Eco enthusiasm
David Spragg • February 20, 2020
Trends review from Domotex 2020
Trade shows are inevitably dominated by the launch of new products but it is clear that the industry’s agenda is increasingly alert to what happens to the old flooring that they seek to replace.
And it is no longer enough to pay lip service to eco issues. Companies are paying with major investments in new product development that is environmentally friendly – recognising consumer sensitivity to climate change, the availability and costs of landfill, and the green imperatives of contract specifiers.
Edel Carpets has come up with an excellent brand name for their recycled and recyclable new carpet range ALLOA which stands for “All Over Again”. This launch signalled a related trend in the “mono” construction of carpets – using the same fibre throughout, with environmentally friendly backing, to aid recyclability. Balta’s latest New Generation rugs (a parallel launch to the Re-Generation rugs above) takes a similar tack.
And F Ball were flying the British export flag for the growing range of products in recycled and recyclable packaging and told us their use of virgin plastic was down by 10 tonnes per month.
Carpet launches at Domotex demonstrated the growing trend towards more resilient constructions with an emphasis on more robust twist, and a little less on deep and soft. So tenth gauge is very popular for 2020 newcomers in a welcome move up market in quality. And polypropylene figured much less strongly in new launches while nylon is in the ascendancy.
Nylon and polyester fibre brands are getting increasing attention from companies such as Riviera Home, Lano, Balta and ITC Natural Luxury Flooring, including a tendency towards solution dyed fibre for extra cleanability.
Colour wise in carpets, we are seeing some shift away from greys with more pastels, warmer earth colours and the popularity of teals and blues. In rugs there are certainly less plains and shaggies in the market – more than ever it is all about design with abstracts in vogue.
Trends in the LVT sector are very clear: SPC, large planks and herringbone. It is almost obligatory now to include a rigid Stone Plastic Composite option in the offer and this trend seems unstoppable given the performance benefits, installation stability and reduced plastic content of SPC.
Large plank formats in LVT have been popular for some time and the appeal appears to be growing for the added authenticity they create. At the opposite end of the size scale, parquet and herringbone continue to have a great run and LVT designers are getting increasingly creative in their designs.
But if you think herringbone is only ever about smooth floors think again. One of the most eye-catching presentations at Domotex this year was the herringbone plank by Tapibel as part of their Incati carpet tile range – yes, carpet planks! And the range is even called Oak.
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