Floors and Walls

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106 107 Home Suit Home, 2014 Didier Faustino Carpet and transparent polyester collars 190 x 90 x 35 cm Unique piece From the 2014 exhibition Buildering: Misbehaving the City at the Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Arts, Cincinnati, USA Courtesy of the artist and Michel Rein, Paris/Brussels MATERIAL ATTIRE You will not believe your eyes… From ceramic to stone, from wood to textiles, from wallpapers to carpets, no interior surface can hope to escape from the enormous array of coverings available. The environments we can now create in our internal envelope are practically limitless. Be prepared to discover textiles that look like paper or waterfalls, marbled wood planks, wooden ceramics, stone walls flaunting the imprints of primordial creatures, carpets that act like windows to the wide-open sky. There is certainly much to fire the imagination, with subtle patterns of a new aesthetic entering the interior scene. Projects emphasise different levels of interpretation, which can potentially vary with each human being, and then alter again with each viewing. Thus, the question arises: if the creative vision is subjective, is there an absolute basis for determining the nature of materials? On floor- and wallcoverings PATRIZIA COGGIOLA DAMN°48 magazine / FLOORS AND WALLS

Transcript of Floors and Walls

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Home Suit Home, 2014Didier FaustinoCarpet and transparent polyester collars190 x 90 x 35 cm Unique pieceFrom the 2014 exhibition Buildering: Misbehaving the City at the Lois & Richard Rosenthal Center for Contemporary Arts, Cincinnati, USACourtesy of the artist and Michel Rein, Paris/Brussels

MATERIAL ATTIRE You will not believe your eyes… From ceramic to stone, from wood to textiles, from wallpapers to carpets, no interior surface can hope to escape from the enormous array of coverings available. The environments we can now create in our internal envelope are practically limitless. Be prepared to discover textiles that look like paper or waterfalls, marbled wood planks, wooden ceramics, stone walls flaunting the imprints of primordial creatures, carpets that act like windows to the wide-open sky. There is certainly much to fire the imagination, with subtle patterns of a new aesthetic entering the interior scene. Projects emphasise different levels of interpretation, which can potentially vary with each human being, and then alter again with each viewing. Thus, the question arises: if the creative vision is subjective, is there an absolute basis for determining the nature of materials?

On floor- and wallcoverings

PATRIZIA COGGIOLA

DAMN°48 magazine / FLOORS AND WALLS

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For his second solo show at Michel Rein Gallery in Paris, Didier Faustino invites us to step outside of our homes and penetrate an ambiguous world, which strangely resembles the usual one. The space is haunted by aliens, kind of like avatars in armour, built from the materials of our own daily environ-ment.

Our models of home, our way of organising and housing our bodies, our spectacular edifices and the constraints on our flesh, are all effectively addressed in Didier Faustino’s exhibition, on show last spring at Galerie Michel Rein in Paris. Protection built from typical flooring surfaces points to the opposite, and seems to arm us against the dangers of our daily life.

The exhibition by the Portuguese artist quoted the signs of our familiar environment, projecting the visitor into an unstable universe. Some pieces were made with the carpet-back facing outwards, others featured colourful exteriors: the anthropomorphic

figures occupying the main space of the gallery were made of low-cost materials, including second-hand rugs and carpets from trade suppliers, and consti-tuted both interior and exterior spaces, containers, and contents. A transgressive relationship toward architecture, a worrying strangeness that character-ises Didier Faustino’s artwork, somewhat toughens the architectural intention of the carpet to a point that expresses a categorical criticism of domestic planning. “Strangely becoming worried in front of our flats and our offices, which have suddenly been made inhospitable,” comments gallerist Michel Rein, “we are led to think of the lives that light up our familiar decor, and of the fictional borders which supposedly separate art from our lives and political decisions from our aesthetical models.” ‹

DAMN°48 magazine / DIDIER FAUSTINO

Didier Faustino’s work reciprocally summons-up art from architecture, and architecture from art, indistinctly using genres in a way that summarises an ethical and political attitude about constructing a place in the socio-cultural fabric of the city. Fabrics and carpets, as seen in his exhibition at Michel Rein Gallery in Paris in 2014, became platforms for the intersection of the individual and collective body, experimenting with dichotomy and the rules that normally delineate public and private space. The body is centred; the space is questioned.

We Can’t Go Home AgainDidier Faustino

PATRIZIA COGGIOLA

michelrein.com

WE CAN’T GO HOME AGAINMichel Rein, Paris, 2013Courtesy of the artist and Michel Rein, Paris/Brussels © Florian Kleinefenn

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ELISA STROZYKDesigner The use of materials with innovative applications and outlook, forms the core of Elisa Strozyk research. She is creating a vast rage of carpets and textile designs for the interior that are composed of different combina-tions of wood mosaic, with a 3D effect. Depending on the weight and stiffness of the material, each surface exhibits a different behaviour. The wood is laser cut, and all the tiles are glued-on by hand, to compose a textile-like surface. In 2014 she presented a collection called Wooden Plaids (pictures) for Gestalten, which are sold exclusively at the Gestalten Pavilion, a new concept store in Bikini Berlin.“During my studies in textile design, I was always in-terested in combining hard and soft materials to create very tactile, three-dimensional surfaces. Then I thought about using wood, which has nothing to do with tex-tiles, and tried to combine textile techniques with this material. It took me almost a year, from the first tests with wood to the finished ‘wooden textile’. From the perspective of a textile designer, I am researching ways to provide wood with textile properties, testing meth-ods to make wood flexible and soft, or interweaving textile elements. The outcome is a material that is half wood, half textile, between hard and soft, challenging what can be expected from a material or category. De-signing a flexible wooden surface involves its decon-struction into pieces that are then attached to a textile base.” elisastrozyk.denews.gestalten.com/pavilion

THIBAUT VAN RENNEThe son of a carpet dealer, Thibault Van Renne started travelling to the Middle East in his childhood. This aesthete par excellence was spoon-fed a sense of craftsmanship and refinement. In 2006, Van Renne launched his luxury carpet label with computer-generated patterns, finely handcrafted. The ‘Im-mersive’ designs are to be premiered at Domotex 2015, a collection that is more than ever a bridge between old and new, classic and modern. Each fibre exudes detail and reveals the layering of up to seven different designs atop one other. In this way, a fascinating game emerges between the different pile heights, formed by hand-trimming the drawings. Immer-sive is executed in a combination of hand-carded, hand-spun wool from Bikaner, using hand-spun natural silk of the finest quality. thibaultvanrenne.be

ROCHE BOBOISBina BaitelINKBLOT rugs by Roche Bobois, designed by Bina Baitel, are inspired by Rorsch-ach tests. The Inkblot collection lets our imagination run free. From a distance, or in detail, in one sense or another, Inkblot rugs seem to reinvent themselves every time you look at them. Simple blots spreading casually across a surface create unusual images, such as dancers, mythical animals, weird plants, and also more familiar shapes from the domestic environment.roche-bobois.combinabaitel.com

