Celebrating Carpet: UK's Fun On The Floor With Style

Fun on the Floor with Carpet.

Fun on the Floor is a UK campaign sponsored by several carpet manufacturers [and not the Carpet Foundation and its member manufacturers which are not connected with Fun on the Floor - edited 1/19/10]. I first heard about it in 2008 in Is carpet about to make a comeback? A bit later, I was delighted to come across Carpet is back in style which offered delicious carpet style trends and details about Fun on the Floor.

A few weeks ago, I exchanged emails with Patrick Finn from Fun on the Floor, who graciously made possible the interview below with Steve Elliott, managing director of Associated Weavers in the UK and part of the Fun on the Floor panel of home experts offering free consumer design advice. He has worked in the carpet industry for over twenty years, has a varied and experienced background within the industry regularly dealing with manufacturers and suppliers. Steve is particularly knowledgeable about product development, the link between carpet and fashion and the changing colour trends that emerge. With an excellent understanding of the UK and world carpet market and also what consumers want from a carpet he is perfectly placed to comment on all carpet related issues.

Steve, what is the purpose of Fun on the Floor?

In 2008 a collective of carpet manufacturers, distributors and retailers joined forces to create a major generic marketing campaign under the banner of ‘Fun on the Floor’. The campaign aims to get the nation embracing the attributes of carpet.

The website www.funonthefloor.com is an interactive resource for anyone interested in learning more about the transformation that carpet can bring to a room – whether home owners, home improvers, retailers or media.

What objectives does Fun on the Floor want to achieve?

Fun on the Floor (FOTF) has four main objectives, to make carpet seen to be:

Noticed
Desirable
Affordable
Practical & fashionable

How did the members of FOTF get together?

All the UK’s major carpet manufacturers and retailers were invited to become part of FOTF, with Carpetright and Headlam spearheading the campaign. A total of 13 companies now make up the FOTF group.

What was done in the first year of Fun on the Floor?

In the first year Fun on the Floor ran a national campaign highlighting carpet as a flooring choice by bringing to life its versatility, practicality, affordability, and ability to transform a home!

The first phase of the campaign launched July 31st 2008 with the opening of a unique house in central London designed and curated by Interior Designer and Sunday Times Style Columnist Danielle Proud [mentioned in the article above].

The Fun on the Floor house acted as a showroom through a medley of creatively designed rooms featuring carpet in stunning, creative and fun ways based on current interior trends and popular carpet choices. The house was visited by trade, national, consumer, regional journalists as well as key influencers such as interior designers, production companies for a free shoot location and celebrities.

Following the launch of the Fun on the Floor House, an eye-catching press and outdoor advertising campaign launched in the Autumn that covered billboards and vans nationwide.

Supporting all the activity and creating a consumer hub to the campaign, an interactive website launched to coincide with the house opening (www.funonthefloor.com), helping consumers understand carpet and offering advice and tips from Danielle.

What about the second year?

In the second year Fun on the Floor continued with a national advertising campaign and developed the website further through the provision of an expert panel. Funonthefloor.com created a unique panel of home experts to offer consumers free advice on home improvement offering expert knowledge of interior flooring trends, carpets, colour and crafts. The panel consists of modern craft expert Danielle Proud, Interior Design expert Andrea Maflin, colour expert Victoria Redshaw and carpet industry brain Steve Elliott head of AWE carpets. Each member of the panel had been carefully selected for their individual areas of expertise.

In addition to the expert panel Fun on the Floor worked with leading trend forecasters Scarlet Opus to produce an interiors bible featuring all you need to know about forthcoming interiors trends with an emphasis on the most popular flooring choice – carpet. The report acts as an informative yet stylish guide with exclusive photography, quotes from the FOTF experts and a ‘get the look’ section.

Who are the experts on the FOTF panel and what do they specialize in?

Andrea Maflin – Interior Design Expert

Andrea Maflin is an interior design expert with many television appearances including Home Front and Real Rooms, both for the BBC, and Renovation Street for Carlton. She was the resident interiors expert on Channel 5's Britain’s Worst DIY-er as well as presenting on UKTV Style's Our House (Series 1 and 2). She has also designed a house for GMTV and appeared in regular design slots on Sky interactive and This Morning. A contributor to numerous interiors magazines Andrea currently has a regular, weekly slot in The Sunday Times.


