Carpet technology helps high-end broadloom blossom Article Number : 4358

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Date	4/6/2009 9:27:50 AM
Written By	LGM & Associates Technical Flooring Services
View this article at:	//floorbiz.com/BizResources/NPViewArticle.asp?ArticleID=4358
Abstract	By Louis Iannaco In having to keep up with the Jones in recent years, namely its counterparts in the ceramic tile and hardwood segments, carpet has been forced to unveil something different than the old standby wall-to-wall beige offering. And the mills have answered the call by producing the most innovative patterns, softest yarns and detailed textures the segment has seen in its history...
Article	By Louis Iannaco In having to keep up with the Jones in recent years, namely its counterparts in the ceramic tile and hardwood segments, carpet has been forced to unveil something different than the old standby wall-to-wall beige offering. And the mills have answered the call by producing the most innovative patterns, softest yarns and detailed textures the segment has seen in its history. Beaulieu of America The mill has definitely made a red carpet entrance into the high-end market with its Flirtation and Healthy Home Collections. Healthy Home with Silver Release & Zinc Release is a collection of styles that is not only beautiful but has features you won’t find in any other carpet on the market, noted Wendy Jaynes, marketing manager. “We offer 16 products ranging from friezes, pin-dots and textures and all have our antimicrobial Silver Release & Zinc Release treatment that continuously inhibits the growth of bacteria, mold and mildew. Plus, they contain the Magic Freshodor destroying treatment that eliminates pet, smoke and cooking odors. These products are made from our Green Smart PET Polyester and FiberEssence continuous filament polyester, and are among the softest carpets you’ll step foot on.” The Flirtation collection allows Beaulieu to prove once again that carpet should be considered a fashion element, Jaynes noted. “The design trends for 2009 to 2010 are revealing to us that animal prints are the way to go, and we have the perfect solution—Wild Side and Making Waves. These exotic, provocative patterns allow homeowners the freedom to give into their desires for something different. We also offer eight other styles within this collection in friezes and textured cut piles, which allows the consumer to mix and match to get just that right look and feel. They are made from 100% PermaSoft Plus and PermaSoft Nylons.” For more information, call 800.227.7211. Fabrica High-end nylon offerings from Fabrica include Marrakech, a dense, velour velvet, cut pile style featuring outstanding surface refinement and high performance, noted Osby Borchardt, vice president of product development and marketing. “Advanced generation yarns of nylon 6,6, Marrakech makes for an excellent choice for a variety of residential and office environments, and it is available in 30 colorways.” Inspired by natural, woven textiles, Torreon provides drama to any interior, he said. “The cut and loop pattern is dramatic in appearance and enhanced by the hand-washed effect of the colors.” Constructed of Advanced Generation BCF nylon 6,6, Torreon is available in 17 striated colorways. Fabrica’s high-end wool offerings include Bardolino. Crafted from New Zealand wool, it makes an exquisite presentation of a classic stripe pattern with contrasting colors and an unusual texture,” Borchardt noted. “The combination of cut pile and loop pile yarns creates a dramatic visual effect. Evoking a handcrafted textile, Tessere is a two color small scale textured loop pattern. Made of New Zealand wool, it is available in 10 dual color combinations. Finally, Nuance is a cut and loop pattern constructed of New Zealand wool. Soft and lustrous, Nuance is offered in 17 fashion-focused colorways. “We set ourselves apart with our understanding of the high-end market,” Borchardt said. “Our attention to detail, unsurpassed surface refinement and unwavering commitment to quality are the essence of Fabrica. We also set ourselves apart with our extensive color-line offerings. We’ve introduced a wide array of traditional nylon cut piles with fresh, new color-lines. Chez, for example, for over 30 years has been the industry standard for fine count, cut pile carpet. It is the ultimate in luxury and now available in 100 colors. It’s also offered in custom colors.” While all segments are experiencing a downturn, Borchardt said, even the high-end is not immune. “But I believe we’re making inroads. Our new products have been very well received. By continuing to introduce desirable products and stay on top of merchandising, we’re in a good position when the market rebounds.” For more information, call 800.854.0357. Gulistan From a unique, understated and elegant standpoint, Forest Creek and Abbot Lane, two patterned cut-and-loop introductions, created the “wow factor” for customers at Surfaces 2009, noted Tony Prespitino, vice president of sales and marketing. “Forest Creek and Abbot Lane feature our ‘tonal resist’ dye technology, which allows us to create a multi-toned interplay of hues within each coloration.” Another new favorite is Galavant, a heavyweight texture with an array of colorations (created by a mixture of solid colors with subtle highlights of brown or black accent hues). “Uniqueness and Stainmaster Tactesse filament nylon make these styles that consumers will find hard to resist when designing their living spaces,” he said. Gulistan also introduced three new Stainmaster filament textures in varying weights that replace three of its most successful Stainmaster staple textures. “The dealer consensus was “making the move to filament Stainmaster on proven winners with updated colors can only enhance sales of these classic styles.” Styles that continue to do well for Gulistan include the Bella Vista collection, which remains the most popular, Prespitino said. “We attribute its steady appeal to having nine styles in varying textures, all available in the same 60-color palette, all constructed using soft Tactesse fiber. This collection gives consumers a chance to make their own statements by using a range of options and combinations.” Karastan The mill’s high-end offerings include several featured in its SmartStrand collection. “Karastan has a great selection of patterned styles being introduced,” said Connie Berry, director of marketing. ”Our SmartStrand collection of styles is our most successful selections in today’s market. The consumer gets lifetime stain warranties, a product that is incredibly soft, environmentally friendly—but, most of all, great