Trending on nature
Website Editor • October 26, 2019
By Rita Bancroft
Our busy world is having an impact on how we are decorating our homes; we are seeing a trend towards nature inspired colour palettes and natural materials. Colours are sophisticated, quality is enduring, and authenticity is valued.
Biophilic design and all things nature-inspired is a growing trend and one that’s set to continue. What isn’t there to love about bringing the outside in? It’s an interior style that doesn’t just work naturally; it’s also good for the soul. Natural materials play a big part in creating a happy, healing environment.
Harvey Maria see these soft new shades work beautifully with neutral pastels, bringing a calm, comforting feel to an interior. Rich jewel tones, including bottle green, are also joining the on-trend oxygenated shades, as we look to ‘balance’ our lifestyles through colour and design.
“Restful green shades are the new neutrals and they work so well with earthy, natural colours. By combining them with a wood or stone-effect floor, and lots of organic elements, you can create a harmonious space that’s calming and rejuvenating,” explained Harvey Maria founder, Mark Findlay.
Other green-toned designs from Harvey Maria’s range include Little Bricks Apple Green – a short stave design, in a soft organic shade – ideal for creating parquet patterns and borders.
Karndean Designflooring, predicts that the trend for minimalist Scandinavian inspired interiors will be refreshed with harmonious
pastel sugar tones. “It’s no surprise that the fresh airy feel of Scandi interiors has become a firm favourite with home decorators,” says Stella Coyle, national retail sales manager at Karndean Designflooring. “This year we are seeing the contemporary classic trend take on a new playful vibe with ice cream shades.” Known as Sugared Scandi, home decorators are pairing neutral tones on walls and flooring with furnishings and accessories in pastel tones of pink, blue, lilac and yellow to create flexible and relaxing sanctuaries from busy modern life.
“When thinking about the bones of a Scandi style home, you really can’t go wrong with a light wood flooring,” explains Stella. “In response to this desire for fresh contemporary flooring, we have expanded our popular Van Gogh range with six new oak designs. “The new designs authentically replicate the beauty of natural oak and include Blush Oak with rosy pink undertones and a flowery grain perfect for combining with warm pastel shades, and Cool Grey Oak with a misty hue and linear grain which looks stunning paired with crisp blue tones.”
Product provenance is a growing trend in many industries.
But when it comes to carpets, what does the conscious consumer want to know? British Wool director of marketing, Graham Clark, explains, “Every year we exhibit at a number of leading consumer events, such as Grand Designs Live, which gives us chance to talk to many different consumers. We’ve seen a big increase in the number of questions about provenance, and also the environmental credentials of wool – from carbon footprint to recycling. So, we have a fantastic opportunity to provide the information consumers are looking for, explaining the many natural benefits of British wool, and also the work we’re doing to ensure traceability throughout the entire supply chain via our licensing scheme.”
“Today’s consumer is interested in the origins of the products they’re buying, with sustainability and ethical production becoming increasingly important. When consumers buy a British Wool licensed carpet, they know they’re buying a product which contains genuine and verified levels of British wool. The crook mark associated with British Wool licensing provides an assurance of quality and origin, also signifying a long-term commitment to the British farming industry.”
Crucial Trading has a long tradition of only working with natural materials. This autumn, three new 100% wool designs were launched at Decorex, the UK’s largest international interior design show. The richly hued and striped Harbour and the luxuriously rustic Reef and Tranquil designs were definitely a hit.
Reef is a tight loop pile carpet with a rustic appearance. Available in seven beautiful neutral tones, it is the perfect accompaniment to any timeless colour scheme. Dyed to the same colour palette as Reef, Tranquil is a chunky bouclé design, its ultra-deep pile makes it sumptuously soft underfoot.
The faster our lives move the greater our desire to channel more calm into our homes. Adam Carpets predict that blue hues will be a strong influence in interiors during 2020.
Blue is incredibly versatile, soft shades give off an innocent vibe that can be translated into a flirtier look when combined with blush tones, whilst rich inky hues provide escapism in today’s data-driven society. One reason we are craving blues is they bring us closer to natural elements such as the sea and sky, so have the ability to create serenity in almost any space. A reflection of restfulness and mental and spiritual balance, the combination of blue and green tones speaks to our senses. This palette connects us with our natural world and provides much needed tranquillity in our lives.
Leading British carpet manufacturer, Cormar Carpets Company, has seen a resurgence in demand for dining room carpet. While the traditional dining room area has become less popular, the increase in open plan, integrated living spaces has led to a rise in demand for carpet. Based on real-life, in-home research and insight, there’s clear evidence this trend is set to continue as consumers increasingly look for comfortable and convenient flooring solutions to keep pace with their increasingly busy lifestyles.
With the added assurance of a 10-year guarantee, Cormar’s Easy-Clean Twist carpets provide a stylish, low maintenance and affordable solution to instantly transform lounge and dining room living spaces. Providing a natural, in-built stain resistance to stains and spills with tightly twisted two-ply fibres, Easy-Clean Twist carpets provide superb warmth and comfort, which dining rooms often lack as they tend to contain less furniture.
James Caldwell, sales director at Victoria Carpets explains, “For the last few years there’s no denying that grey has been leading the assault and it now ranks as one of the most popular colours at almost every price point. However, as is the natural cycle of things, as shades of grey have become dominant and mainstream, we’re starting to see style-savvy consumers look for a hint of colour. The popularity of silk-like qualities is probably a catalyst for this, with soft shades working particularly well with the look.
