Whats Hot Now in Carpet Design
Posted on: Thursday, August 9, 2012
Exciting, comfortable, smart. Carpet designers discuss everything carpet has to offer at home.
What's exciting about carpet design today? What is driving customers to choose carpet for theri homes/ A recent article in the floor covering trade publication, Floor Trends, surveys three prominent carpet designers for their views on what is influencing the tastes and preferences of the residential floor covering customer.
Titled,"Reading the Tea Leaves: Style Drivers in the Residential Carpet Market", the article features interviews with three carpet "design heavy weights" from Carpet and Rug Institute member companies:
Laurie Dillingham, Senior Manager Color, Style & Design for Beaulieu
Nathan Hammett, Manager of Color and Design, Residential Business at Mohawk
Libby Cook, Senior Designer for Royalty Carpet Mills/Camelot Carpet Mills/PacifiCrest
The article begins with a discussion of color, noting that, while beige and other neutrals will likely never lose prominence in carpet color palettes, consumers are looking to add a little brightness to their lives, and see carpet as a great way to relieve their so-called "frygal fatigue" acquired after years of tight budgets and subdued color offerings form manufacturers.
The designers go on to say that carpet's comfort and energy-use benefits appeal to Americans, who are spending more time at home. They cite the CRI as an excellent source of information to explain that carpet is often mistakenly linked to increase asthma and allergy symptoms.
The article is an interesting read, particularly in the sections that describe the designers' sources of inspiration-fascinating-everything form shibori and ikat textiles to vintage and high-tech influences.
(Source Bethany with the CRI BLOG)