5 Tips for Designing Custom Commercial Carpet

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!

Trend Report: Radical Colors Take the Stage

We are introducing a new design resource to inspire commercial interior designers to experiment and think about ways to take risks in their designs for commercial interior settings.

“Radically Modern Color” dives into the unimaginable ways colors are being combined and applied to create everything from apparel to home decor. You can download the trend report here. Best yet, it’s free!

The new decade has already seen its fair share of disruption. In the past 18 months we’ve experienced major wildfires, political protests, and a global pandemic. 

We’ve also seen a shift in the way color is being used. The color trends and themes in “Radically Modern Color” highlight the pairing of colors that reflects the disruption we’re seeing in broader society. Color and color applications are being used in imaginative ways, and these brighter hues and combinations are reminiscent of the 60s and the last time we were in the midst of such a revolutionary era.

“Radically Modern Color” focuses on four trends discussing what they are, where they are being used and how they are changing design. The trends highlighted are:

• The Psychedelic Comeback  – The 60s are back and so are the bright colors and sinuous shapes so prominent during that time.

Photo by Davide Ligabue on Unsplash

• Building Blocks – Color blocking is going to the extreme by pairing colors next to each other on the color wheel for a bold effect.

• Blurring The Lines – Gradients are all the rage and so is the Gaussian blur.

Photo by Ilnur Kalimullin on Unsplash

• Clash Of The Colors – Pairing sunny yellow, gold and mustard may have clashed in the past, but not so in this new decade.

We’re hoping these trends will inspire creativity in the coming year and allow you to be more radical with your use of color, especially with carpet. For even more inspiration, check out our Design Inspiration Page, where you can view our color collections and envision how you can create a colorful commercial carpet for your next project. You can also download the full Zeftron Color Pallette, consisting of 120-plus colors, or request to have a Zeftron pom box mailed to you.

We look forward to hearing what you think about these trends and how they might influence your design choices in the coming year. Leave us a comment and tell us what radical combination you’re thinking of designing with in 2022. 

Zeftron Helps Louisville Senior Living Community Meet its Design and Performance Needs

Louisville is a city rich with history and unmistakable surroundings. It is home to the famous Churchill Downs, rolling pastures and nearby bourbon country.  So when Banko Design embarked on a new senior living community there, it had a wealth of local inspiration to draw from.  

Completed in 2019, Everlan of Louisville offers independent living, assisted living and memory care services through several buildings on its master campus, including the community’s clubhouse, which Banko designed. The project is one of the newest for Banko, which provides design services for clients in the senior living, multifamily and hospitality markets. 

Meeting a Design Vision

Open to Everlan residents and the public alike, the clubhouse contains a large communal area and a restaurant. In many ways, it is the focal center of the community — a space where people can gather and socialize in a comfortable setting. Banko’s design vision for the clubhouse was to create a luxury, residential-inspired and customized look, similar to the upscale hospitality properties they designed in the past.  

Drawing on Louisville’s rich heritage and surroundings, Banko created an inspiring equestrian design motif. The firm highlighted the flavor of the locale through a thematic use of equestrian art and accessories. It also incorporated a full palette of colors and patterns reflective of the area.  

A major key to achieving Banko’s design scheme was the flooring. For this, Banko turned to Encore Carpet and its long-time partner, Zeftron nylon.  

Skilled in custom carpet design, Encore utilized its Custom Infinity Carpet made with Zeftron nylon. Encore’s design team strived to get the right contrast of jeweled tones and patterns to bring Banko’s hospitality-inspired design to life. The finished products consisted of four coordinating broadloom carpet patterns in both 12-foot and 15-foot widths, which actually turned out to reduce waste by 40 percent. 

Melissa Banko, Principal of Banko Design, commenting on the design benefits of Encore and Zeftron said, “The Encore Custom Infinity Carpet made with 100% Zeftron Nylon allows us to be creative through the endless color, pattern and scale options. It gives us the flexibility to make truly unique collections for our senior living communities.”

All told, the Encore custom carpet made with Zeftron spans 1,750 square yards across the clubhouse’s corridors, public areas and its dining room.

Plaid carpet lines the corridors at Everlan of Louisville reflecting the equestrian design motif of the community. 

