Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/177297
As You Like It i Anything is possible with today's carpeting options by Stacey McLachlan It may lie beneath our feet, but carpeting is still top of mind for homeowners and commercial developers. Colour, texture, size and style of carpet can make or break a room, but with today's technological advancements in customization and eco-friendly manufacturing, it's easy to find the perfect flooring option for your project. Modular carpet is as hot as ever, if Bolyu is any indication: its carpet tile has grown from 10 per cent of its mix in 2009 to 40 per cent today. "Today, there is not a segment in the commercial market not using carpet tile," explains Glenn King, vice president of marketing. "Corporate office and government venues are big utilizers of carpet tile, but retail, educational and hospitality segments are also adopting the format." Design flexibility, ease of handling, logistics and lower lifecycle costs are the most significant reasons clients specify carpet tile. With lower installation costs compared to broadloom and a growing selection of pattern and style – incorporating accent colours "adds tremendous pop"– its popularity isn't a surprise. And Bolyu's modified carpet tile backing system is environmentally friendly, to boot, made of 40 per cent minimum post-consumer recycled content. "In 2011, our carpet tile production kept 2,077,858 pounds of post-consumer glass beverage bottles out of the landfill. This is something we are extremely proud of as a manufacturer," says King. Traditional neutrals, cut and loop patterns and sizing are being shaken up as consumers and architects look for a fresh take on flooring. "Our design team was drawn to colour from nature, which led to experimenting with natural dyes," explains Reesie Duncan, creative director of Shaw Contract Group, of the company's line of earthy modular tile collections, DyeLab and Natural Palette. "Consumers are finding themselves colour-starved, and are turning towards richer hues in gray, chocolate, buttery yellow, teal, and gray-green." Subtle patterns take the place of classic cut and loop, adding visual interest to interiors. But dyes and patterns aren't the only innovation happening at Shaw – carpet tile is evolving into new shapes. "One reason designers are using rectangular tiles more often is that they offer new installation methods, providing an additional layer of design to create unique installations," Duncan says. Designed to be recyclable – the tiles are made from eco-friendly nylon – Shaw has created a product that looks good, that's also good to the planet. With technological advancements – and commercial interest – in tile carpeting, prices have been dropping dramatically. "Not so many years ago, carpet tile prices started at about three dollars per square foot at contractor cost," says Michael Eckhardt, vice president of Kraus. "Today, attractive and durable tiles are closer to two dollars per square foot." And if the lower pricing wasn't enough, Kraus offers stain proof warranties, too. For those sticking with broadloom, though, Level-Cut-Loop patterns give homeowners a chance to "be adventurous with pattern and texture, while remaining conservative in colour selection," Eckhardt explains. "And Kraus' new Multi-Level-Cut-Loop tufting produces textures that are more sophisticated and include cut areas, and loop areas, of varying heights." Between modular tiling and customizable texture, it seems like anything is possible. "Today, we see not so much a particular pattern or colour palette. Instead, it is the desire to have limitless capabilities with floor covering design, in order to create a surface that can range from a subtle backdrop to a bold statement, depending on the designer's vision for the space," says Barbara Haaksma, vice president of design and marketing for Milliken's global floor covering division. Milliken offers myriad options for total customization – from the Color Wash collection, which comes in 40 different colours designed in collaboration with a print research scientist to "redefine the limits of continuous colour by blending humanand nature-driven patterning with advanced colour science," to the translucency options afforded by the award-winning Allumé collection, to the small-scale, non-directional patterns of the modular Remix 2.0 collection. Whatever you choose, Milliken's options are PVC-free and manufactured by a carbon-negative company that meets aggressive zerowaste goals. Photos this page: Milliken Carpet's Allumé Radiant (below) and from the Remix 2.0 collection (above), Backbeat, shown here in Slam with Apple. Carpet p38-41Carpet.indd 39 11/16/12 3:25 PM