Victoria Redshaw – Colour and trend forecaster expert

Victoria Redshaw is one of the trend forecasting industries brightest new stars and founded leading trend forecast agency Scarlet Opus. Quite visionary in her proven ability to read world events and social change and translate these into consumer trends with total accuracy for any business concerned with products &/or Services for the home.

Steve Elliott – Carpet industry expert

I am the managing director of Associated Weavers and have worked in the carpet industry for over twenty years. I have a varied background and am very active within the industry regularly dealing with manufacturers and suppliers. With a specific interest in product development I pride myself on being knowledgeable about the link between carpet and fashion and the changing colour trends that emerge. I follow the UK and world carpet market closely and also what consumers really want from a carpet so I can help make sure we create products people want to purchase.

Danielle Proud – Interiors and craft expert

Danielle launched the Fun on the Floor campaign last year with the stunning Fun on the Floor house. Described by the Sunday Times Style Magazine as "The sexy blonde Nigella of homemaking" Danielle Proud is the new face of modern craft. Danielle runs House Proud Craft, an umbrella company through which she sells her own design craft kits. In 2006 she moved into craft and home-making for UKstyle and a series of daily appearances on GMTV. In 2007 Danielle presented the highly original interior design format ‘All in the Best Possible Taste’ for BBC2, which paired her with husband Alex Proud. She is also developing an exclusive craft range to be sold throughout the UK and had a regular column in the Sunday Times Style Magazine.

What trends can we expect to see develop in 2010?

King and Country

This October Chanel hosted the most elaborate fashion show of the year as models took to the catwalk surrounded by an enormous barn and piles of hay. Rural colours dominated, with deep greens, sand and wheat colours making ‘country chic’ truly the hottest look of the show. This trend is destined to start filtering its way from the catwalks of Europe to the home as funonthefloor interiors FOTF colour expert Victoria Redshaw predicts the King & Country look will be big in interiors next spring.

The King and Country trend it is not about severe austerity, but rather cheerfulness in the trend’s styling that reflects the spirit of 1940’s wartime Britain. An abundance of simple patterns inspired by the reworking and recolouring of classic men’s suiting fabrics [e.g. tweed, herringbone and plaids] to create fantastic carpets, upholstered furniture that has patches of appliqué, cushions, throws, lampshades and even wallpaper!

Eastern Odyssey

An emerging influence, Eastern Odyssey is a huge trend that will bring much needed colour and pattern to a darker season such as Autumn/Winter. In addition to the bright sari shades the colour palette is updated by the addition of rich spice and dark maroon tones inspired by monsoon rain and mists. Maroon is a key colour development in this trend e.g. its inclusion in décor schemes through one step of laying a new carpet will help to refresh rooms and deliver a contemporary look. A visual opulence is reinforced by the use of an orange toned gold as well as burnished copper and brass.

The hustle and bustle of Indian city streets with their jostling crowds, decorative tuck-tucks, billboards and market stalls inspire mash-up patterns and colour mixes that reflect the vibrancy of life. This trend is not about co-ordinating, it is about lively mixes of different patterns on upholstered seating, wallpaper & oversized wall decal motifs, curtains and carpets. The abundance of pattern is balanced by areas of strong, plain colour blocks, with the introduction of bold carpets which can stop room schemes from looking chaotic. The juxtaposing patterns enrich and add character whilst the plain areas add depth and provide a calming foundation.

Magic Garden

This trend’s look can be achieved by the playful use of scale. Much of the Alice in Wonderland story involves manipulating scale and this is an important feature of furniture design and interior design relating to this trend and other home trends in 2010. Carpet's essential role in this trend is to provide a neutral or vivid base, either of which works well to enhance the magic garden look. Another important feature of this trend is storybook illustrations. They inspire surface pattern designs with a doodled, naive styling or narrative layouts that appear to tell a story and have a logical progression -- e.g. around the edge of a plate, up wallpaper or around a tabletop.