 

Exceeding Performance and Sustainability Needs 

But commercial carpet products made with Zeftron nylon offer more than just exceptional design and aesthetics. They also meet the performance and durability required for a space like the Everlan clubhouse, where heavy foot traffic, furniture change-outs, staining and soiling can happen on a daily basis.   

As a premium branded nylon, specifically engineered for commercial interiors, Zeftron nylon is highly resistant to staining and soiling as well as crushing and matting, which means no unsightly traffic lanes or unwanted wear patterns. Plus, the solution-dyed nylon carpet looks just as great after a vigorous cleaning, keeping the facility looking as new as the day it opened.

Zeftron is also a fully renewable nylon. It can be recycled over and over after its useful life, thereby reducing waste and minimizing environmental impact. Minimizing the amount of waste without compromising the design was an important consideration for Everlan from a cost and sustainability point of view.

The community center carpeting features jeweled tones and patterns that bring Banko’s hospitality-inspired design to life. 

 

Going the Extra Mile 

Of course, every project is more than just the products that go into it. The best projects are about teamwork, exceptional service and partners going the extra mile.  

To that end, both Encore and Zeftron set themselves apart when compared to the competition.  

“We are very service-focused and bend over backward to do what we need to do to remove all the hurdles to get our clients and their projects to the finish line,” said Dana Miner, Territory Manager at Encore. “We’re very proud of our ongoing work with Banko and being able to provide them with the trifecta of aesthetic, performance, and affordability for the Everlan project.”

As an established brand that has served the commercial interiors industry for more than 40 years, Zeftron knows a thing or two about providing exceptional service and going the extra mile. Perhaps that’s why the Everlan clubhouse facility has received positive feedback and its residents are delighted with the sense of community it brings. 

The Encore custom carpet made with Zeftron spans 1,750 square yards across the clubhouse’s corridors, public areas and dining room and meets the performance and durability requirements needed in the active space.

 

4 Ideas to Make This Earth Day the Greenest Yet!

In honor of Earth Day 2021, we’ve compiled four easy ideas you can implement to make your everyday life more sustainable.

Green Idea One

A simple way to reduce your carbon footprint is to understand how much carbon you are emitting. You can use this calculator, from The Nature Conservancy, to learn about your habits, and how to start making a difference.  According to their website, “The average carbon footprint for a person in the United States is 16 tons, one of the highest rates in the world.” After understanding which decisions might help you conserve more (like avoiding flights with connections), there are a few simple switches you can make to easily decrease your negative impact.

“Composting is great, because like Zeftron’s nylon, which can be recycled over and over without losing any performance, the waste you produce can actually be turned into super-rich potting soil for future gardens!”

Green Idea Two

Kathryn Kellogg, founder of Going Zero Waste, offers millions of great tips on her website on how to reduce your footprint.  A great place to start is her 30-day zero waste challenge. Start by challenging yourself or your household to create less food waste in a week. 

Whether that’s by using a part of a vegetable you normally discard, or by beginning a backyard composting bin. Composting is great, because like Zeftron’s nylon, which can be recycled over and over without losing any performance, the waste you produce can actually be turned into super-rich potting soil for future gardens! Composting alone can drastically reduce the amount of trash you throw away each week.

Green Idea Three

An immediate way to make an impact in your own home is to contact your energy company and consider switching to a green provider that ensures all of the energy you use is supplied by clean energy sources. This may in fact lower your monthly energy bill, which would be a win/win!  Secondly, if you don’t already own a learning thermostat, you may want to look into purchasing a system that “learns” your energy usage habits, and automatically reduces usage and cost. 

Green Idea Four

Lastly, meat consumption has one of the largest negative impacts on our carbon footprint. If going fully vegetarian or vegan seems unrealistic, try making smaller changes like instituting a “Meatless Monday” or picking new weekly plant-based recipes to try! 

As a brand that offers 25% recycled content in every color, contributes to LEED points and is MBDC Cradle to Cradle Certified™ as a 100% fully recyclable yarn system, we strive to be as environmentally friendly as possible.

What tips do you have for reusing, recycling, or reducing your carbon footprint? Share your ideas with us on our social platforms!

