You’ve started designing a commercial space for a client, but you can’t quite find the right carpeting to make the statement you want or reflect the branding exactly the way you’ve envisioned.
You’ve thought about designing a custom carpet, but that seems daunting. Fear not, we’ve got you covered. Here are five tips to demystify the process and create that signature look that you’re going for!
1. Consider the Branding. You may be interested in incorporating your client’s branding in the design. With modern carpet-making machinery you can recolor an existing carpet style, create a new pattern or customize colors to realize your perfect design. You can even get exact matches to corporate logo colors or reference landscape features and local landmarks. Carpet can provide the background for telling a brand’s story.
2. Review the Requirements. Building plans are important early in the design process as the shape of the facility, placement of hallways and public spaces, and room sizes will affect transitions, the layout, and the quantities of carpet. Regional factors like weather and sunlight, maintenance and styling capabilities all factor in as well.
Whether refurbishing or building a new property, imagine the space, its uses, how people interact in it and traffic patterns. Consider how different spaces work together and categorize your zones. Zones will have different design requirements, aesthetic goals and performance needs and this will help you determine how the overall quantity breaks down into minimums for the different types of carpets required in the zones.
3. Know Your Options. Once you know the requirements for the space, then you can review your options to meet those needs. Solution dyed nylon (SDN) and wool are both durable solutions when it comes to a soft surface flooring option. SDN is very colorfast, meaning the pigment holds on to the color when exposed to moisture, light, heat and most cleaning products. Using a proven SDN like Zeftron nylon, which has been a part of high performing commercial carpets for more than 40 years, can be a good choice. Wool, meanwhile, has a richness that adds to the ambience of a facility.
You can consider using tufted or woven carpet. Advances in tufting technology have improved design capabilities, speed of manufacturing and durability of these carpets. Weaving also offers durability along with more intricate patterning, styling and colorations. Tufting and weaving can both produce loop and cut-pile styles. Both can also vary the pile height to add textural interest to the carpet design.
4. Stretch Your Budget. Knowing a little about factors that impact carpet cost will help you as you design.
The size of the order is a big factor. It takes the same amount of time to set up a run for 70 feet of carpet as it does for thousands of feet of carpet. So, carpet cost is reduced with a large order.
Yarn systems vary in cost. Also, working within a carpet mill’s color bank versus creating a custom color will be most cost effective. Machinery speeds factor into costs. The more complex the design, the slower the machine runs which adds up. Complex designs also cost more due to set up time for the run. Some machines require heavier weights to achieve the desired aesthetics. This means more yarn and therefore added cost.
Performance objectives influence the choice of construction and the face weight of the carpet. A carpet that performs well has a high density and uses more yarn, once again adding to the cost. Public spaces usually require a high level of design, good performance, and ease of cleaning. Higher weights, typically 36 oz/sq yd and above, are required for this and with more detailed patterns different machines must be employed which moves the cost needle up.
5. Select the Right Carpet Manufacturer . Your design and performance requirements will help determine which carpet manufacturer partner you choose. Your carpet representative can help you, and the mill designers will also aid in choosing which machines will construct the carpet to your design specifications. Work closely with the mill personnel. Their support can aid and enhance your design concept. Mills such as Encore, which specializes in the hospitality industry, have the ability to do custom carpet creations and can be excellent partners and resources in the process.
Getting a better understanding of the process at the start can help you get a good idea of cost, availability and design capabilities and decide which mill to go with for your custom carpet project.
Next Stop: Custom Carpet Design
We’ve shared five steps you need to consider to make custom carpet design more manageable: branding, requirements, options, budget and a partner. For more detailed information on this process, take our Zeftron U course to get more insight into how to successfully collaborate with your local rep and their liaisons and designers at the mill.
There’s no reason to be intimidated by custom carpet. Just start with a few key steps, and you’ll be well on you way to a bespoke look for your next commercial project.
So, what do you think? Are you ready to try your hand at a custom carpet? Leave us a comment and let us know what you’ve got planned for 2023!
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