Connected by the floors we walk on at DOMOTEX 2019

All signs point to a successful DOMOTEX 2019 (11–14 January, Hannover, Germany) – the world’s leading trade show and biggest innovations and trend platform for the flooring industry.

The fair’s new keynote theme, “CREATE’N’CONNECT”, is a bold statement that puts the spotlight on the current connectivity megatrend. Connectedness is an important aspect of flooring in the sense that floors are unifying, connecting elements of room design. Floors and flooring provide the very foundation for the rooms in which we live and work.

Many of the exhibitors lined up for DOMOTEX 2019 are authors of innovative products used in internationally renowned interior design projects. Their carpets, floor coverings and installation systems are used by international architects and interior designers to create original, imaginatively designed spaces in which the floor forms the connecting, unifying element of the overall design. The following examples perfectly illustrate the keynote theme “CREATE’N’CONNECT” and present examples of innovative cooperations.

At signature locations around the world – including an historic ballroom in Chicago, a bookstore-café in Oslo and software company headquarters in Tallin – architects, interior designers and interior planners have integrated flooring design into their creative vision from the outset, conscious of the need to give each interior that final touch of magic that brings it to life as an harmonious, organic whole. These magical interior spaces at the cutting edge of interior design feature carpet tiles, hand-made rugs, wood flooring products and installation materials that premiered at past DOMOTEX shows as part of displays mounted by such big names as Chapel Parket, Fletco, Oriental Weavers and Galleria Battilossi.

On the second floor of the YME Universe store in Oslo, a boutique women’s fashion department and adjacent bookshop/café share the same parquet flooring. For the design of the 330 sqm expanse of floor, the design team at YME Studios and the interior designers at the Oslo architecture and design firm Snøhetta chose the “Hermitage Herringbone” range from Chapel Parket. They selected the exquisite wood flooring in three contrasting tones because of its slightly rough surface and expressive interplay of colours. The black parquet elements link up with the window frames and bookshelves, while the warmer wood tones harmonize with the vintage sofa and the undressed timber beams and interior framing. Chapel Parket has exhibited at DOMOTEX on a number of occasions and will again be showcasing its characterful wooden floor products at DOMOTEX 2019.

Global software development company Playtech recently relocated its Tallinn operation to a new, 3,200-square-metre office. The architect in charge of the office’s interior, Jan Skolimowski of architectural firm KAMP, says flooring was a key element of his design concept. One of the defining themes of the concept was the play button triangle motif in the blue Playtech logo. “So I needed a commercial carpet whose pattern and colour palette fitted in with the logo. The ‘Sebastian Wrong by Fletco’ collection was my first and only choice.” Skolimowski chose dark-blue triangular carpet tiles for the central area of each room and lighter-coloured tiles for the areas around the outer perimeters, effectively making each office appear even larger. The triangular shapes and blue tones of the flooring are echoed elsewhere in the interior design concept – in cushions on wooden bases, the main reception desk and decorative wall elements, for example. The end result is one of connectedness between floors, furniture and walls. London-based designer Sebastian Wrong first unveiled his endlessly configurable carpet tile collection for Danish manufacturer Fletco at DOMOTEX.

The Blackstone Hotel was built in downtown Chicago 1910. For the interior design renovation of this iconic building, The Gettys Group created a concept that was new and modern, yet faithful to the Old World charm of the Chicago landmark’s walls and ceilings. For the Crystal Ballroom, a much-favoured venue for weddings, The Gettys Group contracted Oriental Weavers (Egypt) to custom create an oversized Axminster. The carpet is 80 per cent wool, blended with 20 per cent polyamide for extra wear resistance. The symmetrical pattern is redolent of giant waves – a clever play on the directly adjacent Lake Michigan that enhances the room’s unique feel. Oriental Weavers will be back in Hannover for DOMOTEX 2019, where they will be showcasing their latest wondrous creations in machine-woven carpets.

The historic Viennese furniture design brand Gebrüder Thonet Vienna recently relocated its headquarters to a converted factory building in Turin. The headquarters features a showroom, where GTV’s classic creations are staged in floor-to-ceiling display cases, flanked by contemporary pieces created in cooperation with big-name designers. For the interior design of the showroom’s grand entrance area, CEO Riccardo Pigati selected hand-made wool carpets from Galleria Battilossi, whose innovative “Pattern Mix” collection won a Carpet Design Award at DOMOTEX 2017.

The carpets, in this case, are a one-off original from Galleria Battilossi’s “Color Jam Project” collection and a vintage Berber rug from the Beni Ourain region. Their yellow and beige tones connect with the colour accents of the furniture on display to create a harmonious ensemble of old and new. “Quality, craftsmanship, originality and authenticity are values that GTV shares with Galleria Battilossi,” says Pigati. “This sense of connection is why we decided that Battilossi’s extraordinary carpets were the right choice for our showroom.”

Also in the spirit of CREATE'N'CONNECT, exhibitors at DOMOTEX are networking with partners from other sectors in a variety of ways, thus laying the groundwork for potential collaboration. Their joint projects at the upcoming show include imaginative presentations, local stagings and photo productions.
Exhibitor Jürgen Dahlmanns, founder and creative head of the Berlin-based Rug Star carpet label, met American dealer Christiane Millinger at DOMOTEX and concluded an exclusive cooperation agreement with her for the Portland region in the American northwest. Together they developed the idea of continuing the IntimacyBerlin project – the staging of Rug Star carpets for photoshoots in the homes of friends in the United States. In September of 2017, Dahlmanns scoped out suitable locations in Portland, creating a screenplay with Millinger which they used to produce over 50 interior photos in May of 2018. Carpet blogger Michael Christie (www.theruggist.com), a regular visitor at DOMOTEX, was thrilled to learn of the plans. He travelled to Portland from the East Coast for the start of production to go along with the photoshoots. A sequel is planned soon. “This is yet another success story that shows how DOMOTEX excels at connecting the right people – people with a passion for their work,” says Dahlmanns.

The mentioned projects illustrate the importance of connectivity in the flooring industry - both as a motor for great design and for innovative cooperations and presentations. The floor is a design element: It inspires us, provides us with orientation – and connects us. This is particularly true for the flooring industry since the floor literally forms the foundation for all the rest.

DOMOTEX, Hannover, Germany