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Five Spring Colors to Spur Your Design Creativity

Call it a hunch, but we think the popularity of happy and bright colors this spring could have a lot to do with our last 12 months battling a pandemic. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that the weather is warming up here at our Georgia headquarters, and spring blooms are out in full force.

As you are designing interior spaces this spring, think about these bold spring hues and how Zeftron’s fresh palette can reflect the colors of spring in your commercial carpet designs. We selected a few of our favorite colors to match what the beauty of nature we’ve seen unfolding outside this month.

Get the Green Light

It’s March, so it’s fitting that green, the color of choice for St. Patrick’s Day, is trending. Green has been seen all over the fashion runways in a wide range of colors – mint, emerald, seafoam, lime and even neon (think tennis balls). Green is the color of nature and spring – from the new green leaves sprouting to the vegetables that have started peaking from the dirt (spring onions anyone?). Green also provides a sense of calmness and security, and we could all use a little bit of both of those right now.

Mellow With Yellow

Yellow is the preferred color of many early bloomers in the spring – daffodils, winter jasmine, forsythia and witch hazel. While shades of this sunny color run the gamut, a popular choice in 2021 is a more subdued lemon shade, like Pantone’s Color of the Year “Illuminating.” Yellow shades make people smile and feel joyful, and these shades can help create warmth and coziness in indoor spaces.

Think Pink

Pinks are in, just like the beautiful magnolias that have started to bloom. But don’t forget about the deeper, darker cousin of pink, magenta, or the bolder shade of fuschia, seen in camellias and the azaleas lining the greens at the Augusta National Golf Club. Pink is often used with plush fabrics in design, such as velvet. Pink is fun and bright and can be a great accent color in carpeting.

Be True Blue

Blues seem to be a staple of every season, but did you know when it comes to nature, blue is very rare? Less than 10 percent of plants have blue flowers and few animals are blue. We have started seeing Bluejays in the yard and the sweet bluebirds will not be far behind. The one place we’re guaranteed to see blue in nature is the beautiful spring sky. In particular Cerulean blue is popular this spring. Light blue color tones work well with all neutral colors and allow designers to accentuate in an elegant and soft way.

Whiten Up

White blooms feel fresh in the spring. Just look at how snowdrops stand out against all of that beautiful green in your garden. Stark white has been the rage for a while in design because it has a minimalist feel. White can be a great background to help brighter colors, like those featured above, pop. It also can make a dramatic statement when used with bold colors in a patterned carpet.

As we look forward to the change of seasons, and the rebirth of the natural world around us, look to the colors highlighted here to inspire your interior design choices carpet designs in 2021, and bring a little of the outdoors in for your customers and clients. 

For more inspiration, check out our Design Inspiration Page, where you can view our color collections and envision how you can create a colorful commercial carpet for your next project. You can also download the full Zeftron Color Pallette, consisting of 120-plus colors, or request to have a Zeftron pom box mailed to you.

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Four Trends Pushing the Future of Office Design

It’s undeniable that Covid is forcing the contract workplace to be reimagined. For months, architects and designers have been considering what employers and workers will want and need when it’s fully safe to return to the office. They are considering four major factors:

1.  Growth of Work From Home

The shift to WFH has been dramatic. And while it’s still not universally easy or fully embraced for every worker or employer, it’s clear that WFM is not going away.  Music and podcast giant Spotify recently announced that it would be adopting a “Work from Anywhere” model.  Employees can choose whether they want to be in the office full-time, at home full-time or a combination of the two. This unique approach is gaining traction, and not just with tech companies.

2.  Smaller Office Footprints

With WFM, fewer employees will be in a physical workplace.  A recent Pew Center Research study says more than half of employees want to continue working remotely, even after the pandemic has passed. This means employers are looking at reducing their overall office footprint, which can translate to financial savings. Companies that have been hard hit by the pandemic are looking to save even money on their furniture and fixture investments, but they do not want to sacrifice quality.  

3.  Safety, Wellness and Inclusion

The coronavirus has put an even brighter spotlight on the importance of workplaces that offer safety and wellness. No employee wants to work in an environment where they don’t feel safe or their health could be compromised.  At the same time, we recognize more can be done to foster greater employee inclusion. When workplaces bring people to together in a safe and inclusive way, that can lead to greater worker satisfaction, happiness and productivity.  