These placement patterns are much more interesting than conventional pattern layouts. The tangled foliage and colourful blooms of magical, fairytale gardens are an integral part of this trend. Vibrant mixes of large scale floral prints that appear to grow up wallpaper and wall decals create indoor English country garden scenes. Floral wallpapers can be used to decorate fitted wardrobe doors and bedside tabletops. Carpet with tiny, scattered flowers also helps to bring the outside, inside. For a bolder look select small scale gingham patterned carpet or for a plainer look invest in a pale blue or pale pink cut pile carpet.

For more on what are going to be the top trends in the home next year go to www.funonthefloor.com and ask the Fun on the Floor experts.

Is the trend report available on the FOTF website?

FOTF is constantly updating with new images and new content such as the expert panel to keep consumers interested and returning to the site. The full FOTF trend report is due to go live on the site by the end of 2009, giving consumers exclusive access to what is going to be hot in the interiors world next year.

What advantages do you think carpet has over other flooring choices?

Well for a start there are now a seemingly uncountable range of colours, styles and designs available on the market now. Carpet is also great for giving a house a cosy feel and can save consumers up to £100 [approx. $165] a year on their energy costs due to its insulating qualities. Carpet is also very affordable, an average sized room can be carpeted for as little as £200 [approx. $330]. Another great advantage of carpet is it’s noise canceling properties, many hard floors carry sound all over the house and therefore can be a very noisy flooring choice.

Finally, what does Funonfloor.com have planned for the future?

We will be continuing to innovate and produce great content on the site for consumers, trade and the media. Carpet has a great heritage in the UK and our aim is to continue the nation’s love of carpet and showcase it in as many compelling and visually appealing ways as possible. With regard to what we have planned coming up specifically I cannot say too much other than – keep checking the site!

Steve, many thanks for all of this wonderful, fun and style-filled carpet information! I look forward to learning more as Fun on the Floor continues.

The Fun on the Floor website is worth exploring. It includes details on the House that designer Danielle Proud re-imagined [definitely take the 6.42minute video tour], helpful and useful advice about carpet, inspiration for living on carpet, and responses to Ask the Experts questions. From my U.S. perspective, I particularly enjoy seeing the range of rich carpet style patterns, textures and colors.

And, I LOVE the carpet creativity that Danielle shares. She has truly brought new dimension to carpet, furniture and the 5th wall!

What do you think? What are your reactions?




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Carpet, Allergens & Energy - Myths Debunked

worlds tumbling like specks of dust originally uploaded by psyberartist.

With spring allergy season right around the corner, I'm prepared for the worst. Not in terms of physical symptoms - that's all taken care of with prescriptions and plenty of Kleenexes. Rather, in terms of the onslaught of terrible myths surrounding carpet and its relationship to allergies.

You see, there's misinformation - and lots of it - in the hands of influencers - like doctors - claiming that carpet contributes to allergies, when it doesn't. Quite the opposite.

Don't believe me? Then read Carpet Alleviates Allergies where I share links to real studies debunking the carpet myth. There's more in Beware of Autumn Allergens… Advice for Carpet, a post from Paul Friederichsen.

Through TalkFloor.com's Flooring News, I came across another story on the subject titled Shaw Educates on Allergens & Energy.

Visit the website and you'll notice an article titled Carpet can help you breathe easier which concludes with "In a recent paper, "Carpet, Asthma and Allergies - Myth or Realty," Dr. Mitchell Sauerhoff, Ph.D., DABT, examined numerous scientific studies and other research contradicting some long-held beliefs on carpet's alleged negative characteristics.

Sauerhoff concluded, "...based on the available science, carpet does not cause asthma or allergies and does not increase the incidence or severity of asthma or allergies symptoms. In fact, with respect to asthma and allergies, multiple studies have reported fewer allergy and asthma symptoms associated with carpet."

Other carpet myths worth debunking:

+ carpet is difficult to maintain. Personally, I consider it a lot easier to regularly vacuum my carpet than to have to lasso and corral pesky dust bunnies.