NICOLETTE BRUNKLAUSDesigner at EGE Carpet Danish manufacturer EGE Carpets has teamed up with Dutch interior designer Nicolette Brunklaus, who has designed a new collection truly reflecting her love of rich textile structures. A tiny sample of worn linen, loosely woven and faded, was the starting point of her creative process: mapping textures, colours, and mem-ories.Nicolette Brunklaus explains: “My work is tied to memories that, once translated into designs, become universal. In this way, my work personally touches the people who interact and relate to it. Canvas Collage (pictures) is a continuation of this approach; beauti-ful atmospheres that are emotionally relatable. It is inspired by reflections on industry, just before the in-dustrial revolution. Today, industry and efficiency have replaced this laborious craft. The woven structure is applied to all variations, layered over dried dahlia flow-ers in a patchwork of colours, and combined with new forms. The collection is timeless. I manipulate my own photographs to create unique designs, with the images chosen for their colour palette and poetic meaning.” ege.dkbrunklaus.nl

Throw all common ideas and perceptions about carpets out the window, as being produced in the here-and-now are items of controversial beauty and function. It is so tempting to indulge in the optical illusions, digital prints, Google Earth views, and LED interactive threads on offer. Crafting hands have mastered the forms, with vibrant materials serving as a medium of fascination.

C A R P E T S

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PAOLA LENTIAt the end of 2014, Paola Lenti presented the book Weaving Spaces, edited by Corraini Edizioni, to celebrate 20 years of textile production and design experimentation. Weaving Spaces examines, through suggestions and visual associa-tions, the key concepts of a unique approach to design. The idea of giving visibility to beauty and harmony is visually and tactilely reflected in the graphics and appearance of the book. Linked by Lenti’s thread, the concepts expand into images and reflections, forming a canvas, a multidisciplinary fabric full of ideas.paolalenti.it

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DESSODuring the 2014 Light+Building trade fair, Philips showcased a number of products featuring luminous interaction, including flooring. Together with Desso, they developed a luminous carpet in which pixels can guide one through a space, or create very interesting patterns. The product looks like a normal carpet when the LEDs are off, but the technology can be used to inconspicuously incorporate health and safety signage in a building interior. When the LEDs are turned on in an emergency issue, for instance, they can lead one quickly to the exit. The brightness of materials is becoming something that can be tailored, allowing architects to specify not just the strength, colour, and finish, but also the luminosity.desso.comlighting.philips.com

VIKTOR HORSTING AND ROLF SNOERENFashion designers and founders of Viktor&Rolf For their Autumn Winter 2014-15 fashion show, Viktor&Rolf built a collaboration with Desso, the glo-bal carpets company active in more than 100 countries and providing textile floorings for corporate offices, as well as educational, healthcare, and government facili-ties, homes, hotels, cruiseliners, and airlines. Their haute couture collection, which was presented in Paris in July, made extensive use of red carpet material and the sup-porting finishing.The designers described the collaboration with Desso thusly: “This is something that has never been done before; we are excited to have found a fantastic partner with whom to make our red-carpet dressing vision come true. Their designs allude to the spontaneous gesture of primitive clothing construction: asymmetric, wrapped, knotted. While blending into classic references, ani-mal skin motifs are executed in shaved and laboriously hand-appliquéd carpet, which take up to 300 hours per look to complete. The collection forms a surreal refer-ence to fur as camouflage; an ancient indigenous cloth-ing material, as well as to animal print; the archetypal epitome of glamour.” viktor-rolf.comdesso.comPhotos: Peter Stigter

ALEXANDER DAHL CEO of Dahl Agenturer Carpet Concept presented their latest collection by Ben van Berkel / UNStudio at Orgatec in 2014. Called Hem (pictures), it is inspired by lively landscapes. Based on non-directional patterns of coloured dots, the result is ever new graphical images that are perceived in various ways when viewed from different angles and distances. This design has been selected by Alexander Dahl as a premium example of carpet innovation. A networking representative on the Scandinavian mar-ket with 40 years’ experience in carpets for architects, building owners, and flooring contractors, Dahl knows how to recognise a new trend. “The design of the new collection by Carpet Concept was inspired by the changing patterns and colours that emerge and evolve both in nature and through human intervention in the environment. The abstracted natural and man-made patterns extracted from cityscapes and nightscapes cre-ate synthetic patterns through a reductive pixilation process. We work in selecting and underlining the best innovations on the market. Our aim is to function as a creative board of reference for architects and suppliers.”carpet-concept.comdahlagenturer.se

WE MAKE CARPETS

This year, We Make Carpets celebrates five years of being, a milestone marked by their ‘Kneeling: Five years of We Make Carpets’ exhibition and their most recent LED Carpet. Seen from a distance, carpets created by We Make Carpets may appear ordinary, but coming closer you see that they are actually made of clothes pegs, pine cones, forks, candies, … or another such everyday product. The trio created their first carpet in 2009, when collaborating on the Instant Nature exhibition during Dutch Design Week. For the first Forest Carpet, pine cones and needles were collected. They then they stayed together for the next five years, developing temporary carpets.wemakecarpets.nlPhotos © Boudewijn Bollmann

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JAN KATHArt director at Jan Kath Carpet designs by Jan Kath take shape on the com-puter. Every knot is precisely planned, to determine not only the colour but also the material mix. The yarn of one knot can be a combination of three different ma-terials – wool, silk, and nettle. One-of-a-kind design and the highest quality natural materials in combina-tion with centuries old manual production techniques lend each carpet its own particular character, making it a unique piece.Jan Kath spends half his life in an airplane, visiting manufacturers in Nepal, Thailand, and Morocco, as well as the company showrooms in New York, Moscow, and London. “I am living in the clouds. I never get tired of looking out of the windows during a flight. The view of the sky has fascinated mankind since forever. Always in motion – clouds are impressive snapshots in time. For the CLOUD collection (1), I was also inspired by the works of the baroque painters of the 16th and 17th centuries, who I discovered in my travels through the Alpine region. The artists captured a piece of idealised sky in the domes of magnificent churches. We bring the sky to the living room floor. Even though the featured weather conditions are still dramatically opulent and powerful, the carpets never appear brash; instead, they have a calming effect on the soul and the eyes.”In Jan Kath carpets there is a strong feeling of ‘vanish-ing’, letting material and shape disappear, evolving to-ward an immaterial presence. “It’s our signature to play with the special attraction of imperfectness. Perfection and smoothness are boring, in our eyes. The Boro col-lection (2) has a multilayered effect, breaking-through geometry, scratching at the straight line. Because of this, the pieces never seem cold and static. The selection of materials also makes an important contribution to the vitality of the carpets. The hand-combed and hand-spun Tibetan highland wool, Chinese silk, and stinging-nettle fibres create varying light reflections, giving the carpets their almost transparent depth. The traditional manu-facturing process can be sensed when you look at the carpet. The pieces are woven by hand and slowly come into being over a period of months. As a result, each carpet has its own individual history.”Angles collection (3)jan-kath.com