4.  The Role of the Workplace

Architects and designers are thoughtfully reconsidering the role and purpose of the “new” workplace. Is it a place to foster company culture? Spark innovation? To be sure, the pandemic has given the A&D community a chance to “pause” and rethink what a workplace is and should be for employers and employees.  This could be the most important question that needs to be addressed moving forward.  

Design Considerations for the Workplace 

Each of these factors creates major design challenges.  Fortunately, the A&D industry is not one to stand still.  There are multiple resources available that can help address and solve these issues.   

For example, when it comes to addressing the needs of a smaller office footprint, HOK’s “10 Principles of Space Management” can be an excellent resource.  HOK offers an even more robust solution with its Space Management in Corporate Real Estate article.  

Integrating wellness into your design can be made easier through the International WELL Building Institute.  The organization offers a slew of tools and resources. One to check out includes its course called Covid-19 Training for Professionals. This course provides evidence-based design strategies for promoting new health and safety best practices.   

Products That Support the “New” Office

Selecting products for the “new” office will be essential.  Manufacturers have been stepping up with multiple solutions. Some of these include:

Flexible Workstations

Mobile and adaptable workstations are emerging as a way to meet multiple needs. These solutions, like this M Nesting table from HAT Collective, allow for group collaboration at a safe distance. Or, this product can be used for independent and highly focused work, when needed. 

Steel & Component Based Furniture

Employers realize the importance of cleaning and sanitizing spaces and products. Many manufacturers, like Integra Seating, now have chairs with steel arms and legs. Products made with steel can be cleaned easier than those with wood or other porous surfaces.  Additionally, modular products, where seating arms or legs can be easily replaced, eliminates the need to – and expense of – replacing the entire chair.

Creative Carpet

Carpet is poised to play a significant role in the “new” office. It checks many of the boxes related to heath, design and functionality. As a soft surface product, it naturally absorbs noise, which helps with acoustics. Fibers from the carpet trap allergens and dust particles, which improves indoor air quality. 

And, when made with a premium solution-dyed nylon, like Zeftron nylon, it offers numerous design advantages. Custom carpet products can create wayfinding schemes to help with social distancing.  Or, custom colors and patterns can be used to create calm and wellness-themed spaces.  An organization can also use custom colors to support their culture; a company’s logo and their colors can be easily and cleverly integrated into a carpet design.  

What’s Next

It’s clear that some trends for the post-pandemic workplace have emerged. But it’s unclear which ones will prevail. Or what new ones will appear.  

But one thing is undeniable: Everyone – designers, architects, employers, workers, product manufacturers – must continue to be adaptable and flexible to meet the ever-evolving workplace needs. The architect and design industry has responded with vigor and innovation since the pandemic began. These same characteristics will be needed as we enter the “new” office workplace.  

What are your thoughts? What are the workplace trends you’re seeing? What are some of the innovative and adaptable products commercial products you’d like to see in your office?

 

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Free Zeftron eBook: 4 Reasons Carpet Matters Now

Download the free educational eBook here!

2020 has been a watershed moment for all of us who serve the commercial interiors industry. With the onset of COVID-19, designers and facility managers, especially, have had to shift their focus long-term to public health concerns around social distancing, cleanliness, and creating wellness-focused commercial environments.

With this in mind, we decided to take a stronger look at what we bring to the marketplace in those key areas and how we can best serve our entire customer community.  Specifically,  we looked at the real impact of carpet on health and wellness. We looked at how a designer can balance concerns about health and wellness with a desire to create beautiful and memorable spaces. And we looked at how the COVID-19 era is changing the way that designers specify products, and facility managers approach cleanliness.

Based on this, we created a new and free educational eBook. It consists of educational articles and resources for designers and facility managers. This new resource seeks to demonstrate the positive impact flooring — and specifically carpet — can have on the safety, functionality, and maintenance of the spaces they bring to life.

Topics within the new eBook include:

• How designers are using carpet to create safety and wellness spaces 
• How carpet impacts back-to-work health concerns amidst COVID-19
• How carpet contributes to improved indoor air quality
• How carpet can mitigate slips & falls
• How to easily maintain carpet to create healthier indoor environments

We hope to illuminate the important wellness benefits that come from specifying  carpet with branded nylon like Zeftron for safety purposes, as well as the creative opportunities carpet offers designers to create truly impactful environments in this new decade of evolving design.