+ carpet is outdated and boring. Wrong! Totally wrong! Check out all of our stories on carpet style to realize how wrong that one is.

+ carpet emits harmful chemicals that cause health problems. The Carpet & Rug Institute's Green Label Plus program sets high indoor air quality standards for carpet.

+ carpet is bad for the environment. A great deal of effort is going into CARE - Carpet America Recovery Effort - with a focus on Reduce, Reuse and Recycle. At the same time, carpet plays a significant role in cushioning our lives and protecting us from injury, and helps insulate your home, thereby contributing to decreased energy consumption.

So, are you willing to reconsider these carpet myths?

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Understanding Carpet: Benefits

Ryan playing on the floor with Cars

originally uploaded by Moody Mari.

I'm partial to carpet. Not just because I'm associated with Wear-Dated. It just feels better. Although carpet captures terrific benefits [as you can read below], it's a matter of how all of those benefits translate into a product that feels good physically and psychologically. Not only does it contribute visual interest and texture to my space, but it helps me express my sense of style because of the variety of constructions and styles available. In short, it makes for a perfect backdrop for life.

Not unreasonable, right? Do you feel the same way?

I've lived in totally un-carpeted spaces and yearned desperately for softness underfoot - even in tropical locations! As much as I was grateful for cold, cooling concrete floors, that rug or carpet made such a difference when I went to bed or got up in the morning, or just spent time in my room. In cold locations, even a wood floor felt unwelcoming. If area rugs were strewn about, I would hop from one to the other in an attempt to keep hard and harsh reality at bay and my toes warm. In both extreme locations, my floor was part of my design scheme and, if it didn't coordinate with the rest of my room, I was unable to relax and get comfortable.

Carpet made a difference during college. I fondly remember the multi-toned grass green shag carpet I purchased from a departing senior for my dorm room [for $20]. I paired that up with bright and colorful tulip-patterned fabric for curtains, an unzipped forest green nylon sleeping bag as bedspread and a riot of pillows on the bed. Oh, the look of it!

And the practicality of it, too! It truly expanded the usefulness of my room, making it welcoming and comfortable.

On the Wear-Dated website, we discuss carpet benefits in How Carpet Is Constructed. "Visual and physical warmth" may be the most obvious. But, what about how much more comfortable a carpet makes the floor? A carpet means that you can actually sit on the floor without needing chiropractic intervention when you get up.

Think about it. Especially with the holidays around the corner. Haven't you spent time on the carpet assembling large puzzles? or playing with a train set? what about racing cars? I bet you're looking forward to putting some toys together there, too! I used to do a great bit of sewing. I pinned my patterns and cut out the pieces from the floor. It was the best work surface I could hope for.

My daughter spends all of her time [not counting sleep, meals or homework - well, some sleep] playing on the floor of her room [see A Foot's Perspective - Episode 6, for example]. Yes, it's carpeted and forms a lovely backdrop for her activities.

The house in which she learned to walk did not have as much carpet as our current one does. Her first steps took place in the carpeted area which is where she crawled and played. Unfortunately, the stairs there weren't carpeted and the tumble she took down those steps was scarily impressive. Yes, our stairs are now carpeted.

Have you considered how carpet improves the acoustics in a room, eliminating echoes and reducing noise? It's much easier to hear and be heard in a carpeted room. I often wish that churches had more carpet underfoot so that I could actually understand the words being uttered. Instead, I must rely on bad sound systems that magnify the echoes off of all of the hard marble surfaces...

I agree that there's a place for carpet and a place for other type surfaces. However, in my home, carpet offers more comfort and beauty than do the others surfaces. Furthermore, as I've cranked the heat down for the winter, I'm even more grateful than usual for the additional warmth, insulation and visual benefits that carpet has to offer.

