BEST NEW RUGS, TILES, CARPETS AND MORE...
From bamboo silk to rugs that move between the horizontal and vertical, we take a closer look at coming-of-age flooring fashion
THIS PAGE 1 Manor collection Versailles French oak flooring in Cobble Stone 800 x 800 x 20mm from Forte Flooring. 2 European oak Basket Weave parquet in Smoked Brush from B&O Casa. 3 Anchorage rug in Gravel 160 x 230cm from Mulberi. 4 Silver Travertine tumbled and unfilled tile 70 x
210 x 12mm from Artedomus. 5 Azzurro tumbled hexagon marble tile from Artedomus. 6 Hexagon Travertine multicolour tile from Artedomus. 7 Silver Travertine hexagon tile honed and unfilled 100mm from Artedomus. 8 Isabel Marant Lashby ankle boot $1259 from Workshop. 9 Matterhorn rug sample in Tar 200 x 300cm 70 per cent wool 30 per cent cotton from Weave. 10 Samba Silver outdoor rug sample from Artisan. 11 Mitre rug sample in Basalt 200 x 300cm 65 per cent wool 35 per cent viscose from Weave.
1 If you love the look and feel of carpet but are also a fan of beautiful hardwood flooring, rugs made from carpet are the win-win solution. By adding a bound edge to some of its premium brands, Cavalier Bremworth has started a rug revolution. In wool or plush synthetics, these rugs come ready-made or custom-designed in the size and colour to suit you. Matching the living room rug with the carpet installed in the bedrooms provides a nice continuity and the best thing is you can take it with you if you move.
2 New fibres and traditional methods combine to produce products that fit today’s lifestyle. Take the indoor-outdoor rugs by Armadillo & Co, for instance. “They are hand-woven from recycled plastic bottles, and have the look and feel of wool yet are sun, rain and wind-resistant,” says Annie Loveridge from The Ivy House.
3 Fast-growing, renewable bamboo is being used as an alternative to a hardwood floor and now the bamboo fibre can be woven into a silk for soft floor coverings too. A fairly new entry to the rug market, bamboo silk has a more textured look than traditional silk but is still soft to the touch. That’s not the only silk available for the eco-conscious: recycled sari silk is also being used for rugs in combination with natural fibres such as jute. “Blue and grey are the on-trend colours of the moment,” says Farah Farahani from Rugs Direct. >
4 Bamboo plays an important role in another advancement in flooring technology. Recycled wood and bamboo dust, limestone and virgin PVC meld together to create Coretec vinyl flooring – a 100 per cent waterproof vinyl suitable for installation in wet areas. “If the kids end up with a tsunami of water on the floor after a bath, this will have no effect on the flooring,” says Antoinette van der Nist from Ecodure Flooring. “Even if water is left on the floor it will not swell, as the entire board is waterproof.” With a solid rigid core, the flooring can be installed over large areas without the need for expansion joins. Vinyl is soft underfoot, doesn’t get cold in winter and, as Coretec’s cork underlay is naturally resistant to mould and mildew, it’s an easy win for bathroom and basement flooring.
5 All concrete is not created equal. When choosing a polished concrete floor there are a number of components to consider. First, the stones (aggregate) that make up the concrete. The colour, shape and size of the aggregate – and how much of it is revealed
– is a key aesthetic. Second, the use of an oxide that adds a background colour to the aggregate. Then, the degree of polish, or how shiny the floor is, which can range from smooth to mirrorlike. Last, the treatments employed during polishing that are critical to the longterm performance of the floor. “A simple polish with little aggregate exposure highlighted with a pewter or
gunmetal grey oxide is a very modern and popular choice currently,” says Brennan Fell of Peter Fell. We also love the mirror-finish floors that elevate the look from industrial to glam.
6 According to Richard Brasell at Artedomus, an old favourite making a comeback is parquetry – but not just in wood, in stone too. “We have been raving on for years about using smaller modules like the Europeans and this is finally happening here with small stone-tumbled bricks such as Silver Travertine used in herringbone and brick patterns inside and out.” According to Richard, flooring lies at the heart of great interior decor. “Get it right and the rest of the interior will follow.”
