Karndean Designflooring’s journey has been driven by design and practicality says Fleur Carson, Karndean Designflooring managing director
Tell me a little about the history of your company.
We’ve been in the flooring world for over fifty years now, but we’ve always stuck to what we do best: beautifully designed luxury vinyl. Karndean started back in 1973 when Mike Walker set up a small business from his family home. He was a flooring installer himself, so he knew what customers and fitters were up against and wanted to make great products easier for everyone to get their hands on.
His hands on experience is what led him to luxury vinyl. He saw its potential straight away: natural looking designs that are also durable, practical and easy to live with. That idea has guided us ever since.
What began as a small family business has grown into a global flooring specialist, but the heart of the company hasn’t changed. We still obsess over the details, we still design with care and we’re still focused on making products that look beautiful and last.
At the end of the day, Karndean is all about one thing: helping people create spaces that feel like home.
When and why did you join the company?
I joined Karndean in July 2018 to help grow and shape the commercial side of the business, building on its strong retail heritage and bringing more focus to specification and end user relationships. From there, my role grew from Commercial Sales Director to VP of Sales across retail and commercial, and in October 2023 I became Managing Director. It’s something I’d always aimed for, and it’s a real privilege to do it here. Karndean is fast paced, innovative and full of energy, and it’s an exciting place to lead.
Why are your company’s products different than your competitors’ products and what’s the secret to creating a successful flooring product?
We always start with the user and the space. For us, flooring is about how it makes people feel, whether that’s calm, safe, happy or simply ready to get things done. Every product has a purpose, and we want it to feel like a natural part of someone’s sanctuary.
Great design should be accessible to everyone, whether they’re shopping through a merchant, a retailer or a designer. That’s why we focus on combining beauty, performance and total peace of mind.
Nature is a huge influence for us. Our design team studies every knot, tone and texture to make sure our floors feel authentic and full of character. At the same time, performance really matters. From improved acoustics in Knight Tile Quiet to the enhanced slip resistance in our new Opus designs, we’re always pushing for better. And we love surprising people with new patterns, including some bold patterned tiles arriving this June.
What sets us apart is our attention to detail and the fact that we stay true to what we’re best at. We are specialists in LVT, and that focus isn’t changing.
What’s the secret to a successful flooring installation?
A successful flooring installation is all about striking the perfect balance between showcasing the product and creating the right atmosphere. It’s not just about laying planks or tiles correctly; it’s about imagining the space, understanding how people will use it and bringing that vision to life. The most effective installations happen when you get creative, and when you play with light, texture and layout, and allow the design to support the feeling you want the room to evoke.
When craft meets creativity, the result is a floor that performs beautifully and transforms the space around it.
Who, outside your company, do you most admire in the industry?
I’m especially inspired by the innovators who are reshaping traditional home improvement categories. Paint is a great example. It’s an industry that had been fairly static for decades, yet a new wave of brands has come in and completely rethought the experience from the ground up. They’ve modernised colour choice, simplified the buying journey and used digital tools in smart, intuitive ways that genuinely support the end user.
What I admire most is their ability to break long standing norms while still keeping quality and craft at the centre. They prove that even in a well established category, you can still surprise people, make things easier and create a more enjoyable, accessible process. That level of fresh thinking keeps everyone on their toes and pushes the whole interiors sector forward.
What three challenges do you feel the industry is facing and what are you doing to overcome these (sustainability, supply, consumer confidence, etc)?
Sustainability is a big one. Customers want lower impact products, but they also want honesty. We focus on being transparent about our materials, our testing and the real performance of our floors, rather than making broad claims.
The second challenge is the pressure created by legislation, inflation and the general commoditisation of the category. Costs, compliance and global uncertainty all squeeze the market. Our approach is to stay agile, plan ahead with suppliers and keep innovating so we can deliver value without compromising quality.
The third challenge is the shortage of skilled fitters. Fewer people are entering the trade, and labour demands are rising. We’re investing in training and making our products easier and quicker to install to give fitters confidence and help strengthen the skills base for the future.
Can you give an outline of your most popular product ranges and explain a bit about them?