Here are other posts that discuss the benefits of carpet:
+ The History and Science of Carpet
+ Carpet For Your Tent, Carpet For Your Cubicle
+ My New Outlook on Carpet
+ A Foot's Perspective - Episode 4 and Carpet Goes Back to School
+ Carpet Alleviates Allergies and Beware of Autumn Allergens… Advice for Carpet

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The History and Science of Carpet

Okay, we admit it. Sometimes, people think carpet is boring. I know. It's shocking. But if you've read anything that we've ever written here at The Carpetology Blog, you know that we firmly and passionately disagree. We think carpet is fascinating, right down to its molecular structure. Which is what brings me here today. There's a whole science to Wear-Dated carpet that one just doesn't recognize when shopping in a typical flooring retail store. History helps put it into perspective.

In case you didn't realize, Solutia Inc. is Wear-Dated's parent company. Solutia, a spin-off of Monsanto (a name you probably recognize), is a performance materials and specialty chemicals company headquartered here in St. Louis. This is a fancy way of saying that the company uses science and technology to develop innovative solutions for customers. According to the company Web site, "Solutia creates performance materials that are used primarily in the automotive and architectural, transportation and industrial markets." One of these materials is Nylon 6,6.

Nylon? Like pantyhose, you ask? Actually, kind of.

Rayon, the first manmade fiber, was invented in the 1800s by Count Hilaire de Chardonnet, a French chemist who was trying to find a cheap substitute for silk. But the first truly synthetic fiber was patented by Dr. Wallace Hume Carothers, the “Father of Polymer Science,” in the early 1930s. He was part of an elite group of chemists hired by DuPont to explore the possibilities of polymer chemistry. This team also discovered polyester and neoprene, the first synthetic rubber.

In 1931 Carothers traveled to Washington DC to present a paper to the American Chemical Society. The paper was titled Fiber 6,6 – the first name of Nylon 6,6. Seven years later, the first commercial product made from Nylon 6,6 hit the market for consumers to buy - toothbrush bristles!

In 1939, nylon stockings were introduced at the World's Fair in New York (one of the largest of all time) and became a huge hit. They were far more affordable than silk, they conformed to the leg and they could be dyed unlimited colors. At this point in time, women actually fought over nylons, which they bought for $1 a pair. [Now, you'd have to fight me to make me wear a pair. Funny how times have changed, no?] Then during WWII, nylon became a luxury. It was rationed for military use and served as material for parachutes and artillery belts, a far cry from women's stockings. Talk about a multi-tasking material.

In 1953, after the war, Monsanto began manufacturing nylon as a way to diversify its business. Monsanto spun its chemical businesses off into Solutia in 1997, and Solutia still manufactures Nylon 6,6.

So that, in a nutshell, is the history of nylon. But the story doesn't end there...

There's an actual science to nylon that's especially important to us. You see, we specifically chose to manufacture Nylon 6,6 over other nylon chemistries for our carpet fiber which goes into residential as well as commercial carpet.

In terms of fiber manufacturing, Nylon begins at the oil well, where crude oil is used to make nylon intermediates. Out of nylon intermediates come hexamethylene diamine and adipic acid [also used as a food ingredient], two critical Nylon 6,6 building blocks that are transformed into nylon salt and then go into yarn manufacturing to emerge as either staple or bulked continued fiber [BCF] for carpet.

Our Pensacola plant makes primarily staple fibers, while our Greenwood, SC plan makes BCF fibers. [Check out our handy-dandy illustration for a more visual look at nylon manufacturing.]

Once manufactured, fiber goes to carpet mills to be spun into yarn, then tufted into carpet.

Did you know that the structure of the fiber itself is important to the final outcome of carpet made with Wear-Dated Nylon carpet fiber? And that Nylon 6,6 is better than nylon 6?

Here's why. Because its actual molecular structure is denser, Nylon 6,6 makes a harder and more resilient fiber, able to better withstand soil and dirt, prevent crushing, and offer more resistance and recovery. All reasons contributing to Nylon 6,6 being the carpet fiber most often specified by architects and designers for commercial installations. It's also why we refer to it as the durable fiber!

Below are a few terms to know when it comes to fiber technology...

Denier refers to the size of the fiber. There are two types - the size of the individual filament and the total size of a bundle of filaments (the fiber).