styling options as well as great colors to select from.” For Karastan, marketing its high-end products is crucial to their success, she noted. “The high end consumer has a definite opinion about what she wants. She expects the buying experience to reflect her purchase. You can’t expect a high-end consumer to purchase a high-end product in a warehouse environment. Your showrooms must be well styled and reflective of the type consumer you’re trying to draw into your store. “The high-end consumer is still about fashion for the floor,” Berry explained. “Pattern and color have to be right for her room. She is conscious of the environment as well as quality in product, a good value for a quality product. She is doing her research before she walks into a retail store.” Like its competition, Karastan is also feeling the current economic crunch. “When marketing and selling to the high-end market,” she said, “slower downturns typically do not affect this consumer as much as other demographics. However, I believe this downturn has affected everyone to some degree.” Masland Carpet & Rugs Masland has been a style, color and design leader for many years, noted Dan Phelan, vice president of marketing. “We offer unique carpets and rugs— conceived and designed in house—produced with a variety of advanced equipment and technology. It’s unusual to offer this kind of diversity under one roof.” Masland’s high- end offerings include 10 new nylon styles and three Office-to-Home products. It also recently introduced 16 wool styles. The company also unveiled an array of signature designs produced by new proprietary technology, designed to produce more pattern and detail in a tufted carpet. The Masland Avenue line features 16 new cut-pile styles constructed of 100% Stainmaster Luxerell BCF nylon. Ranging from animal skin and geometric contemporary patterns to traditional styles with the long-revered Eastern influence, Masland’s new carpets include Kenya, a bold zebra pattern; Safari, which features a Moorish trellis design; Olympia, a Greek key design; Cordova, a classic Chippendale-period look; Raleigh, inspired by stained glass; and Loxley, a soft, organic tweed pattern. Mauvilla features a shaded Moorish trellis pattern, and Amberly is a small geometric floral/diamond motif. “One element that sets us apart is our dedication to highly styled fashionable trends in design,” Phelan added. “As we conceptualize our products, we analyze what’s happening in today’s market, from fabrics to wall coverings and furnishings. Masland offers five categories of product— nylons, wools, area rugs, commercial and now Masland Avenue. Our investment in technology allowed us to create patterns, details and color combinations never before achieved in a tufted carpet.” For more information, call 800.633.0468. Oriental Weavers USA Yes, the rug company now offers high-end broadloom as well. Among its collections are Traditions, Inspire and Majesty—good, better, best, respectively. The three come in a total of 23 woven patterns with four to eight colors in each. All are constructed of Weavlon polypropylene. Inspire is a collection of 11 patterns “inspired” by the latest in women’s apparel, bedding and wall covering. “Inspire takes flooring fashion to a new level,” noted Kim Reynolds, vice president of marketing. “Inspire has a wonderful range of colors starting with a grand assortment of easy-to-work-with neutral and earth tones, mixed with the latest blues, greens and reds. With patterns from contemporary to skins and from traditional to floral, Inspire can add the final touch to almost any room.” Reynolds also touted the Weavlock manufacturing technology, retail-friendly displays, Weavlon fiber, enhanced stain warranties as well as the company’s complete vertical integration. “Our Weavlon fiber is antimicrobial, extremely durable and stain resistant,” she said. “All these products are designed and made in the U.S. for the U.S. market. All are made with our proprietary manufacturing system, which reduces weaving defects and aids in carpet installation. And our retail-friendly rack is designed to attract retail consumers and close sales in an attractive unit that utilizes a minimum amount of space.” For more information, call (973) 483-3232. Shaw Industries When the newest technical innovation and styling collide, the result is Couture, said Emily Morrow, the mill’s director of color, style and design. “Today’s technologies in color, tufting and yarn systems are exceptional, and they can provide the basis for the latest in flooring styles. When you combine these technologies with creative design—as we did with Couture—the result is smart and sophisticated.” Couture is soft, inspired by natural materials like silk and wool. “The collection was created to coordinate with and complement many other Shaw products in wood, stone, tile and laminate. The selected styles were all designed to go together like a wardrobe.” This coordination is achieved through the use of rich colors that blend with each other as well as others. “We call it flexible color, Morrow said. “Today’s color formulas are complicated and sophisticated— they contain the right balance of color values so each color works with many others. The resulting colors—including neutrals—are richer. These palettes of natural, analogous colors are ideal for pairing with wood, stone or tile to create truly harmonious spaces.” Couture offers remarkable value, she noted. “Styles in this collection are far less costly than comparable products in wool. And when they’re placed side by side, the resemblance is incredible. Couture combines technology with design to create affordable luxury.” For more information, call 706.275.1792. Stanton Carpet The mill’s newest high-end collection, Eastern Palace, is a blend of wool and viscose creating luxurious pile in subtle colorations with flecks of shimmering viscose, noted Jonathan Cohen, COO. One style, Lhasa, captured the 2009 Wools of New Zealand Fashion Dynamics Award for Best Overall Woven. “Lhasa’s pattern was inspired by intricate eastern carvings that create a stately fretwork,” he said. Dharma, another style, has a classic Persian feel with delicate line work adding character and elegance to any décor. And Mae depicts a dramatic damask with a blossoming center medallion in soft strie, enhanced with touches of viscose. “The Eastern Palace collection was extremely well received at Surfaces and is continuing to gain attention by retailers nationwide,” he added. “Lhasa, Dharma and Mae evoke pageantry of eastern courts, each lending a sense of Old World charm but with the refined coloring and lines of modern day.” For more information, call 516.986.5914.