THE appearance characteristics of the common fibres rate nylon or wool as joint first and polypropylene as second. However, none of that counts if the colour and design choice is wrong.
Choice has to be determined by installation and functionality rather than by fashion. If a bad choice is made the mistake is there for a long time and expensive to correct. For example, we were approached by a large nursing home whose choice of plain carpet in the corridor was clearly wrong. The inevitable spilt cups of tea and other accidents, plus constant wheelchair traffic, would have been better masked by a carpet with a contrasting design.
Colour in action: The economic climate has precipitated a shift in the type of carpet chosen for workplaces. Cost effectiveness has become the key driver, whereas a year or two ago vibrant colour and design was often more important.
The move towards open plan away from cellular design now means the colour of the carpet has a vital role in unifying the whole area – one reason why greys and other non- conflicting colours are so popular.
On the other hand, the recent school building programme has eliminated cellular design, i.e. classrooms and corridors are replaced by open self-contained learning and leisure areas. Here colour is used differently to define pupil years and various functions. It has become an essential part of children’s’ learning process
and their interaction with their environment. Colours are used to alter their emotion and behaviour and denote function, ranging from exciting inspirational areas in red and orange etc to quiet study zones in green, blue or grey.
Sometimes really bright colours are the only solution, as the International Red Bull Music Academy held over five weeks in Red Bull UK’s London offices recently showed. Designed and produced by Mehrnoosh Khadivi through My Beautiful City, she created two different dramatic patterns formed by cutting and laying Tretford cord into a patchwork, including a
modern take of graphic parquet, which pushed this idea and the carpet to its limits and used light cream, dark chocolate and a highly contrasting bright yellow.
On the lower ground rehearsal room and outside lounge she designed a rainbow sunburst using the extremely bright colours in an attempt to create a classic 1970s look.
Although appearance retention cannot be quantified scientifically, informed suppliers of carpet offer guidance about which colours can take the heaviest abuse in terms of traffic and soiling. Tretford, for example, provides an appearance retention guide. Particularly useful are small trial areas prior to a large installation taking place where, if possible, carpet is laid in the heaviest traffic area to determine the performance, appearance retention and most suitable colours/design prior to a costly mistake being made.
Of course, fibres by their very nature will soil but how easily soiling and wear becomes apparent is key to a long lasting carpet. This means that design and colour play a vital role in the acceptable longevity of a product, along with the correct structure and fibres. It should not be difficult to get right. C F J
Stephen Neal is sales manager at Joseph Hamilton & Seaton (JHS)
I www.jhscarpets.com I T: 01827 831400

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