The Cross section is the shape of the individual filaments of the fiber (we're at a molecular level here). Many of our Wear-Dated and Ultron Nylon 6,6 carpet fibers feature a "mixed denier" cross section where we combine different cross sections to give our fiber the most natural-like luster in the marketplace, and get as close to wool as we can.

Our carpet fibers have a trilobal shape - a three-sided shape with a smooth surface and no grooves to attract soil. In fact, the trilobal shape itself actually aids in hiding soil [the first nylon fibers had a round cross-section and tended to draw attention to soil].

The luster of a fiber refers to the brightness of the fiber. Fiber manufacturers make a wide range of lusters ranging from bright (for residential applications), all the way to dull (for commercial applications).

Solutia manufactures Nylon 6,6 fiber in a variety of denier sizes. Carpet mills use denier as one of the tools to help them provide you, the consumer, with a wide array of color and styling options. This way, you can choose from carpet styles ranging from velvety soft cut pile to thick, nubby berbers.

Little did you know that when you're shopping for carpet, it's important to turn to science before you make a final decision.

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Carpet Goes Back to School

Image originally uploaded by alphacargomagazine.wordpress.com/.../.

It's that time of year again. Back to school. For carpet and kids.

Children all over are loading up their backpacks with number two pencils and spiral-bound notebooks and heading back to school. They're excited about the prospect of a new experience and possibly anguished at the thought of leaving summer behind.

Ah, to be in school again.

But, did you know that carpet can play a role in a child's academic career? A child's success in school has to do not only with his or her academic performance but the learning environment as well. And carpet improves the learning environment.

The A to Z of Building reported the following: "In many U.S. classrooms, the speech intelligibility rating is 75 percent or even less, according to the Technical Committee on Architectural Acoustics of the Acoustical Society of America. That means that listeners with normal hearing can understand only 75 percent of the words read from a list. Statistics like this are helping put acoustics in educational settings toward the top of the list for design and construction considerations. A major component of a comprehensive noise management program is the flooring."

A to Z goes on to state that a study by the American Society of Interior Designers found that carpet is 10 times more efficient in reducing noise than other flooring options. Basically, because carpet reduces noise levels, children can hear and concentrate better in the classroom, improving their ability to focus and learn.

A report by the Carpet and Rug Institute confirms this. It suggests that schools should include carpet in classrooms because it reduces noise, provides cushion and protection, adds warmth and comfort, and improves indoor air quality.

Image above from http://www.gospeloak.camden.sch.uk/school_information/nursery/nursery.htm.
A CRI white paper by Dr. Michael A. Berry from 2002 provides a case study involving Charles Young Hill Top Academy in the District of Columbia, an aging city school that was rehabbed, saving the school to the benefit of the students in the community.

"Effective restoration is achieved through good design that addresses total environmental quality to include general sanitation, good air quality, noise control, lighting and glare reduction, soothing color, and general comfort provided by temperature and climate. The healthy school environment is kept in a steady state only with a thoughtfully organized cleaning and maintenance program."

The report also states information from the State of California, School Sound Level Study, School Facilities and Transportation Division, California State Department of Education, 1998:

"An ability to communicate between student and teacher is possible only with good sound control at range been 58 and 65 db. At these levels normal speech can be easily heard throughout the school building. Beyond 67db, distraction occurs. This research shows that without carpet, effective sound control in open space classrooms is virtually impossible to achieve."

I had no idea carpet played such a huge role in an effectively designed classroom.

But carpet's benefits don't end there. Carpet can also be used as a learning tool. Check out https://learningcarpets.com/. This company manufactures carpets for all types of educational play carpets, from hop-scotch carpets to giant carpet maps. And how many kindergarten classrooms don't have a central carpet used for calendar time, counting time and the letter of the day?

The next time you think carpet is just for looks, remember that it can provide significant benefits for schools as well.

Related post: A Foot's Perspective - Episode 4.

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Carpet For Your Tent, Carpet For Your Cubicle

Image courtesy of Vango.

Do you realize how many opportunities exist to surround yourself with marvelous, protective, insulating, luxurious and comfortable carpet? Here are two such examples that I gladly share with you. A story about carpet for camping [i.e., for your tent] and one about carpet in the workplace [i.e., for your cubicle]...