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YAEL MER & SHAY ALKALAY (RAW-EDGES)Designers for Golran The new contemporary carpets in the Lake Collec-tion by Golran are designed by the London duo Raw-Edges. These came into being upon invitation by Franc-esca Avossa, the brand’s artistic director. The collection, conceived as a second reading of the persian rug, takes its inspiration from the Israeli lenticular artist Yaacov Agam who, together with Victor Vasarely, revolution-ised the world of optic perception in art. An iridescent collection, capable of moving from the vivid colours of daytime to the less bright shades of the evening – in the same way the mirrored water of a lake changes its reflection. As the designers explain: “Imagine a rug that looks very vivid and colourful when you leave home, but the very same rug appears more relaxing and calm-ing when coming back from work. It is like having two approaches for one thing, two different ways to look at it. But then when standing in the right place, you can actually see the whole picture. This may sound like il-lusion confusion, but it is all based on the existing Op Art lenticular technique that, thanks to Golran and their craftsmen in Nepal, has been translated into marvellous rug making. The graphics of the first series are based on a traditional kilim, but in varying heights of pile.” Since their graduation show at the Royal College of Art in 2006, the Raw-Edges duo has received several high-ly respected accolades, including the British Council Award for New Talent, iF Gold Award, Dutch Design Award, Wallpaper Design Award, Elle Decoration Inter-national Design Award, and Designer of the Future at Design Miami/ Basel.raw-edges.comgolran.com

VEERLE TYTGATTextile designer and researcher In her work, Veerle Tytgat exploits the technological opportunities of raw textiles and materials, making use of non-conventional processes. “From my fascination for raw materials, I started to investigate the use of human hair as a textile. By upcycling the hair as a waste mate-rial, a new form of aesthetic, decorative, and functional matter is born. The hair is combined with other natural materials and made into a new basic material, some-times hand spun, sometimes making use of industrial processes. Spinning, knitting, weaving, beading: my in-tention with this research is to take another view of raw materials.” Different colours of human hair, from dark to blonde and red, mingle with white wool to create a visually inconspicuous grey-brown hue and mass. The end result, a carpet (g)(h)aren that is 50% wool and 50% human hair, seems familiar and recognisable. “As a textile designer, I’m an explorer of natural and raw textile materials. I look at my closest surroundings for that which is not visible and useable at first sight. I ask myself how I can integrate these findings into new ideas and designs. Researching materials means analys-ing their capacities. Every material demands it’s own ap-proach and process. Everything changes in time; mate-rial changes in time. That’s why I often fall for the beauty of what is used, reused, and durable.” Can the use of human hair to be brought to an objective level, stripped of all emotional stratification?veerletytgat.be

KINNASANDA fusion of modern and nomadic styles, the new Kinnasand carpets in the Faces collection are characterised by a strong graphic approach. Tactile, intricate surfaces with intriguing contrasts merge into different colours, yarns, materials, and proportions. Reflecting this, the carpets come in fresh, yet subtle colour gradations, which add a new dimension to the way in which any space is perceived. Since the carpets are handwoven, each one has unique traits. In combinations of pure New Zealand wool, cotton, and Tencel, they feature versatile colours that work equally well in contemporary and classically styled in-teriors. The Faces carpets (picture) have been developed under the creative direction of Isa Glink, in cooperation with Dutch designer Dienke Dekker.kinnasand.com

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Portrait: photo © Kristof Vrancken

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WERNER AISSLINGERDesigner for Vorwerk For Vorwerk, Werner Aisslinger has designed a new interpretation for area floor coverings. Primary geomet-ric shapes are the inspiration for Elements, a collection that refers to basic shapes that can be combined to form out-of-the-ordinary collages in various colours and rug structures. At a width of one metre and in any desired length, even spacious hallways obtain a refreshing pro-gression of colours and materials – a new interpretation of the classic carpet runner. “The new carpet tiles are inspired by primary geometric shapes, which can easily be combined, and thus align for a bigger area of coverage. Customers and flooring planners are able to choose between neutral and more rhythmic patterns as well as more intense graphic com-positions. The modularity of the carpet tiles and their easy adjustment enable the creation of individual floor-ing solutions, offering the possibility to create fresh col-our schemes on the floor, time and again.” vorwerk-carpet.comaisslinger.de

NODUSNodus is an experimental studio and cultural project that combines the oldest traditions in the art of rug-making (from Nepal, Portugal, Pakistan, Morocco, Turkmenistan, China, and Turkey) with visionary ideas from some of the best creative minds of today. One of the latest creations is the carpet for Raymundo Sesma crafted in Nepal, having more than 100 knots per square inch.nodusrug.itraymundosesma.com

KATIA MENEGHINI AND THANOS ZAKOPOULOS (CTRLZAK)Designers for cc-tapis Ishihara Carpets Collection, a project by CTRLZAK studio for French/Italian company cc-tapis, investigates the field of visual perception. “The series is a reference to the Ishihara colour test used to determine vision de-fects like Daltonism. The Ishihara test consists of 38 plates containing groups of coloured dots of the same brightness, on a white background. The examinee has to recognise numbers or pathways that are usually in-visible to Daltonic people. The carpets we designed are inspired by those exact plates, presenting patterns of coloured dots that form an overall message decipher-able only by colour-blind people. The three rugs have a different motif according to the message contained therein. Only a small per cent of viewers is able to en-tirely comprehend those messages.” CTRLZAK is a hybrid studio that integrates different disciplines and cultures. Its founders, Katia Meneghini and Thanos Zakopoulos, are both artists and designers, in their own right. The Italian/Greek duo’s creations are inspired by their travels and experiences around the world, and by their own rich cultural backgrounds.ctrlzak.comcc-tapis.com

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MARC JANSSENCEO of ICE International Rug company ICE International is led by Marc Janssen and his brother, Rogier Janssen, who looks af-ter the Dutch activities. Marc Janssen joined the family business in 1999 after having worked with Procter & Gamble for four years. He is now realising his dream of transforming it into a global supplier of high-end prod-ucts. During the last edition of Dutch Design Week, ICE International launched a set of eight different carpets by Netherlands-based design duos, including Jeanine & Piet Hein Eek, Kiki van Eijk (2) & Joost van Bleiswijk, and Claire & Roderick Vos (1). “Each designer came up with a rug in their signature style, very peculiar and iconic, permitting us to create a collection called Dutch Landscapes. Claire Vos, for ex-ample, used the gradients typical in her work to create a grey rug, striped with reddish tones that blend out-ward from a central axis. The rug was tufted by hand in India and then sheared to create a relief in the texture. Kiki van Eijk, on the other hand, translated one of her watercolour paintings of red and grey lines onto the rug. Although these are different tones and approaches, the hand-working of the rug has allowed the design to be replicated as close as possible.”rugs.nl

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BALDESSARI E BALDESSARIThe Colossal rug, designed by Baldessari e Baldessari for cc-tapis, pays tribute to the world of cinema. Its irregular white lines, broken at the centre, resemble the closing credits in a movie. Seen from the right perspective, the black line dividing the white lines shows a finer weave size, while the white lines appear raised in a disorderly but well-suited fashion.cc-tapis.com baldessariebaldessari.it