Our most popular ranges with consumers are Van Gogh and Knight Tile. They sit in our mid and entry level collections and are loved for their versatility, reliability and easy to live with designs. Retailers often highlight Knight Tile for the sheer choice it offers, while Van Gogh stands out for its colour range and impressive plank sizes.
Van Gogh is a real favourite. Its wood designs cover everything from clean, modern tones to warm, characterful classics like Country Oak and French Oak. This spring we’re introducing four new herringbones in existing plank sizes, giving customers the option to match designs room to room. They also bring the opportunity to get more creative with a mixed herringbone designs.
At the top end, Art Select is always a standout. Retailers love it for its depth of design, especially the stone, marble and onyx looks that bring a real sense of luxury.
Fitters play a big part in the popularity of these ranges too. They take real pride in herringbones and border details, and we love seeing how creatively our products are installed.
Across all three ranges, the theme is the same: choice, creativity and flooring that brings together beauty and practicality, designed for modern living.
Is sustainability and ethical manufacturing a key commitment to your business, and if so, why?
Sustainability matters to us because customers deserve transparency and honesty. It’s important that we show real progress, not promises. Through our Karndean Evolve sustainability programme, we focus on evidence based action and have already reduced our emissions by ten percent since 2022. At its core, sustainability is important because our customers trust us.
How robust is your supply chain in the face of global issues such as war?
Our supply chain is built to be highly agile. We have the flexibility to adjust our supply routes quickly when global events create disruption. This allows us to maintain service across multiple territories and protect continuity of supply.
We plan ahead by securing access to raw materials, maintaining strong relationships with multiple factories and building contingency options into our operations. This outsourcing strategy gives us resilience and reduces dependency on any single region.
In short, we have structured our supply chain to adapt rapidly and continue delivering reliably, even during periods of uncertainty.
What flooring trends are you seeing at the moment, and how do these influence your product development?
We’re seeing a growing demand for customisation, both in design and in technical performance. Customers want floors that offer creative freedom while still delivering practical benefits such as improved acoustics, easier installation and higher slip resistance. These expectations shape how we develop new products, ensuring every range delivers both style and functionality.
Nature continues to be a strong source of inspiration. The textures, tones and movement found in natural materials influence our design direction and help us create products that feel authentic and calming. This is becoming an important part of the specification process, particularly as designers look for materials that support wellbeing and create inviting spaces.
We also see increasing demand for technical clarity at the specification stage. Our commercial team plays a key role here. We understand LVT deeply, and that expertise allows us to guide specifiers with confidence. Strong relationships at the design and architecture end mean we can support better decision making, anticipate project needs and ensure the right products are selected from the start.
Overall, the trends point towards personalisation, performance and partnership, and our product development reflects that.
What is your major selling point with contractors? What do your products offer them that others don’t?
Contractors value us because we give them reliable access to everything they need. Our technical support, installation guidance and product expertise are always available, and our head office and warehouse in Evesham provide fast, dependable supply when deadlines are tight. This consistency removes risk and keeps projects moving.
We also work hard to protect contractors from value engineering. Our products are designed to perform, and we help contractors demonstrate that value to their clients so they can deliver the right solution without compromise.
The result is smoother installations, fewer callbacks and stronger long term relationships with their customers.
Looking ahead, our aim is to get even closer to contractors. We want to understand their challenges in more detail and support them throughout the project journey.
Where do you see the company in five years?
In five years, we see the business even more connected across retail, commercial and trade. Customer behaviour is changing fast, with homeowners and designers relying more on digital tools, so we’re strengthening our omnichannel experience to support every step of the journey.
We’ll continue growing and enhancing our existing showrooms at the Design Centre and Evesham, making sure they stay aligned with what customers need. At the same time, we’re investing in our retail network and bringing partners with us as we adapt to the shopper of the future.
We also expect a much closer, more collaborative relationship with installers, contractors and interior designers. Working together will help create smoother journeys and better outcomes for everyone.
Our goal is simple: to be more accessible, more collaborative and more in tune with how people choose, specify and install our products.