Styling trends play a major role in any industry. Whether the product is going on the floor, the wall, indoors or outdoors, knowing the latest colors and styles is crucial for any company. So what are some of the latest trends in the carpet today?
“One of the biggest trends we’re seeing is toward eco-friendly products,” said Vickie Gilstrap, vice president of color and design,
Mohawk Industries. “And at Mohawk we’ve addressed that trend. As a matter of fact, we were doing it long before it became the cool thing to do, whether it was with our EverStrand line of products or then with our SmartStrand renewably resourced products.”
Following the eco-friendly trend has influenced Mohawk’s color line, she explained, by offering more colors inspired by nature. “One of the big trends we’re seeing in home fashion is the outdoors moving in and the indoors moving out, with outdoor living rooms, kitchens. And because of this movement of nature moving in, it’s influencing the colors we’re decorating with. Not only green; it’s colors from nature like earth tones, browns, blue from the sky, blue from water, stone colors, colors influenced by nature, not so fluorescent or bright or deep and dark, just more natural color.”
Soft sells
Another big movement is the use of soft fibers, Gilstrap said. “They give the consumer a reason to have soft surface versus a cold, hard surface. It’s very soft and has a natural feel like cotton.” Mohawk offers many soft fibers, including Sorona, which is inherently soft.
“Another trend we’re seeing is in patterns. We’re seeing a lot more pattern selling, which we have addressed with our Wunda Weve collection.”
Casual is in
Another direction Gilstrap has seen in broadloom is the trend toward a more casual look. “Our friezes are our best-selling product. We’re also seeing a little higher pile height, which gives more of a casual feel. We’re seeing cabled, fixed end, a trend coming from the West Coast. We have many new introductions that feature those looks.”
Gilstrap also mentioned Mohawk utilizes several different yarn systems. “One of the new yarn systems in which we’re doing several new products in Wear Dated is the Natural yarn, which has the look and feel of wool. It has an inserted nylon that binds all the fiber together. It’s a staple product but gives you the look of a filament.”
Keeping track of things
Staying on top of what is desired by the end user is a major focus for Mohawk. “As far as color and design trends, all the color designers who work for me are members of the Color Marketing Group (CMG). We go to meetings twice a year and come back with color palettes good for two to three years from now.
“We’re also involved with different trend organizations, and they give us the information we need. We’re constantly staying in touch with what’s going on in home fashion as well as in other industries.”
According to Gilstrap, Mohawk tracks more than 12,000 SKUs every quarter. “We physically, up on boards, have all our colors and track them. We can actually see trends happening. By way of the trend organizations is how we know what is going to happen [in the future]. So when we introduce a product, we have the bestselling colors and styles for the present, but we also want to introduce products we know are still going to be viable two or three years from now.”
Targeting the affluent consumer
Gilstrap noted that through its research, Mohawk focuses on exactly what specific end users desire. “We target our color lines for the different price points. For example, we can see fabric and wallpapers trends at the higher end of the market versus the lower end. We also have more colors at the higher end, so we usually pick more sophisticated patterns for the higher end.”