With this eBook, we’d also like to invite you into the conversations we are having regarding  health and wellness within commercial interior spaces. Our growing community of designers, facility managers and carpet mill professionals are sharing their thoughts and best practice ideas for how to adapt to this changing marketplace. So, please join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest, or join our email list. 

Together, we can work towards solutions that truly benefit users and usher in a new era of healthy and sustainable design.

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Zeftron Nylon and Bloomsburg Carpet Introduce Amulet

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We’re excited to announce the latest commercial carpet introduction made with Zeftron nylon: Amulet. It is designed specially for commercial environments.

Created by our long-standing mill partner Bloomsburg Carpet, Amulet is a new and sophisticated carpet created as a solution for corporate interior spaces and high-end hospitality environments. This highly-styled product is intended to convey warmth and comfort, and evoke a sensation of protection for users – hence, the name “Amulet”.

It is available in seven colorways ranging from organic earth tones to soothing grays and other calming neutrals.

Informed by the inherent qualities that embody textiles with lush volume and texture, Amulet’s design is translated through the sophisticated styling structure of Zeftron’s perfectly calibrated solution-dyed yarns. Woven on Bloomsburg’s double heddle velvet loom, Amulet’s bold placement of cut and uncut surface provides areas of open space bound tightly together as one form.

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Meeting Health & Safety Requirements

Creating products that cater to the health and safety of users in all commercial environments is a priority for Zeftron. Amulet is Green Label Plus® certified, ensuring it meets the most stringent requirements for carpet products with low chemical emissions that can improve indoor air quality.

Additionally, specifying Amulet can contribute to LEED points through Zeftron’s green attributes. Zeftron is a fully renewable nylon 6 fiber that contains 25 percent recycled content and is Cradle to Cradle® certified by Products Innovation Institute. 

Request a Sample

For samples or sales questions about Amulet, architects and designers can contact a Bloomsburg Carpet agent in their area by visiting www.bloomsburgcarpet.com/agents or call 800-575-8084.

To learn more information about Zeftron’s nylon offerings, please contact Tim Blount at timothy.blount@shawinc.com. More information about Zeftron nylon is at www.zeftronnylon.com. 

Zeftron regularly shares educational content about design trends, color theory and commercial carpet design on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and Pinterest. Follow us there!

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How Designers Are Using Carpet to Create Safety and Wellness Spaces

This year, designers are under more pressure than ever to create beautiful spaces that solve the critical health challenges of healthcare, hospitality and corporate environments. The products that designers specify must be considered for their ability to contribute to social distancing, cleanability, safety and wellness- both physical and mental.

One of the most powerful tools that designers have at their disposal is to custom design a carpet that accomplishes multiple objectives for a specific area of a space. Carpet is oftentimes one of the largest (in terms of square footage) items designers need to specify in a space, and it can have one of the biggest impacts on personal safety.  A custom designed carpet offers virtually unlimited color, pattern and texture options, which can be balanced to meet the unique needs of the facility.

In 2020, designers are using carpet to create innovative wayfinding techniques, designate safe spaces, and provide instruction. These tactics are being implemented in an innovative and creative way to put individual health and safety first.

Carpet As A Wayfinding Tool

In our current era, almost no grocery trip is complete without the bold signs that stick out from the aisles and point you in which direction to walk, or where to wait in line. These signs are part of a strategy called wayfinding, which utilizes signage, color and imagery to direct patrons within a space.

Wayfinding in virtually every commercial sector has been critical to keeping people socially distant, while controlling the flow of foot traffic. As Floor Covering Weekly reports, “wayfinding has long been important to commercial design — helping guide people efficiently throughout a space be it retail, corporate, hospitality, education or healthcare — but today it takes on new meaning with social distancing in public spaces a must due to COVID-19.”

Providing Directions for Traffic

In commercial settings, designers are utilizing carpet to direct traffic flow in a high-styled, aesthetically pleasing way. This is useful as a way to prevent individuals from regularly coming face-to-face with one another in order to reduce the chance for viral spread. For example, a commercial office might include arrow designs on the carpet that all point in the same direction through a room or down a corridor. Employees are encouraged to follow the arrows on the ground as they navigate through the space. Ideally, this reduces the chances for face-to-face interaction or for employees to congregate in one area.

