to prepare for the upcoming International Conference of the Color Marketing Group, and I have several research papers I’ve just completed.  It occurred to me that one of these subjects might be of interest to you.  Even though it’s structured to communicate designer to designer; I have total confidence that Floor Talk readers can interpret this information and take away some worthwhile ideas. 

So what you are about to read is the inside story on what’s evolving in the world of interior design and how these new developments will influence coming colors.  Our job at CMG will be to interpret these markers into the new color palettes for 2012 and beyond.  I hope you enjoy your sneak peek…. and, as always, I invite your comments.

 RESEARCH QUESTION:  WHAT ARE THE MAJOR INFLUENCES AND DRIVERS TO “NEXT” COLORS?

Major drivers have not changed very much over the past few years, perhaps because we are still struggling economically, socially and politically.  Our country is trying desperately to find itself and to get back onto stable ground.   Collectively, the emotional climate of the country is cautious and somewhat shell-shocked at the economic hardships we are dealing with.  The influence this has on color shows a tendency towards calm but interesting colors.  Colors we can live with and not tire of quickly.  That means colors with chameleon qualities that change with the light of day.  The palette will balance interesting neutrals with dramatic, optimistic colors. 

-      Will the new palette be nature based? Yes. Colors are driven by the focus on natural materials and their ability to coordinate with stone, brick, grass cloth, sisal, and other natural interior elements..  For that reason, most of the coming colors will be nature-based.  Look for striking colors to join the line-up of sophisticated neutrals, in order to add flashpoints to an interior.  And those flashpoint colors, by the way, are also found in nature.

-      How will color interpret when applied to highly textured surfaces:  walls, fabrics, carpets? The answer to that question influences which colors will make it to the new palette (to be announced).

-      Is Green still the star player for the coming palette?  Blue is surging in popularity as a welcome alternative to green.  From midnight blues to cobalt, to gray-blue hues, every tint and shade will be employed in interior design for 2011-2012 and beyond.

RESEARCH QUESTION:  WHAT TRENDS ARE YOU CURRENTLY TRACKING/FORECASTING THAT WILL AFFECT PRODUCT COLORS? 

Design has become holistic in nature.  Rooms will be treated as blank canvases and design “artists” are using color, shape, form to create a living work of art.  Color is moving into a supporting role to accentuate shape and form, while creating balance and “eye comfort”.  Not to say that colors are not important—on the contrary—the right colors, shades and tints will be critical to the new frontier of holistic design.  Clients don’t want jarring designs.  They want soothing, timeless, nature-based environments that insulate them from a treacherous world and economy.  The timeless aspect of design takes the forefront as discretionary funds for re-designs are harder to come by. 

Unexpected, high-textured materials will be combined to become the superstars of interior design:  examples include grass cloths (on steroids); highly dimensional wall coverings; metallic coated bamboo for wall treatments; corrugated metals; concrete used on walls, floors and countertops; wood on ceilings or vintage beams for architectural interest.  Added to that will be individual pieces that incorporate organic shapes for coffee tables and dining tables; mixing rustic, coarse materials in the same room as marble and brocade; and stacking “shapes” within a room to create repetition and interest.

All of this means that professional designers need to be very well versed on newly introduced materials in the design marketplace; appropriate applications; and twisting usual applications to create interest and focal points. 

Color schemes become inclusive and integral to the concept of holistic design.  Monochromatic schemes take on a new dimension as tints and shades become the defining medium to add depth and dimension to the (canvas) room.  Clients want color, but again, nothing jarring.  Monochromatic with full-range of the hue becomes a popular choice.  Monochromatic + one complement, continues the feeling of quiet but interesting design.

Specialty lighting becomes more important than ever as a tool to assist designers in creating the work of art.  Multiple lighting sources are used within the room to create ambience, highlight special features; and provide functional task lighting.  Intentional shadowing effects (created with directional lighting) are the final touch in creating interest and depth.

High-tech design, even in commercial interiors, is being tempered by softer colors; and using gradations of one color to create interest and dimension.  Polished concrete floors can be colored and “feathered” to produce soft definition and again, play up the element of shape. 

CONCLUSION:  Design is moving towards a very sophisticated, meaningful new level.  Holistic design addresses the client’s psychological & physiological needs on a very real plane.  Colors will be chosen on their individual ability to carry the message of well being, and deliver a color- wise, healthy, soothing environment.