No surprise, but I'm endlessly encouraged when I encounter examples of how carpet adds a certain "je ne sais quoi" to an environment. In a camping environment, carpet adds insulation, protection from the elements, but it also considerably adds to that homey feel that lets you sleep deeply at night. I don't know about you, but I feel a bit more vulnerable when I'm out there in the elements. Sleep can be elusive. Poor sleep means crankiness the next day... Not a good scenario.

So, for the rugged camper looking for a practical solution to an otherwise miserable living/sleeping situation, I urge that you read OUTDOORSmagic Gear news. In particular, read about the Vango carpet in Carpet for your tent.

Nylon [especially Nylon 6,6] makes for the best possible carpet. Vango obviously understands carpet as they explain that "the carpets are made from sumptuous woven Nylon supplemented with a luxurious foam middle layer and a waterproof, non-slip PVC base."

Now, in the workplace, carpet adds cachet, improves productivity [see A Foot's Perspective - Episode 4 for more information about carpet and productivity], creates comfort underfoot and expresses a distinct sense of style. So, why not accentuate and take advantage of all of those benefits?

Image originally uploaded by Jared D. Nielsen.
This wonderful image from Jared D. Nielsen's post titled "Extreme Cubicle Makeover: Red Mahogany Luxury Paneled Cubicle with Dark Cherry Hardwood Floors" makes my case.

[Thank you to Steve Roesler who - inadvertently - shared this image and post.]

Don't you agree that high design such as this in the workplace, particularly in a cubicle, can only elevate, enhance and improve?

I do have one suggestion. A larger rug. For that matter, what about wall-t0-wall carpet for this cubicle? It would add to the richness of the experience, help absorb unwanted noise from neighboring cubicle mates and generally enhance the work environment.

[Hmmm. A thick plush cubicle carpet might also make for an excellent sleeping surface for 24 hour productivity... Think 'cubicle camping.']

Here's to adding that extra special touch to your every activity - from camping to working - with carpet. You won't regret it!

Related Post - although not quite as creative - In The Garden, Around The House: Endless Uses for Carpet Scraps

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My New Outlook on Carpet

A French lop rabbit

For the past three years, I've lived in an apartment with hardwood floors. I loved this apartment - it had crown molding throughout and black & white tile in the bathroom. I even loved the hardwood floors. For awhile. Then after a few years, the dust bunnies began to build up to a very obvious level, and my roommate and I just didn't have enough time to constantly move furniture in order to clean. By the time we moved out, I'm pretty sure those bunnies were the size of lop-eared rabbits.

Then there was our inability to sit comfortably on the floor, which naturally lead to a lack of seating when we had larger, casual parties. I ended up finding a large area rug for $20 from Bed Bath & Beyond* that we used in the living room, but for $20, you don't get much from an area rug, including any sort of cushion.

Recently, because of the end of our lease as well as my roommate's impending nuptials, I moved into a new apartment. The new place has many of the details I loved about the old (an abundance of character, being one), but it also has carpet. At first, I was skeptical. How many people's dirty feet walked over that carpet? I even bypassed one apartment because of its smooshed, tainted carpet... Blech! as Snoopy would say.

But this new apartment has good carpet, as I most pleasantly discovered. It's a cut pile, neutral in color and pretty basic. But it's thick and cozy and, quite frankly, it makes my feet happy. Plus, I feel like my entire apartment is one comfortable space for my friends to sit, stand, rest or spend the night. It opens up many more possibilities that our hardwood floors formerly canceled out. I don't feel like dust bunnies will take over my space - the Carpet & Rug Institute says it even improves indoor air quality. And I really believe that the carpet provides additional insulation that cools in the summer and warms in the winter.

It's not that I dislike hardwood floors - quite the contrary. I've simply expanded my flooring options and find myself pleasantly surprised...