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NIPA DOSHI & JONATHAN LEVIENDesigners for Nani Marquina The Rabari collection, designed by Doshi Levien, is among the novelties presented by Nani Marquina in 2014. Rabari consists of four rugs visualised as a canvas that features a refined combination of rhythms with a unique graphic sensuality. The London-based design studio, established in 2000, celebrates a hybrid com-ing-together of cultures, craft, technology, and storytell-ing. “At the very beginning of the project, we decided to create a series of rugs that evoke the sensual and shiny world of tribal folk embroidery from India. We already had in mind the intricately handcrafted embroi-deries made by the Nomadic community of the Raba-ris from the Kutch region. Nipa’s aunt had an amazing embroidery workshop in Ahmedabad, with 25 highly skilled craftswomen who were all experts in hand em-broidery, working with glistening mirrors, silk and cot-ton thread, and metallic sequins, amongst other non-precious materials. The women sat together on rugs on the floor, surrounded by these jewel-like elements scattered about them as they worked. We wanted our collection for Nani Marquina to reference these unfin-ished embroideries, examples of different techniques in progress as they gradually emerge over time. The spon-taneous compositions of rugs embody the serendipity and freedom to improvise that is inherent in each step of a handmade piece. Joyful, irreverent, and unique.” doshilevien.comnanimarquina.com

HELLA JONGERIUSDesign director at DANSKINA Dutch designer Hella Jongerius has launched her first range of rugs as the newly appointed design di-rector for Danskina (2014). The company was set up in 1973 to represent Danish design. The name Dansk refers to this, with the last part of the word, ‘ina’, sig-nifying the name of Piet van Eijken’s spouse, who set up the company. Since then, Danskina has grown to be a strong brand in the area of rugs, having created a number of iconic products. Will anything change now? “It is a gift to be able to build on the archives of such a strong brand. When Ulf Moritz was designing rugs for the company, his use of materials was genuinely in-novative. I am taking up the tradition of innovation, obviously in my own way. Danskina is ready to expand the product range and to generate a new perspective on the power of rugs. The company was internationally known for its innovations in materials and combina-tions of materials, structures, and techniques, while at the same time using traditional production methods. This remains as a basis today, but the company is un-dergoing a process of rejuvenation. It’s time to rock the scene and shake things up. In the market for rugs, there is a conservative ethos, and too few companies are brave enough to enter uncharted territory.”Danskina’s and Jongerius’s ambitions are expressed in products like Cork & Felt (pictures), an unusual combi-nation of two materials associated with the idea of com-fort. Normally, not matched together, this new line of rugs combines the warmth and colour of felt with anti-slip cork, with the cork creating a rhythmic game of striped patterns.danskina.com

Time is captured in the very skin of cork. From design to architecture, the wonders of this impressive material are spreading. Besides the very many creative possibilities of raw cork, every project is able to benefit from its high insulation capacity, its lightweight, and its environmental friendliness.

C O R K

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AMORIMAmorim, the world’s largest producer of cork, fosters natural cork as a first choice material in the construction industry and in interior decoration, especially in the sustainable construction segment. The Portuguese company also has an innovative, design-driven natural cork flooring venture called Wicanders, which has recently been responsible for installing natural cork flooring at the Victoria and Albert Museum (1) during the last edition of London Design Week, where a series of tiles were laid in a repeating tromp l’oeil geometric pattern, based on a scientific diagram of the cellular structure of cork. Other new partnerships in major international events are the Serpentine Gallery Pavilion (2) and the Istanbul Design Biennial (3), embodying Amorim’s drive to promote the unbeatable technical and sustainability credentials of this impressive material. wicanders.com / amorim.com

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ROOSMARIJN PALLANDTRoosmarijn Pallandt’s projects investigate the relationship between geography, culture, and local craftsmanship. Her designs are inspired by Google Earth im-ages, starting with an aerial photo of the region where the craftsmen live. One of the latest projects was focused on Japan and Satoyama, a Japanese term ap-plied to the border zone, or area between mountain foothills and arable flatlands.roosmarijnpallandt.com

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KASIA ZAREBADesigner for Ceramiche Refin Kasia Zareba was selected by a jury chaired by Mendini Architects, as the winner of the Create Your Tile competition promoted by DesignTaleStudio, the research and development branch of tile brand Ceram-iche Refin. Kasia Zareba grew up in Poland, where she studied architecture before attending Design Academy Eindhoven in the Netherlands. Afterwards she opened her own design firm and has worked successfully with a number of companies, including the Fabric Museum in Tilburg, Cultuur-Ondernemen, Design Drift, Mini / BMW, Izabela Bo!oz studio, and Studio Toer. Her style is always a balanced mix of design, art, and installation, and her works run from small to large and feature con-crete surfaces and textures, fantasy and technology. Her Fossil tile collection was successfully launched during the last edition of the Cersaie fair in Bologna. “The Fossil collection revisits the prehistorical imprints left by plants and animals in rock formations, designed as ornamental patterns destined for contemporary in-teriors. The preliminary designs were particularly in-spired by the signs left by the grooved shells of extinct ammonites. The hand-drawn pattern gives it a unique appearance, similar to the imprints of primordial crea-tures impressed on the surface of the stone. In our own imagination, each of us can see different figures in the subtle patterns. The imprints break up and overlap, just like the signs of time in archaeological digs. Moving in different directions, the Fossil surface creates optical il-lusions of voids and other more densely patterned areas, producing a simple, natural, and elegant atmosphere.”kasiazareba.comrefin-ceramic-tiles.comdesigntalestudio.com

TAGINAThe textures of Tagina ceramics decorate the first floor of San Lorenzo, the central marketplace in Florence that was renovated in 2014 on the anniversary of the 140-year-old iron and glass structure. A project designed by Archea As-sociati, the geometrical patterns and engraved floral decora-tions bring an air of renewed originality to the first floor of this historical market building. The Déco Perlage collection by Tagina Ceramiche D’Arte brings a sophisticated and tactile mood that accompanies this ‘theatre of taste’.tagina.comarchea.it

REFIN PRODUCTThe FILO collection was designed by Atelier Mendini archi-tects as an entry in the Create your Tile competition run by Ceramiche Refin in 2014. The collection interprets a tradi-tional orthogonal grid, redesigned in a uniquely distorted and resized version: thin lines weave and run through to form a grid, creating an almost three-dimensional optical illusion. The effect created is both geometric and abstract, instantly recalling the Op Art artistic movement. Presented for the first time at the Salone del Mobile in Milan last April, Filo is now complete, in a range of four colours.refin-ceramic-tiles.comateliermendini.it

Tile design is reminiscent of a different universe, far away, both in space and in time. Contemporary ceramic surfaces express symbols of cartographic keys, of pre-historical imprints, of silent sedimentary lines, of aged wood blocks. Any references and inspirations proceed to fade away in a perfect sensorial tempest, as the surface takes on a life of its own.

