September 2/9 2013; Volume 27/number 10
By Jenna Lippin
While a number of manufacturers traditionally launch their hottest offerings at Surfaces, some choose to release their latest and greatest throughout the year. And with the fall selling season upon us and pent-up demand on the part of consumers, several top players in the flooring world are rolling out new products in the coming months.
Armstrong
Adding to its wildly successful Alterna LVT, this fall the manufacturer has launched new sizes and shapes within the line, along with a wall application. The new sizes will serve as complements to the existing 12 x 12 and 16 x 16 tiles, and will come in 12 x 24, 8 x 16 and 8 x 8. The addition of new sizes allows for further customization with the mixing of various tiles and creation of unique patterns.
The two new designs included in the launch are Allegheny Slate and Athenian Travertine. Slate comes in three colors and five sizes while Travertine is offered in three formats and two colors. Alterna now offers 118 SKUs in a vast array of colors and sizes. The tiles can now be used on accent walls, backsplashes or other unique design spaces, as well.
Beaulieu America
Bliss LVF, the company’s first entree in the hard surface market in over 10 years, is already receiving accolades (and orders) from retailers (FCNews, Aug. 19/26). The line includes four collections: Southern Expressions Plank, Picturesque Plank, Avenues Plank and Landscapes Tile, all launched Sept. 1.
Southern Expressions, inspired by the warmth of the South, consists of floating floor options utilizing the Valinge clic system. Picturesque mirrors the looks of exotic hardwood with its varying brown and gray tones. Avenues offers a more modern visual motivated by the cities from which the styles get their names, such as Broadway and Rodeo. Landscapes features stone visuals that mimic those found in nature. In total, Bliss LVF offers 18 wood selections and six tile options.
IVC
Coming this fall from IVC are two new roll programs of luxury fiberglass sheet vinyl, Slide and Step Gloss. Both include a feature that is new for the manufacturer: high gloss lacquer. The programs are targeted to retail roll buyers and residential homeowners.
Stride is a 13’2″ roll program with a 60-gauge thickness and QuickClean wear layer. The collection is offered in nine SKUs with three new designs or color options, three patterns from the company’s outgoing Level Plus line and three designs from the outgoing Level Pro collection. Both wood plank visuals and tile looks are included in Stride. The company suggests retailers introduce Stride as an entry-level roll program.
Step Gloss is a 12-foot roll program with a 90-gauge thickness, serving well for those “accounts that miss the days of high-shine vinyl,” according to IVC. The collection offers five new SKUs, including a black and white 9-inch tile and small, colorful ceramic tile and flagstone designs.
Mohawk
In August, Mohawk announced the launch of two products for the fall: UltraStrand PowerSet and Mixology. UltraStrand is a nylon product positioned for high-traffic and multifamily environments, while the commercial oriented Mixology is a carpet tile collection exemplifying the company’s sustainability efforts.
The feature that differentiates Power-Set from other value-oriented nylon products is the state-of-the-art manufacturing technology with in-creased temperatures and atmospheric oxygen that creates an invisible stain barrier on the surface of the carpet. The heat-set process involved in production strengthens the product and makes the yarn thicker, meaning the carpet feels fuller.
Mixology, The Mohawk Group’s contemporary carpet tile, touts simple installation and prolonged management. The three patterns within the collection—Picture This, Seek Unique and Coolly Noted—include five neutral colors combined with a range of random, end-of-lot yarns. The yarns are diverted from excess yarn lots and instead of being discarded are used to create the cutting-edge carpet tile. Because of the varied accent colors, each tile within Mixology is unique. However, the neutral base tones make the line ideal for commercial interiors in all segments.
Oriental Weavers
Recently released is Oriental Weavers’ rug collections developed from its partnership with Pantone Universe. Last spring, the company was selected by Pantone to create cutting-edge designs for the home fashion industry. The rugs range from striking shags to handcrafted flatweaves and a line inspired by mid-century expressionism.
One of the highlighted collections from Oriental Weavers’ collaboration with Pantone is Prismatic, consisting of hand-carved, printed rugs. These nylon selections have a more sophisticated look with subtle Pantone colors, including An-tique Moss, Laven-der Herb, Posy Green and more. A 5 x 8 retails at $199.
Shaw Floors
Several new PET styles have been in-troduced to the market for fall, including Painted Stone, two Power Buy products and Get Cozy. Straying from the norm in the carpet world, Painted Stone is a PET style inspired by natural stone. Get Cozy is an ultra soft PET and both Power Buy 155 and Power Buy 110/210 include soft cut-pile textures offered at value prices.
Also new from Shaw are two budget-friendly yet stylish options recently lunched from Shaw Laminates, called Ances-try and the Reclaimed Collec-tion. Ancestry is an updated oak look, featuring a 5-inch wide mini-plank with a micro-bevel edge. The Reclaimed Collection is an 8-inch wide, 2-strip visual, with a reclaimed visual offered in three colors that has become popular today. Both products include Opti-Core, Shaw’s laminate coreboard.