Another way carpet is being used as a wayfinding tool is by creating visual “paths” with distinct colors. These paths indicate that patrons can safely walk through a certain area, and can divert foot traffic around where others are sitting for longer periods of time. A wayfinding path might direct employees to walk around a community desk area, rather than directly through it. Think of this option as an adaptation of the “red carpet” at entertainment events, which keeps celebrities safely away from the crows of paparazzi and fans. 

In hospitality spaces, wayfinding can be used to direct guests to and from common services while emphasizing crowd control. Guests entering a building can follow a specific pathway to the check-in desk and then to the elevators, while guests leaving the building can follow a separate path that is at least 6 feet apart from those guests coming in. Wayfinding paths can also be used to usher families or small groups to separate seating areas away from doorways, to reduce the number of individuals gathering at the front of a facility.

Including wayfinding techniques into your flooring design is an option available with custom carpet, which allows designers to incorporate a unique color or pattern to suit the needs of any space.

Carpet For Zoning Safe Spaces

With Covid-19, facility managers have had to completely rethink and reorganize the layout of their buildings. This is especially true for companies with open office floor plans, where few physical dividers had existed between employees.

Now, many workplace environments are transitioning to clearly marked “zones” where employees can safely sit, work and social distance. This means separating desks by at least 6 feet apart, and working to re-designate the individual workspace as its own separate area from other people. One way to do this is to implement visual cues on a carpet that clearly shows individuals where they need to stand in order to remain at a safe distance.

For example, the carpet in a shared employee work area might have a pattern of 12” x 12” foot squares to delineate where desks should be positioned. This helps both facility managers to set up workstations to be 6 feet apart, and helps employees to remember to not cross into one another’s individual safe zones.

Carpet color and pattern can also denote which facilities are in use for individuals versus groups. For example, a bold, patterned carpet can be used in conference rooms to signify that small groups may gather there up to a certain number of people. Alternatively, solid-colored carpet can denote that group gatherings are prohibited in a certain space. By providing a visual cue as to where employees can safely sit or stand, you are also ensuring a space doesn’t reach capacity for individual health.

Providing Instruction

Many designers are using the idea of color coding as a way to visually instruct individuals on how to behave within a space. For example, an office might include the following plan to explain to employees where in the office masks are required:

• Yellow carpet (used in private offices with doors) = masks are not required
• Green carpet (used in public conference rooms and lounge areas) = masks are required

A hospitality facility might utilize a similar plan for guest behavior:

• Beige carpet (used in private rooms with doors and the hotel dining room) = masks are not required
• Dark blue carpet (used in the hotel lobby and lounge areas) = masks are required

One of the primary benefits of utilizing carpet for wayfinding and instructional purposes is that it is a more subtle and friendly way to direct movement within a space. This can feel less obtrusive or demanding than signage, and may even make a commercial space look and feel more interesting! Many designers have success utilizing branded colors in their wayfinding designs to reflect the school spirit of a university, a hotel’s connection to the local community, or the corporate brand colors for an office headquarters.

Selecting A Carpet With Safety in Mind

In many ways, carpet directly impacts the safety and wellness of individuals in a commercial space. It can be used as an effective tool in combating the spread of Covid-19 through wayfinding, zoning and providing instruction.

With all of these considerations in mind, many designers specify a custom carpet to meet the unique color and pattern needs of an environment. For information and assistance on creating a custom designed carpet with Zeftron nylon’s 120 unique color offerings, please contact Tim Blount at timothy.blount@shawinc.com

For more information on carpet’s ability to contribute to safety, check out our recent blog posts on indoor air quality and reducing slips and falls in commercial settings.

We’d love to see how you’re using carpet to enhance wellness. Share your photos and stories with us by connecting on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and Pinterest.

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4 Steps to Commercial Carpet Care for Improved Health

Maintaining a clean and healthy environment should always be a top priority. With Covid-19 still affecting our daily lives, it should now be priority Number One.  

For designers, architects and facility managers, this brings an increased level of responsibility.  Today, more than ever, these professionals must be highly knowledgeable of a product’s role in creating healthy spaces.  