C E R A M I C S

PIEMMEGeostone is the upshot of a careful study into sedimentary rocks, carried out in the Ceramiche Piemme laboratories in order to select the most interesting aesthetic patterns and translate them into stoneware lines. The endless nuances of Geostone and its 3D surfaces make it a modern example of geological beauty. These porcelain stoneware slabs have a special material depth and a large variety of veins. Ceram-iche Piemme has created a porcelain stoneware collection inspired by wood.ceramichepiemme.it

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INGA SEMPÉDesigner for Mutina Tratti (pictures) is a new collection of 10 x 10cm tiles designed by Inga Sempé for Italian brand Mutina. The porcelain stoneware with digitally printed glazing comes in eight different patterns that can be randomly matched. The material is suitable for floors and walls, indoors and outdoors.“Each design is reminiscent of a different universe: from the fields seen from the sky, to pieces of fabric, to embroideries, to symbols of cartographic keys, to ar-chitectural patterns, to symbols reproduced by prison-ers on the wall to count the days. Contrary to big slabs that create uniform surfaces, which have a big impact but often convey a cold feeling, I have focused on a collection composed of small tiles characterised by 12 handmade patterns. They are all different but are re-lated to each other through a ‘familiar’ look.” Inga Sempé was born in Paris into a family of well-off artists. The importance of drawing in the domestic environment, even if unattached to design, has surely contributed to distinguishing her. In 2003, Sempé was awarded the Grand Prize of Creation for design in Par-is, and presented her projects in a personal exhibition at the Musèe des Arts Décoratifs. mutina.itingasempe.fr

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LEIGH OSBORNE & GRAHAM VOCEProperty owners Leigh Osborne and Graham Voce are the owners of an amazing residence, which they spent several months designing, constructing, and ultimately trans-forming from its original state as an old water tower. Located in central London, the tower was an architec-tural remnant of the 19th century that had been left untouched until 2014. It took only eight months to meet the ambitious goal of constructing a home that offers its own jaw-dropping views. “Crowning the massive tower from the beginning was a water tank that we decided to keep, and the addition of six win-dows, to offer a 360° view of London like no oth-er.” The owners used Mosa tiles for the bathrooms, kitchen with a view, and the terrace. “We chose the mid-grey colour from the Terra Maestricht collection for its light, bright, distinctive appearance. It enhances the calm atmosphere and lets the building and interior stand out.” The same tiles are used on the terrace as well, to create a spacious feeling. ceramicasantagostino.it

SANT AGOSTINOBlendart, the new porcelain stoneware collection by Ceram-ica Sant’Agostino, is a surface recreating woodgrain: time seams to have left an indelible mark on the original nature of the gnarled wood. Craft is a single plate of 30 x 120cm, with strips of various sizes that can be composed as a random set. It thus becomes a system whereby the graphic and chromatic appeal of Blendart is emphasised. Applicable to both floors and walls, an almost endless array of combina-tions and pictorial effects can be created..ceramicasantagostino.it

MOSAMosa Solids is a specially designed collection by dutch brand Mosa that balances practicality and strength with high quality and a natural look. The tiles are designed in a variety of sizes, including a generous and versatile 60 x 60cm version, which highlights their versatility, cost-efficiency, and toughness. This robust and dynamic range can be applied to a great variety of public spaces, such as shops, stations, hospitals, schools, and the con-temporary home, due to its hard-wearing, practical nature.www.mosa.nl

DAMN°48 magazine / FLOORS AND WALLS

ALICE PILASTRETextile designer and artist Alice Pilastre’s work is all about textile tradition, and unravels, via sculptural pieces, a whole new aspect of tex-tile identity. With a fine dialogue between the conscious and unconscious, using repetitive gestures and motifs, she interrogates the technique and explores the poetry of patterns. Every fabric is a trace, a passage, a transmis-sion through which our relation to intimacy is revealed by touch, sight, scent, sound. She works with minutia and extreme precision, laser-cutting wallpaper thread-by-thread, like a neurosurgeon, evoking time passing by. “The spaces we live in and leave, the people who occupy these spaces, and the memories that superpose them-selves, confront each other in the same dimension. For me, it is mandatory to decompose, unthread, reassem-ble, and fix, in order to better understand the fabrics and try to make sense of them in my own personal way.”In the project Rorschach (2012) (1), the artist fixed thou-sands of detached threads and projected them from one wall to the wall opposite, creating an immaterial space. “In 2013 I realised Art 26 (2), a monumental piece ex-tracting portraits of workers from the walls of a factory in northern France; workers who were demanding fair wages for their labour. Fire Lance Pattern (3) is one of the latest creations, a tapestry variation on my Fire Sta-tion work (2014).”The exhibition, designed in collaboration with Ritter Studio, a Sablon dealer specialised in 20th century Design, can be seen in Brussels at LKFF Art & Sculpture Projects until 31 January. lkff-sculptures.com

Walls venture out of bounds. They go 3D, they sport digital macro patterns, they flaunt screen-printed embroideries or aged mirror surfaces. Graphics are flooded with warm colours, utilising mysterious patterns of light and shade.

W A L L -P A P E R

INKIOSTRO BIANCOThe idea of Toile de Jouy and ancient textiles as research, and the experimentation of textures, is reflected in the im-agery that Italian brand Inkiostro Bianco has transferred onto wallpaper, thanks to the company’s state-of-the-art digital printing technology. These canvases confront viewers and force them to observe the exotic, ambiguous, and mysteri-ous images filling the room.inkiostrobianco.com

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STEFAN SCHOLTEN AND CAROLE BAIJINGSDesigners at Maharam Maharam Digital Projects describes large-scale wall installations created by esteemed artists, designers, il-lustrators, and photographers. To make these fine-art-quality works accessible to a broad audience, the works are not editioned and follow an egalitarian pricing model: each is offered at the same price per square foot, regardless of authorship. Utilising advanced digital printing techniques to create complex, high-resolution imagery, the pieces are produced to order, and can be sized or modified to suit specific project requirements. In January, Maharam is introducing two projects by Scholten & Baijings. Lines (1) and Planes (2) translate Scholten & Baijings’s signature graphics onto textiles: “The designs are expanded to 10’H x 36’8”W and 10’H x 53’W, respectively. We have proposed only one colour each, since these installations are intended for direct wall application and are produced to order. In Lines, shifting light and dark fields are achieved through var-ying densities of parallel and perpendicular lines. For Planes, we explore colour-blocking through neutral tints accented by ‘highlighter’ yellows. With a balanced yet dynamic composition, colour fields shift from the foreground to the background.”Scholten & Baijings was founded in 2000, an Amster-dam-based studio by husband-and-wife team, Stefan Scholten and Carole Baijings. Their work in furniture and product design is characterised by clean lines, min-imal forms, simple geometric patterns, and a singular approach to colour.maharam.comPost Typography Floral Explosion, Baltimore Museum, 2011 (3)Pruitt, All The Pandas, Museum Dhondt Dhaenens, 2014 (4)

DAMN°48 magazine / FLOORS AND WALLS

CUSTHOM (1/2)