SEARCH OUR NEWS SERVICE
FEATURED ARTICLES
Learn all aspects of flooring installation at the Uzin Utz Campus in Stafford. The state-of-the-art facility provides diverse training opportunities throughout the year. From subfloor preparation, LVT fitting, wet room installations, wood floor sanding and sealing, as well as resin flooring installation, each course is designed to inspire and equip you with essential skills. With prices starting at just £75 per person, you will not only gain valuable knowledge but also lunch and refreshments, a certificate of achievement, a Uzin Utz Campus T-shirt, and exciting giveaways.
FITA is an independent, not-for-profit organisation, providing specialist training for the floorcovering industry. Co-founded by the Contract Flooring Association and the National Institute of Carpet and Floorlayers, FITA has two specialist training centres at Loughborough and Kirkcaldy, fully equipped to deliver over 20 different flooring courses including carpet, LVT, sheet vinyl, wood, linoleum and subfloor preparation.
When it comes to ensuring that flooring meets standards of other design features, such as furnishings and fittings, following best practice in subfloor preparation and flooring installation is as important as the floorcovering selection itself. Tim Green, head of training at the UK’s leading manufacturer of subfloor preparation products and adhesives, F. Ball and Co, explains how training in these areas can help achieve a design edge and how to access the best free provisions available.
As the foundation of any interior, flooring plays a vital role in creating calm, uplifting spaces. Our latest article explores how leading brands blend natural aesthetics with modern performance, so no matter what your style, there are numerous options for both indoor and outdoor home décor.
It’s no secret that one of the biggest issues facing the UK flooring industry is the shortage of skilled labour, and this is a problem that’s only likely to get worse as the older generation hangs up its tools and finds fewer and fewer young hands willing to take up the trade. While the overall declining interest in practical trades is a matter to be addressed by all stakeholders – particularly at a Government level – flooring manufacturers and specialised training outfits have long been playing their parts to raise standards within the industry.
Greendale Carpets are the longest established buying group in the UK, having been formed in 1962. The group is a member owned cooperative run on a not-for-profit basis with any surplus at the end of the financial year being put back into the group for the sole benefit of the member.
The Associated Carpet Group held its Platinum Supplier Show this past 14-15 March, celebrating its 40th anniversary at the illustrious Hilton Hotel at St George’s Park, the home of the FA and England football teams. The annual showcase is both a platform for ACG’s suppliers to present their newest offerings to the buying group’s members and, of course, a highly enjoyable social event!
Retailers who are considering joining a buying group would be right in thinking that the combined buying power of multiple retailers all over the UK is a positive because, let’s face it, millions of pounds of buying power is better than thousands of pounds.
BUSINESS NEWS
Imports of soft flooring including wall-to-wall carpet and rugs were up 8.8% to £74.75m in March, according to HMRC data compiled by The Furnishing Report. With this increase, imports of carpet grew faster during the period than alternatives like vinyl.
GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index decreased by four points to -23 in April. All measures were down in comparison to last month’s announcement. These are the current findings of the GfK Consumer Confidence Barometer (CCB) powered by NIM. The CCB has been published jointly by GfK and the Nuremberg Institute for Market Decisions (NIM), the founder of GfK, since October 2023.
Likewise Group, the UK flooring distributor, has announced its audited final results for the year ended 31 December 2024.
GfK’s long-running Consumer Confidence Index increased by one point to -19 in March. Two measures were up, two were down and one was unchanged in comparison to last month’s announcement.
The prices of carpets and other floorcoverings fell 1.8% in March 2025, according to the latest data from the Office for National Statistics. This is the second consecutive month of falling prices, with carpets seeing a drop of 1.7% in February, down from 2.5% growth in the same period last year.
As of 1 April, Herman and Age Mulder will take over the management of Rinos as Managing Directors. They represent the fifth generation to join as shareholders of the family business, which celebrates its 100th anniversary this year. Milco Visscher will start as commercial director on 1 May. The current managing director, Peter Kuipers, will oversee the transition and step down on 31 July.
Imports of flooring to the UK this February were up 7% when compared to the same period last year, reaching a total value of £127.9m, according to figures compiled by The Furnishing Report.
Likewise Group, one of the UK’s largest flooring distributors, has announced a “particularly positive” start to the year with gross sales revenue in Q1 2025 increasing by 10.7% against the corresponding period last year. Sales in the Likewise Branded businesses have increased by 14.6%.
The British Furniture Confederation (BFC), the public affairs umbrella body of furniture and beds, furnishings and flooring sector trade associations, has unveiled its new Plan for Growth. The document is said to support BFC’s advocacy across four key pillars: skills and education; trade and exports; standards and regulations; and the environment and circular economy. It has been developed over the past few months, the organisation says, evolving from a combination of position papers written by the associations’ executives and a comprehensive survey of their collective members.
Consumer card spending grew 1.0% year-on-year in February – lower than January’s 1.9% increase and less than the latest CPIH inflation rate of 3.9%, according to recent figures reported by Barclays. In anticipation of higher bills, consumers are said to be cutting back on essential outgoings, but still prioritising discretionary purchases, contributing to an uptick in optimism in the health of personal and household finances.
Thanks to premium wood, laminate and vinyl floors, Quick-Step is the brand that has it all.
Louis De Poortere has introduced four new designs into Antiquarian, one of the most popular collections in its 100% recyclable Ecorugs.
With compact, acoustic and safety derivatives of its heavy-duty heterogeneous vinyl available in a wide range of attractive designs, IVC Commercial can make any school cool.
Beauflor’s Polaris is a cushion vinyl collection designed and made in Belgium to cope with the rigours of communal and residential use in social housing schemes.
The Pro-Screed floor preparation range from floorwise is the easy way to start a fantastic floor.
Abingdon Flooring has strengthened its Simply Smooth cushion vinyl ranges with the addition of five on-trend collections.