Mannington's tx:style Design Challenge

Do you remember reading about Mannington Commercial Carpet Design Competition - tx:style? I first wrote about it in December 2008.

Well, I have news for 2010! According to Carly Jayne Rullman, account coordinator for ScoutBrand in Birmingham, AL, Mannington's tx:style Design Challenge is even Bigger and Better!

I invited Carly to tell us more.

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Last year, The Carpetology Blog introduced Mannington Commercial’s tx: style Design Challenge, an online competition among young, aspiring designers to have their design made into a full carpet collection.

And because the competition was so popular among its 6,000+ registrants, Mannington Commercial re-launched the website this year.

This year, the website is even better. In addition to being the website for the Design Challenge, it is an online design community that is up and running year-round. The site presents monthly contests, a mood board where users may upload what inspires them and a product development tab.

The monthly contests have brought many to the online community. Simple in nature, the prizes are big—a trip to Greenbuild, a $500 gift certificate to West Elm and the current contest that will give one lucky winner a trip to NeoCon. And there’s more where these come from.

The "Who wants to go to NeoCon?" contest ends May 27th and the winner will be announced June 1st.

At this point, Mannington Commercial has chosen six design finalists who are in the running for the top honor. You can see their unique designs on the tx:style website, as well as video clips to get to know their personalities and the inspirations behind their work. Be sure to vote for your favorites!

Online voting closes June 14th, but remains open to visitors at NeoCon (June 14-16).

If you can make it to NeoCon this year, the finalists will be in Mannington Commercial’s showroom #1039. An entire section is devoted to tx: style, where the finalists will be showing off their design boards and encouraging online voting. Additionally, there will be awesome giveaways, including fun bags and iPads.

But don’t forget- tx: style online design community will remain active throughout the year, so there is always a chance to interact with other young designers and prizes to win.

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Thank you, Carly!

I hope you'll go vote. And, if you are passionate about designing commercial carpet, won't you consider joining the Mannington Commercial tx:style design community?

Mannington Commercial Carpet Design Competition - tx:style

Calling all interior designers and architects - especially if you have 7 years of experience or less! Have you submitted a commercial carpet design to the tx:style design challenge 2009?

Mannington Commercial launched tx:style just this month and will accept entries until February 6, 2009. Simply upload your carpet design idea along with accompanying visuals and a personal written statement articulating what inspired and fueled your design concept.

Pretty cool, don't you think?

It gets cooler, yet. You can still be involved, even if you don't submit a design. By voting online!

In conjunction with the design submissions and through February 15, 2009 you can vote online to help determine the five tx:style finalists.

Then, in late April, you can vote again on the finalists' actual product samples which will be posted to the tx:style website.

If you attend NeoCon 2009, you will be able to see the samples in Mannington Commercial's showroom where voting will continue until the end of the first day of the show.

The winner earns not only a cash prize, but will also have his or her design become a carpet collection in Mannington Commercial's fall carpet line...

Really cool.

I love that the concept for the design competition came from a very successful collaboration that Mannington Commercial had with 25-year old Kaitlin Phelps. The end result was the Adorn Collection which brought a new style and fashion mystique to commercial carpet. No wonder that Bead, from the Adorn Collection, won a Doc Product Award for 2008 as well as the 2008 Designer's Choice Award!

For more information, read the official press release, visit tx:style and either submit, vote or both!




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The Floor Covering Industry Foundation

Were you aware that there exists an organization called the Floor Covering Industry Foundation [or FCIF for short]?

I mention it because a major fund raiser takes place this Thursday, September 25 in the Atlanta, GA area.

Just about every organization affiliated with flooring and carpet takes part in the FCIF in some manner, shape or form:

+ industry publications like Floor Covering Weekly and Floor Covering News;

+ flooring manufacturers and carpet mills like Mohawk, Shaw, Beaulieu, and Mannington;

+ carpet fiber producers like Solutia and Invista;

+ retailers like Kerns Carpet One [who contributed to a story about carpet maintenance] and PS America Inc.;

+ retailer cooperatives like Abbey Carpet and CCA Global ;

+ flooring associations like the World Floor Covering Association and the National Wood Flooring Association;

And many, many more.

Everyone involved in the industry takes what the FCIF does seriously. Because the FCIF has the following mission:

The Floor Covering Industry Foundation is dedicated to financially assisting those who are or have been affiliated with the floor covering industry who experience catastrophic illnesses, severe disabilities, or other life-altering hardships.

Anyone employed in the floor covering business for at least five years can apply. Grants are offered based on two criteria: catastrophic illnesses/injury and financial need.

The website lists a few examples of those it has assisted. For example, a 29-year-old paralyzed from the neck down as the result of a hit-and-run accident; a single parent’s two-year old son with a malignant tumor who required chemotherapy and continuing tests for cancer; a man who suffered a brain stem stroke at the age of 38 and is incapacitated with severe physical and cognitive impairment...

Real people, with real problems that the FCIF tries to alleviate.

I thought you'd like to know.



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Surfaces 2008

We're just back from Surfaces.

It's the only event of its kind bringing together in one place the floor covering industry -- retailers, installers, flooring manufacturers [hard and soft], fiber producers [like Solutia's Wear-Dated carpet fiber], educators and suppliers to the industry. It takes place every year in late January/early February in Las Vegas, Nevada.

It's massive -- in terms of scale, new product introductions, and learnings. If you don't believe me, then check out Surfaces - New Product Pavilion, Dal Tile at Surfaces 2008, and Live from Surfaces 2008!

I'm still breathless from the event.

I got to spend time with Floor Talk!'s Shannon Bilby. We've only met virtually until now, and it felt as if we had known one another forever. She has a glorious appreciation for flooring of all kinds, and the magic that the perfect floor can bring to home design [those are her posts above].

I soaked up as much as possible from the educational sessions [if you're interested, check out Flooring The Consumer where I'll share my learnings] and the retail experiences that Las Vegas has to offer [see Las Vegas and FAO Schwartz].

I took lots of photos of our booth and exciting product introductions.

I also got to meet with the folks over at the Carpet and Rug Institute to learn more about their programs so I can share them with you here.

All in all, a good week's worth of carpet related wisdom! And a promise to share the details, including photos, with you very shortly...

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