The embroidered wallpapers by London-based studio Custhom combine traditional embroidery patterns with digital stitching technology. Custhom, founded by RCA graduates Nathan Phil-pott and Jemma Ooi, works with skilled embroiderers to interpret historic designs and create English-based patterns called Berye, and Aves, derived from Mexican designs. “We’ve worked hard to develop the process”, says Custhom. “We work with textiles craftsmen in the North of England, and have adapted their process and techniques to paper, creating large-scale designs that flood the wall with pattern and texture. Wallpapers are screen-printed by hand and then overlaid with digitally embroidered patterns that mimic a 17th century technique called Crewel, to create a multi-layered design of branches, leaves, and berries. The design uses flint-grey and peach coloured thread on a light grey background.”custhom.co.uk

MINAKAMI LAB (4)Minakani Lab for Maison M Paris has created a collection of four patterns. Each design comes in two lengths, which form a 1.80m-wide panel. Each pack can be placed next to another to cover a wider surface. maisonmparis.comwww.minakanilab.com

VÉRONIQUE VILLARET (5)

Celeste is the first line of wall-papers signed by Véronique Villaret for Maison M Paris. Each unit is sold individually. It may be used alone, or in combination with others; aligned, reversed, or uncentred.maisonmparis.comnl.pinterest.com/verovillaret

ANTIQUE MIRRORDuring the last 40 years, Antique Mirror has dedicated its produc-tion to the research of special sur-faces in the flat glass industry. The sheets are now produced with particular patented procedures and crafted techniques. Each mir-ror sheet is unique and unrepeat-able, thanks to manual dropping of different chemical agents on the mirror back. Patterns range from antique to traditional, contem-porary, and artistic, for domestic settings or public spaces.antiquemirror.it

JANELLI & VOLPI (3)

The J&V collection by Jannelli & Volpi is being presented at Heimtextil in Frankfurt in January. It comprises of a series of impressive murals measuring up to 300cm high. Made of vinyl on a TNT backing, this collection is inspired by African influences, Swahili longings. From the marks of hands and feet dyed in henna on the island of Lamu, the graphics are flooded with the warm colours of the land, and mysterious lights are denoted in the shaded patterns.jannellievolpi.it

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V+TResort Bufi is a residence in the historic centre of Molfetta, on the Adriatic coast of Italy. Designers Gianni Veneziano and Luciana di Virgilio (Veneziano+Team) have brought back to life the old palace using a dual language, altering the natural stone walls by presenting big drawings made of digital mosaic. “The digital mosaic produces a sort of pop revolution, allowing us to transpose any shape that our thoughts might suggest”, says Gianni Veneziano.venezianoteam.it

Stone has never been so lightweight. And warm and comfortable. New technologies can bring extremely soft textures and mouldability to stone, recomposed marble, and quartz, responding to creative needs that once were not even conceivable.

S T O N E

YOSEF SHIRANCEO of Caesarstone Yos Shiran has been the Caesarstone CEO since January 2009. Established in 1987, the company pioneered the original quartz surface, which comprises of up to 93% quartz and utilises advanced technologies and proprietary know-how. In 2014, Caesarstone introduced the ultra-premium Calacatta Nuvo, inspired by natural Calacatta marble. “Calcatta Nuvo (pictures) is Caesarstone’s interpretation of the exquisite natural rock. A modern-day masterpiece, this ultra-premium design exhibits a bold yet elegant look, with cascading veins and an outstanding texture. We are extremely proud to be launching these new surfaces; their dramatic, advanced design qualities create a truly unique interior environment and highlight new colour trends in premium surfaces.” Cutting-edge design has also been introduced in the Classico collection, in in six new designs, four of which belong to the successful Supernatural series. These new designs include a variety of intricate patterns, richer colours, bolder veins and textures, which are inspired by the beauty of rock and granite in the attainment of their exquisite, natural stone appearance.caesarstone.comPhotos: Tom Mannion

DAMN°48 magazine / FLOORS AND WALLS

LORENZO PALMERIDesigner at Stone Italiana The StoneCircus project, launched by Stone Italiana, focuses on the rich world of relationships that go be-yond the boundaries of a single product, to define a new format for industrial production that is able to elimi-nate competitiveness. “It’s a new idea of networking. By working with other companies, the project benefits from different types of expertise. In this way, each company gains preferential access to the world of the others.For instance, the stone surfaces collection, Juta (1), is born from a collaboration between Stone Italiana and Jannelli&Volpi. “This is the continuation of a profitable cooperation that started last year with three StoneWall-paper prototypes based on sublimation technology. The idea concerns intuition; that it could be possible, interesting, and perhaps even surprising, to transfer a texture from paper to stone.”From the encounter between Stone Italiana and carpet producer Nodus, a new collection of stone surfaces has been launched: Macramé (2). “Here, the ancient wis-dom of carpet-weavers is transmitted to stone. Each knot is different from the other; each is as unique as the hand that wove it. The transposition from the world of textiles to stone creates a sort of living fossil – irregular, imperfect, and true. The craftsmen and artisans of both Nodus and Stone Italiana work together to give life to a stone surface: “soft, like carpet”.stoneitaliana.comjannellievolpi.itnodusrug.it

STEFFEN KEHRLEDesigner at Cosentino The ‘House of Dekton’ (3), a project by Steffen Ke-hrle, is to be showcased by Cosentino in early 2015 at the BAU fair in Munich and the Stockholm Furniture Fair. Dekton uses a sophisticated mixture of the raw materials used to manufacture glass, porcelain, and quartz surfaces.“Technologically advanced surfaces that allow create mimetic designs for the home and public spaces, Dek-ton presents five new colours that highlight the beauty of natural stone. Playing with huge panel sizes, House of Dekton delivers a powerful and versatile experience via the ultra-compact Dekton surface. It is a great mate-rial for the purpose, not only due to the huge dimen-sion of its panel format, but also its fantastic perform-ance and applicability. The many outstanding qualities of the material offer both architects and interior design-ers totally new options, and it is these options we want to showcase. The 14-sided house is entirely made of Dekton: floors, walls, roof, seating, and a correspond-ing 14-sided table as the central element. In the inte-rior, the qualities of the material are exclusively com-municated by the material itself: there is no need for additional information panels.” Within this new collection, the Aura version (4) par-ticularly stands-out, as it embodies a new design con-cept that is remarkably attractive. Developed as a single slab, it creates limitless symmetrical patterns. Thanks to eight unique versions, compositions can be made whereby the veining continues from one slab to the next, lending a true mirror effect (book-matching). Au-ra’s pale, white background is striated with fabulous, sharp veining, evoking natural rock formations. cosentino.com dekton.com