* On a completely unrelated note, I've recently been very impressed with Bed, Bath & Beyond as a retail store. Its employees are generally friendly and knowledgeable, its return policy is excellent, and it provides gift wrap for bridal registry gifts - free of charge! And then, of course, it offers the occasional $20 area rug find. But as impressed as I am with BB&B, I'm as equally unimpressed with Target's return policy. I have always been a huge Target advocate, but lately, I'm considering decreasing my trips there - talk about a lack of customer service.

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A Foot's Perspective - Episode 4

Angus Young of AC/DC: Let there be Rock ... originally uploaded by t.klick.

This episode of A Foot's Perspective comes from the St. Louis Lambert International Airport, Terminal A. Not the most glamorous spot, and not on the most inspiring carpet, but still a relatively quiet, carpeted airport spot from which to discuss carpet in the workplace.

Ramona and I have just completed 'basic training' for our new, soon-to-be-launched Wear-Dated website [stay tuned for more on that!], with Integrity, our web developers.

At dinner the night before, I got to talking with Integrity about a study I came across from the Carpet and Rug Institute about carpet in schools. More specifically, carpet significantly enhances acoustics in learning environments, improving the opportunity to learn. It improves communication and helps focus attention.

[Note - Acoustical Characteristics Of Carpet Technical Bulletin provides data on how effective carpet is at absorbing sound and muffling background noise. Beware, it's a bit dry.]

From schools, we moved onto to work spaces. John Simanowitz brought up that Integrity would be moving in a few months and that the new space featured carpet [among other important things].

[Subscribers, please follow this YouTube link to view the video.]

Have you thought about how sound affects your productivity? Some background noise - from a favorite radio station or your iPod - may increase it, whereas too much can seriously detract from it, making your irritable and quite frustrated. I notice it in my home office space - I must have classical music playing to concentrate - as well as where my daughter does her homework.
What are your thoughts?

Previous episodes can be viewed by clicking on these links:
+ A Foot's Perspective - Episode 3
+ A Foot's Perspective - Episode 2
+ A Foot's Perspective - Episode 1

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Carpet Alleviates Allergies

corrie sneezes originally uploaded by noisia.

Carpet does not contribute to allergies

That's right. Contrary to popular belief, rather than contribute to allergies, carpet alleviates allergies.

And there's proof. Lots of it.

In fact, the Carpet and Rug Institute has created the Carpet-Health site to address the misconceptions surrounding carpet and health.
I was particularly interested in the asthma/allergy section. It includes plenty of information to put your mind at ease. Did you know that the benefit of carpet for Allergies and Asthma is that carpet acts as a trap for airborne particles grounded through natural gravity. In other words, carpet snares all of those allergens that you find in a house allowing you to vacuum them up easily.

Hard surface, on the other hand, encourages the circulation of those irritants.

If you don't believe me, go to a house with pets. Pets shed, right? Well, watch what happens to those dust bunnies that furry critters contribute to. On a hard surface, the dust bunnies float around, playing chase with you as you try to round them up. On a carpeted surface, they go to ground; no problem grabbing them.

Now, what got me going on this subject is a recent study conducted by the Institute of Inspection, Cleaning and Restoration Certification [IICRC] which they called the "You'd Be Floored" survey. No surprise, the Survey Suggests U.S. Homeowners Relate Health of Family to Cleanliness of Flooring. More precisely, 81% of US homeowners "feel that their family's health is directly related to the cleanliness of their floors."

What does come as a surprise is that "75 percent of respondents perceive carpet to be the least effective type of flooring in minimizing conditions that aggravate allergies."

How distressing!

Jeff Bishop, IICRC technical advisor, protests: “... scientific studies demonstrate that just the opposite is true: carpet actually traps airborne allergens that can easily be vacuumed out, whereas wood flooring allows irritants to be stirred up by normal traffic or sweeping and released into the breathing zone. Airborne dust, not carpet, is the culprit that triggers allergies.” 

In my house, we have carpet. We also have allergies [especially my husband]. I can assure you that our carpet in no way contributes to allergic reactions.

So, if you have allergies, please consider carpet. You won't regret it!











P.S.: I originally became aware of the survey through FCW's 01/7-14/2008 article by Kim Gavin titled "Survey: Consumers tie cleanliness to health."

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