LaGrange, Ga.—For those looking to find
what’s hot in today’s custom broadloom, Milliken Carpet, Commercial Markets
has assembled the most innovative custom designs that have come through its
studios during the last year into a 36-in. modular carpet collection called
Image Series Four. The 26 patterns were created by designers working in
collaboration with the mill’s design studios around the world. More than 300
images were considered for the collection, and were narrowed down through a
lengthy survey process in which 150 designers were asked to select the most
inspirational and usable designs. “In terms of custom work, these designs
represent the best of the best,” said Alison Kitchingman, Milliken’s
marketing director. “The collection is a great tool for the design community,
as it provides a snapshot of new directions for the floor.
‘Fresh, modern, punchy and fun’ are just
some of the descriptions the designers who were interviewed attributed to their
favorites.” The patterns are not named, but numbered to allow designers to
develop their own interpretations. Some design objectives, however, are
apparent, such as the computer circuit board design that was incorporated into
the carpet for Datek’s Jersey City, N.J., headquarters. “The carpet
symbolizes the movement of electronic information through Datek’s online
trading software,” said Richard Mark, director of design for Kling Lundquist
of Wood-bridge, N.J. “To further brand the space, we incorporated its
boomerang-shaped D logo.” “Our goal is to express something of the
company’s culture, attitude and location through the carpet design,” said
Staci Romano of OZ Architecture, Boulder, Colo.
Following its spin-off from Hewlett-Packard,
Agilent Technologies turned to Romano to develop a look for its corporate
headquarters in Loveland, Colo. “We needed to move the interiors from a
manufacturing orientation to a contemporary, forward-thinking attitude,” she
explained. Romano and her Agilent clients spent a day at Milliken’s Santa
Monica, Calif., studio to develop Design #121, whose wavy lines and
“poptart” overlays project a contemporary look with a retro edge. As Nancy
Jones, HOK/San Francisco director of design and creator of Design #124, said,
“Carpet is one of the few opportunities to do something unique.”
The Chevron headquarters in Chevron Park,
Calif., was “open, dated and homogenous,” said Jones. “The carpet unifies
the space and provides an interesting interplay of lines.” Corporations are
becoming more adventurous with floor coverings as a result of shrinking design
budgets and timeframes, noted Bill Erwin, Milliken’s corporate design manager.
“Custom carpets can delineate the space in a building less expensively than
traditional architectural detailing.” “We are seeing a new era of
self-expression in carpet, as evidenced by Milliken’s increasing number of
custom projects and its fashion-forward nature,” said Richard Stoyles,
Milliken’s director of design. “Our goal is to provide a design tool that
helps design professionals treat interiors as a strategic image.”
To reflect corporate images on carpet,
Milliken geared up its Millitron Imaging, a dying technology featuring a
sophisticated digital platform. Millitron works from 52 million computer
commands per second to produce carpets with 400 color dots of dye per square
inch. The system is software-driven, allowing creative freedom in the design
process without limitations imposed by manufacturing hardware. Image Series Four
carpets are made of Milliken’s certified WearOn nylon. The mill’s Comfort
Plus cushion backing is standard and helps improve performance and ergonomics.
All Milliken modular carpets or Image Tiles can be redesigned and renewed using
Milliken’s Earth Square, the only carpet program using 100% post-consumer
recycled content.
In other
news, inspired by the Biotechnology industry, Milliken’s BioView suggest the
look of organic shapes such as plant or animal life when viewed under a
microscope. Two scales of the pattern are available in 14 colors on 36-in.
modular carpet tiles. Milliken’s Washington D.C., design studio developed the
pattern to address the workplace needs of Biotech companies locating in the D.C.
area. “Due to their constant state of flux, Biotech companies have raised the
bar for product functionality and design flexibility,” said Kitchingman.
“Bioview is a market-driven solution for companies whose space needs and usage
are always changing.” Bioview offers functionality via its 36-in.
cushion-backed modular format, allowing easy movability and fast
reconfiguration. It can also can be applied to a raised flooring system, with
cabling and wiring running underneath.
The new Milliken carpet conjures a sci-fi
feeling, yet acknowledges the real world with a natural and understated textural
background. The design responds to the dual needs of Biotech companies, which
want sophisticated and complex styling, yet require an understated simplicity
appealing to their government clientele. Biotechnology is an increasing
influence on fashion, fabrics and interior design, noted Kitchingman. “BioView
captures the Biotech effect, and offers eye-catching appeal through its modern
spin on mid-century culture, layering of textures and neutral color palette.”
BioView is available in a 14-color spectrum of warm and cool neutrals, including
grays, tans, soft sage and khaki olive that complement other tonal finishes in
the office. For more information on Milliken and its Image Series Four and
Bioview lines, call 800/241-4826. —Louis Iannaco