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ULRIKA ELOVSSONTextile designer ArkDes Pavilon 2014, a recurring concept in which designers and architects are invited to create a pavilion in the garden of Skeppsholmen, an island in Stockholm, was created in cooperation with tex-tile designer Ulrika Elovsson, creative director of Is-sey Miyake’s Reality Lab. Her pavilion was a dubbed The Final Curtain; 11 feet in diameter and 4 feet high, it was made of wool fabric woven with de-scending shades of colour. Consisting of a curtain that forms a temporary room, it relates to the local horizons. The internationally known Swedish tex-tile designer was handpicked to participate in Issey Miyake’s technology-driven Research Studio Reality Lab. She describes her working method as a digital craft, a mix between high and low-tech, where tra-ditional weaving techniques are used to produce in-novative textiles. “I relate to textiles in the same way as in nature, all the answers are already in the mate-rial; we just need to know how to ask the question. This fabric is woven in wool and, like a sheep, it can withstand wind, water, frost, and snow. Temporary pavilions… I think of them as easily made architec-ture, a kind of large garment that holds many, and moves; walls can bulge, it is pliable and can dress and undress, like clothes on the body.” arkdes.seisseymiyake.comvideo: youtu.be/AJZwhzMSn5o

BOLON & MISSONIThe collaboration between Swedish company Bolon and iconic Italian fashion house Missoni continues this year, and for the first time includes an interpretation of Missoni’s classic Zig Zag pattern, which is to be premiered at Maison&Objet in Paris in January. Bolon established a creative partnership with Missoni in 2012. The latest collection introduces two new patterns – Zigzag and Flame Patch – as well as updates of Optical and Flame. Warm, passionate colours are very much to the fore, and in in this new interpretation, Bolon By Missoni exudes joy and confidence. All the designs come in rolls, except Flame Patch, which is available exclusively and for the first time in 50 x 50cm tiles.bolon.commissoni.com

ROBERTA LICINIThe design origins of Rob-erta Licini are rooted in the fashion world; in the past, she designed many pieces of men’s and women’s wear. She recently approached the world of design, pre-senting a mini-collection of covers, cushions, and rugs in wool, cotton/cashmere, wood/cashmere. The com-mon denominator in all of her projects is her profound passion for art that is translated into a sophisti-cated exercise of spatial and proportional ratios obtained using inlay or marquetry, jacquard designs, and point work. A strong visual impact was made in Milan, in the showroom at Italian design label Colé’s headquarters, a brand inspired by research and the high quality of skilled artisan crafts.robertalicini.com

Textiles have always been the most malleable of materials – they can be brought into play in the whole gamut of interior environments, adding nuance to three-dimensional structures and giving shape to 2D screen-like walls. Colour is a benchmark, since it can range from the more indefinite and neutral to the blaringly energetic, all within the same design. The possibilities for designers to push the limits of product design are amplified when textiles are in the picture.

T E X T I L E S

RENEE MERCKX & JOS PELDERSOwners of FEBRIK FEBRIK is a new player in the world of in-terior textiles. Its collection of knitted materials (previously known as Innofa stretch textiles) was born in 2008. Its production identity is based on the company’s versatile collection, in-novative approach, and collaborative attitude. “With FEBRIK, we challenge designers and ar-chitects to not merely think about textiles as a last step in the design process, but instead to use them as a springboard for their interior concepts and industrial designs. We have tex-tiles that sport more than one face. For exam-ple, the designs by Bertjan Pot, Sprinkles and Triangle, have multi-layered, padded, geomet-ric 3D structures oozing an intrinsic richness and dignity whilst simultaneously evoking a warm and cozy ambiance. And our popular knitted textile, Uniform Mélange, has been up-dated with a new range of refined colour tones. When applied to upholstery, the fabric adapts to fit countless shapes without resistance. Due to the textile’s inherent stretch, seams are thus reduced to a bare minimum.” Backed by years of experience, and with its in-house design de-partment and production facilities, the young brand is strongly rooted in Tilburg, the Nether-lands, a city of historical importance regarding textiles. febrik.com

DAMN°48 magazine / FLOORS AND WALLS

CHRIS KABELWoven Night Skies by Chris Kabel comprises of curtains of light that float in the dark. The window coverings of the conference room in the Fogo Island Inn echo the northern lights in these ghostly curtains. The windows of this room, situated in a hotel on a tiny Canadian island close to the Polar Circle, face north. A special glow-in-the-dark yarn has been used for the fabrics, and a new technique invented to allow very fluent transitions to be cre-ated between delicate gradients in the fabric. Digitally produced patterns are converted onto the material, keeping the subtle color transition fluent during the translation from one medium to the other. When the conference room lights are turned on, the glow-in-the-dark yarn in the fabric loads up. When the lights are turned off, such as for a presentation, the fabric glows with a soft light. In the darkness, the woven pattern seems to float in space, produc-ing a realistic impression of the famed Northern Lights.chriskabel.com

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ISA GLINKCreative director at Kinnasand The new Faces collection (1/2) is a family of colour-ful, emotive curtains and home textiles designed by Isa Glink. Up to 27 curtains feature a strong, clear visual identity; some are sculptured and paper-like, others are translucent and floating. Though each is distinctive in its own right, the curtains in the collection share certain values: they explore textile structure and offer eye-catch-ing interplays of colour, ideal for mixing and matching.“We have been excited about the idea of fusing differ-ent material mixes, techniques, and finishing processes into one homogeneous collection of individual curtains and carpets. They all speak to each other with the same language, show a strong character, and shape the mood and identity of the interior.” For the curtains called Fac-es, production involved the use of technical materials such as modal and Tyvek. We’re always looking for new, surprising materials and ways to interpret them, in or-der to experience their special features. In this case, we like the ultra smooth and floating feeling of modal when combined with fine linen, and the waxy, more paper-like expression of the Tyvek. Here we aim at the unexpected element, what appeals to our senses, and I think that curiosity is always the key driver in the creative process. We are now working on the architecture of soft materials and will present more details next year.”kinnasand.com

DAMN°48 magazine / FLOORS AND WALLS

ALFREDO HÄBERLIDesigner for Kvadrat Argentine-Swiss designer Alfredo Häberli has de-signed a new series of textiles for Kvadrat. A guest lec-turer at schools of design and architecture in the US and Europe, Häberli has worked with many top design firms, including Vitra, Moroso, Camper, Luceplan, Tho-net, and Zanotta. The Häberli knit collection for Kvadrat comprises of three vibrant yet refined knitted upholstery textiles: Nebula, Nadir, and Galaxy (pictures). Thanks to their knitted construction, they offer good stretch-ability, which makes them ideal for organically shaped furniture. The designer says: “All of them are very differ-ent, but are nevertheless interrelated due to their specific colouring. The colour design of this collection was ex-tremely fun! The colourways for Nebula, Nadir and Gal-axy combine contrasting and tone-on-tone hues, which range from bright to earthy. Although their respective colouring is distinct from one another, they are linked by the colours of one or more yarns. Consequently, the three designs work particularly well together.”Based on a Japanese floral picture, which is transformed into a pixelated raster using the knitting technique, the three-dimensional Nebula pattern features organic, ab-stract shapes. The Nadir pattern is based on interlinking and overlapping rings of different sizes, which build an irregular, directionless motif. Galaxy features instead an irregular but refined pattern of small dots, which con-trast with a unicoloured, light or dark background. This recalls the clusters of stars that make up galaxies and includes neon, bold hues and natural shades. “In some colourways, the contrast between the ‘stars’ and the shade of the background is strong; in others it is more subtle. The colour combination gives the textile a very distinctive appearance.”alfredo-haeberli.comkvadrat.dk