Previous blog articles show how carpet plays a critical role in creating healthy interior spaces. Carpet is effective at trapping airborne particles, such as dust and pollen, thus improving indoor air quality.  It also provides a higher coefficient of friction than a smooth or hard surface product, which can reduce slips or falls.  

Like any other product, whether it’s a hard surface such as LVT or a carpet, your floor covering must be properly maintained. When this is done, it brings additional health benefits. It also enhances its performance, look and longevity.  

Carpet Care Requirements for Covid-19 

When it comes to carpet’s role in preventing the spread of COVID-19, it’s important to know the facts and a few definitions.   

A Wall Street Journal article, “How Exactly Do You Catch Covid-19? There is a Growing Consensus,” sheds light on research about the virus’s transmission.  Citing numerous experts, the article states “It’s not common to contract Covid-19 from a contaminated surface, scientists say.”

The CDC also supports this claim.  On its website, it states that the “transmission of novel coronavirus to persons from surfaces contaminated with the virus has not been documented.”  In fact, the “transmission of coronavirus occurs much more commonly through respiratory droplets than through objects and surfaces, like doorknobs, countertops, keyboards, toys, etc.”

Nevertheless, it’s wise to take every precaution to remain safe from viral transmission.  The CDC cautions: “Current evidence suggests that SARS-CoV-2 may remain viable for hours to days on surfaces made from a variety of materials. Cleaning of visibly dirty surfaces followed by disinfection is a best practice measure for prevention of COVID-19…”

Of course sanitizing and disinfecting are not the same. Carpet, because of its properties, can be sanitized. Sanitization, as defined by dictionary.com “is the act of making something free from dirt, germs, etc., as by cleaning or sterilizing.” Disinfecting is the “act of cleansing of infection” with the intent “to destroy germs.”  

4 Quick Steps for Commercial Carpet Maintenance

Properly maintaining a commercial carpet does not have to be a time-consuming or costly proposition. There are several steps that you can take that will keep the surface as clean as possible for maximum health benefits. These include:

Step 1. Adopt a Maintenance Plan

Any good maintenance plan requires taking a strategic approach. Your carpet maintenance plan is no different. First, start out by using a floor plan to mark the different areas where there is carpet in your facility.  From there, you should identify the level of foot traffic each area experiences.  Entry ways, for example, will have higher foot traffic than a seldom-used office. 

Once you know your building’s foot traffic patterns, you can tailor a carpet care schedule.  ShawContract suggests vacuuming 1 time per day in high traffic areas such as entrances and break rooms. Low-traffic areas, such as private offices, only need vacuuming 2 times a week.  

Step 2. Use Proper Vacuuming Techniques

According to the Carpet and Rug Institute (CRI), regular vacuuming is one of the most proven ways to keep carpet clean. Doing so regularly also ensures your carpet will continue to trap airborne particles and allergens, enhancing the air quality of your commercial space. In fact, 80 to 85 % of dry soil can be removed by proper vacuuming.  The CRI recommends several tips for effective vacuuming, including vacuuming in both directions and vacuuming slowly.  ShawContract also has a list of carpet maintenance tips, as well as a suggested schedule for carpet care in commercial spaces. 

Step 3.  Don’t Skip the Basics

Whether your building has a hard surface, a soft surface or a combination of both, any flooring type requires regular maintenance. Basic steps that should not be overlooked include:  

• Stop Dirt at the Door — Place mats outside and inside building entryways to capture dirt and other particles before they enter the interior of the building. 

• Catch Debris in High-Traffic Areas — Place textured mats underneath desks and in popular lounge areas, where there is a higher level of foot placement during the day. These mats will catch excess debris before it gets into the carpet.

• Ventilate —  Try to ventilate your space with fresh air as often as possible by opening windows and doors. 

Step 4. Use the Best Equipment and Resources

A carpet is a significant financial investment. It also serves as an important design element.  And, as we’ve learned, it also supports healthier and safer interiors for occupants.  Protect this investment by following the steps above. And be sure to use CRIs’ Seal of Approval products, such as carpet cleaners, pre-spray and extraction products. 

Additional Resources

For more information, be sure to visit the Zeftron website to learn how a premium fiber like Zeftron nylon provides commercial carpet with exceptional performance, style and sustainability benefits.

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