7 Large-format floor tiles in a small room can make it feel more spacious and elegant because the space is less broken up with grout lines. Porcelain tiles such as Metaline Iron from Tile Space are now available in a generous 1200 x 2600mm format. Porcelain is impervious to water and incredibly hard to scratch so it’s great for busy bathrooms.
8 According to Cavalier Bremworth, grey hues in carpeting are not going out of style any time soon, particularly because they team so well with current trends such as soft pinks in furnishings and fabrics. >
9 These days you can use the same tile inside and out in modern homes where you want to emphasise the flow from the living room to the garden. One example is the Beren range from Tile Space, available in both outdoor grip and indoor matt finishes.
10 Farmhouse style, with a modern twist, has arrived – and rough-sawn planks are the flooring you need to achieve it. A brand new range called Villa from Forte Flooring fits nicely with this trend. The product has sawn, distressed edges that emphasises its rustic looks. Another idea to nail farmhouse chic is to choose mixed-width recycled or rough-sawn boards with an oiled finish.
11 Fishing nets underfoot don’t sound too alluring, but if you invest in a carpet made from recycled synthetics (such as nylon), you’ll change your mind. Carpets that use Siren fibre (exclusive to Cavalier Bremworth) are created with 100 per cent regenerated fibre, including fishing nets recovered from the world’s oceans. The finished fibre is not itchy or rough – just plush and tough, and holds its colour for life. Plus, the production process reduces carbon dioxide emissions by half. >
12 Black and white, ebony and ivory – whatever you call it, a monochrome palette has the magical ability to bring an edge to the everyday. No wonder flooring in dark black, ebony and grey is on trend for 2018. “Blackstained oak flooring adds a really smart slant to a home, whether it’s in the country or the city,” says Gaius Piesse from Forte Flooring.
13 Rugs, especially highly patterned or woven with a painterly abstract design (such as the multi-toned Delaine from Mulberi), are moving onto the wall to be used as statement pieces of art.
14 Directionally challenged when it comes to laying wooden plank flooring? In open-plan areas it can be difficult to decide, but the room will appear to flow more smoothly into one large area if the flooring runs from the long end of the space to the other. In other rooms, planks can be laid to lead the eye towards a focal point such as a fireplace or feature window. If you need to change direction, such as around a corner in a hallway, the advice from Forte Flooring is to create a tidy edge with a perpendicular plank, or make a feature of the transition.
15 Product designer Meg Sinclair says she creates rugs that are an affordable luxury and ever since her Weave brand launched in February this year, her stock has been running out the door. “When I’m designing I look at international trends, but I’m conscious not to follow fast fashion too closely,” she says. A best-seller so far is the Denali rug in jute and wool where the geometric pattern draws inspiration from classic mosaic ogee patterns from the Middle East. The rugs are hand-woven using suppliers that meet fair trade practices in India.
16 Stairways are part of the flooring – and they’re no longer the forgotten part. Paint them in different colours (a palette of pastels, a barcode of bold shades or a nautical stripe) to make an uplifting statement. Above are stirs painted in Resene ‘Half Nocturnal’ and Resene ‘Half White Pointer’. >
17 Here’s a creative idea: lay tiles with an interesting shape (say hexagon or interlocking arabesque) in two different colours (you can’t go wrong with black and white) to create a work of art on your floor that continues up the wall. This idea works particularly well in bathrooms.
18 Bright grout is a great way to have some fun with your tiles. Available in blue and magenta from Tile Space: it can also source a wide range of shades on request and stocks a glitter powder that you can add to any grout.
19 Break away from rectangular angles and use circular rugs. A round textured floor rug, such as one in the Tairua collection from Mulberi, is made from a mix of soft wool and durable viscose, and is a graceful way to anchor furniture in larger open-plan spaces and create a calming zone.
20 “Whitewashed and, more recently, greywashed floors are very popular,” says Karen Warman of Resene. These floors work well teamed with white, grey or blue-grey walls for a relaxing yet well-weathered look in city homes or casual beach homes. Resene Colorwood Whitewash and Greywash may be applied over an existing clear-finished floor, without the need to strip right back to bare timber.
21 Not just limited to swimming pools and bathrooms, mosaic tiles can create striking or subtle flooring in living spaces too. Add European flair with Onix mosaic tiles imported from Spain by Artisan.