JULES GREYMaison Marie Mees Cathérine Biasino These curtains are made out of 40% wool and 60% linen. The fabric is weaved in Belgium using very durable wool and Belgian linen of high quality. Marie Mees and Cathérine Biasino offer an expertise in curtains and rugs to architects, interior designers, shopkeepers. “All our curtains can be made to measure. For many years, we have been working with the same sewing professionals, whose skills and feel for finish are unrivalled”. For larger surfaces, we can provide the fabric at 300cm width. All fabrics can be made fireproof, on request.thealfredcollection.be

ANDREA BORAGNOCEO of Alcantara Alcantara, producer of the homonymous material made in Italy, presents a new luxury collection for the interior world at Paris Déco Off. Inspired by the vital primal element, Acqua enhances the expressive poten-tial of Alcantara through decorations and colours that highlight the many and various hues of the marine en-vironment.“With Acqua (3/4), we go back to basics, to the source of life itself. Inspiration came from water, as this is the element that symbolises life, purification, and change. Through the collection, Alcantara becomes fluid, shim-mering, and plays with the see-through effect, recall-ing the mysterious transience of the watery element. I believe that Acqua will meet the needs of an extremely sophisticated public that demands exclusive solutions. Our design team has explored unexpected combinations of precious materials, hence a new collection was born that defines itself as a real luxury essential.” It is a crucial turning point that relies on the sustain-able production methods. “Sustainability has been a concrete focus for us for over five years now. Since 2009, we have drafted an annual Sustainability Report, subjecting it to thorough control and the certification of the international institution TÜV SÜD. Every day, in fact, Alcantara puts a documented series of measures into effect to reduce and offset all of the CO2 emissions deriving from its activities: a truly daily commitment that enables us to guarantee 100% carbon-neutral pro-duction. The goal of carbon neutrality was achieved thanks to the coordinated implementation of a series of targeted actions: the accurate measurement of over-all CO2 levels, the drastic reduction of CO2 emissions (due to the updating of machinery), the streamlining of processes, improvements in the technical teams, energy procurement, and treatment of waste water.”Combined with KOKUYO’s newest chair, INSPINE, the rough, primitive design of the shelving and tables cre-ate an arresting contrast.alcantara.com

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CHRIS KABELDesigner and art director at Chris Kabel Chris Kabel was born in Bloemendaal, the Nether-lands in 1975, and graduated in 2001 from the DesignAcademy Eindhoven. After that he moved to Rotter-dam, where he now has his own design practice. He works for major design labels, architects, cultural in-stitutions, and design galleries. In 2014 he presented a project called Floorfiller.“Floorfiller aims to give a textural meaning to floor surfaces. This prototype features a massage pattern; it was made for the Winter Anti Depression Show that took place in Maastricht last year.” That event offered alternative and highly engaging ways to combat win-ter depression, with works from, amongst others, Kafe Mathews, Katja Gruyters, and Allessandro Gaultieri. “The pattern that is milled out of black MDF tiles offers a reflexology massage for the feet, in different intensi-ties - from smooth ‘pebbles’ to intense ‘spikes’ - that, according to Chinese philosophy, refresh the whole body after walking around on it for a while.”chriskabel.com

Among natural materials, wood is the one that most closely adheres to its primal features. Wooden flooring interprets traditional patterns, offering slight changes and subtle revisions to the classic floor. Keen on getting the best from the material’s natural veins and structures, brands look into the expressive potential of mixing and combining different types of wood, obtaining marble and textile-like surfaces.

W O O D

TABUSLIM 35mm is an ultra-narrow floor plank, only 35mm wide and 1000/1500mm long, as per the standard version designed by Federico Delrosso for Tabu. A product that is relevant to both design and architec-ture, the effect of SLIM 35mm resembles something very solid and well structured, as found in the flooring of early vessels; with such a narrow width, it is possible to create a more intricate pattern that can fit into irregular spaces and that can dress any object or surface. tabu.itfedericodelrosso.com

DAMN°48 magazine / FLOORS AND WALLS

THOMAS & HEIDI DINESENOwners of Dinesen Thomas and Heidi Dinesen have been in charge of the family business since 1989, when they took over the old sawmill. Thomas Dinesen is the fourth generation to head Dinesen wooden planks produc-tion, which is based on more than 110 years of experi-ence. “High quality and excellent craftsmanship have always been the cornerstones of our work with raw wood. Today, modern technology is another natural part of our production, which, then as now, is situated in Denmark. No two Dinesen floors are alike. Wood is a living material, and we take pride in producing harmonious floors that respect the personality of the tree and preserve nature’s riches. Therefore, it is not our ambition to deliver knot-free floors. A knot is the part of a branch that is embedded in the trunk, and it’s a testimony to the history and vitality of the tree. One of our latest products is GrandPatterns. It is in oak and comes in extraordinary dimensions. All the patterns are upscaled versions of the well-know tra-ditional ones, giving the floor surface a familiar yet extraordinary appearance.”dinesen.com

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HADI TEHERANIArchitect and designer for Parador With the New Classics collection by Hadi Teherani, Parador presents laminate and engineered wooden floors that reveal interpretations of traditional installation pat-terns with slight nuances. Valuable materials are used in subtle ways to play with classic floor art. “The ability to combine designs creates further scope with a number of variation options”, says Teherani, who has used tradi-tional wood and marble flooring materials to create the Light Marble Oak and Dark Marble Oak laminates. “The interplay between the materials generates an exciting tension in the room, which is accentuated by the stripy nature of the marble elements.” With Light Marble Oak, Teherani combines natural oak with white Italian mar-ble, while Dark Marble Oak features a liaison between

TACTISTactis is a brand created in 2011 to provide original solutions to the increasing demand for sophisticated interior wall panels with special, unmistakable aesthetic qualities. Highly tactile textures, bold patterns, and unusual colour combina-tions allow a high degree of customisation, making Tactis a perfect partner for creative projects. It comes as an MDF panel that can be used to build doors and cover internal surfaces in order to create atmospheres with a strong visual impact. When treated with care and attention, engineered wood and aluminium lend themselves to original and unex-pected effects. tactis.eu

DAMN°48 magazine / FLOORS AND WALLS

thermal oak and black marble. “The laminate versions, such as Ornamental Oak and Graphic Oak, are based on the geometric, decorative possibilities of the classic parquet floor, referring to light and dark diamonds that form star-shaped, playful structures reminiscent of the grand properties of days gone by. Graphic Oak also uses the diamond look in a purist, straight-line style. The in-terplay of light and dark oak creates a relief-effect on the floors, which almost gives the impression of inlay work. The various ways the laminate planks can be combined ensures a one-of-a-kind floor design.”parador.dehaditeherani.com

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