Lisa Tomlin
Lisa Tomlin is CEO of CFS, a distributor of high-quality flooring and floor coverings

What sort of role does flooring play in today’s interior environments? Do you feel that more significance is being given to flooring design than in the past?
Absolutely. Once, flooring was seen as just a basic function that insulated a building, but didn’t lend itself much to the experience people had within it. Slowly but surely, as we have come to see that every single element of a room contributes to the way it makes us feel, there has been an increased focus on flooring design.

It’s not just about the way it looks, but also the materials that are used to create it and the impact this can have on the wellbeing of the end-user. A particularly notable example of this is care-home settings, with great consideration given to the specification of floor coverings used in dementia care facilities.

Whether flooring is used to tie in with existing branding in a commercial setting, or make us feel our homes are at the forefront of contemporary interior design, there is no doubt that we pay more attention to flooring today than ever before. And this will only increase as more and more design options become available to us.

What do you think have been the main trends in flooring design in the commercial sectors over the past 40 years?
It has been about balancing cost savings with aesthetic appeal. Those working in commercial spaces know their floors endure a high footfall, but must also look great and be consistent with a space’s existing theme or style. But there are many commercial brands that have used flooring to have an actual impact on their business’ bottom line over the past few decades. We have seen flooring applied very cleverly, in patterns that lend themselves to navigation around offices or stores, directing people to higher-priced items to encourage a bigger spend.

CFS matting provides a functional and striking welcome to the Tate Modern

In what ways are you responding to the challenges of contemporary interiors?
Every project is unique and interesting for different reasons. As flooring becomes more and more integral to the wider design aspects of the spaces we live and work in, we’re coming across more innovative and bespoke uses for flooring and coverings. Recently, for example, our flooring was fitted in an office that wanted to bring the outdoors inside – something we refer to as biophilic design. Our artificial lawn range was used as a carpet substitute to help achieve this, while the wood designs of our LVT were used to emulate naturally occurring products – which actually have a calming effect on its users.

At the moment, we are focusing a lot of our attention on care homes. Flooring plays a very significant role in this area, as it is vital for navigation, safety, and to emulate the home environment for the comfort of those living in dementia settings.

There is so much to consider, because alongside memory loss dementia can cause visuo-perceptual difficulties and distortions of image. Combined with the natural deterioration of eyesight that occurs with age, an inconsistent floor pattern can make it difficult for patients to differentiate between floor design and objects or obstructions, meaning they are more susceptible to falls. Furthermore, if a floor is excessively shiny, as well as presenting a slip risk the floor can look wet, confusing patients unnecessarily. All of this has to be taken into account and catered for; we almost need to ensure the flooring in care homes is barely noticeable, in order for it to function effectively.

From the many clients that CFS has worked with, can you highlight any that were particularly innovative or open to your suggestions on doing things differently? We recently worked with an interiors specialist on an office refurb that was particularly interesting. When refurbishing the property, all elements of the interior design were specified with the staff’s personal wellbeing in mind. Often, flooring is dismissed as providing little more than functional benefits, whereas in this project, the flooring choices were pivotal. The considered use of flooring allowed the office to be segmented into ‘working space’ and ‘recreational’ space, giving staff much needed time away from their desk, in a more relaxed environment. The use of artificial grass also played into the biophilic trend we are seeing, which not only looks great but also can help reduce stress and anxiety and increase productivity in the workplace. We also thoroughly enjoy working on projects that incorporate branding into the flooring. We recently worked with a school that wanted to use its school colour, a dark purple, within its interior design choices. Painting the walls would be overbearing, and using such a dark colour would make corridors seem much smaller than they were. CFS worked with the installer to create a bespoke floor covering, utilising carpet tiles in complementary colours to ensure the school’s branding could be seen throughout the building, creating a cohesive interior design scheme.

Biophilic carpeting brings natural freshness into the office

CFS has installed flooring for high-profile clients including Tate Modern and Thomas Cook. What were the outstanding features of these projects?
At Tate Modern, CFS Primavera, a fibre-bonded, heavy contract velour carpet, was installed to act as primary entrance matting to prevent the transportation of debris into the building from outside. CFS Stockade, a heavy contract structured, fibre-bonded sheet with a gel rubber backing, was installed as secondary entrance matting immediately inside the building, to further extend the lifespan of the interior carpets. CFS Compilation, which is available as both broadloom and carpet tiles, was also installed over the main walkway of the building. Thomas Cook used a range of CFS products as part of its in-store rebrand. CFS Stockade in charcoal was installed in the entrance to preserve the life of interior carpets. CFS Eternity Commercial, a luxury vinyl tile, was installed within the stores, providing the aesthetic of real wood while remaining hard-wearing and easy to maintain. CFS Tredline, a carpet tile with a contemporary linear colour range, was used throughout the sales floor, complemented by Europa carpet tiles in light grey.

How important is technology in floor design? Are smart floors a significant trend?
Smart floor technologies are not widely used in the UK at present. Most of the take-up so far has been in Germany. However, as we continue to innovate and discover new ways of combining technology with traditional flooring materials, I would expect to see smart floors becoming second nature within installations.

In care homes, we could see this in the form of alarms triggering when residents fall, assistance with navigation, and insight into which patients are most likely to use certain facilities in the building. Within retail and commercial spaces, we could see smart floors used, for example, to make the shopping experience more exciting, with flooring ‘coming alive’ to tell us more about the products we see on the shelves.

As we should all have learned by now, when it comes to new technology there really are no limits as to where the future might take us. The possibilities for flooring design are very exciting.

If budget were no object, what would be your fantasy floor for a hospital, a school and a department store?
One of the biggest challenges faced by flooring providers in healthcare environments is sterility. If the budget was unlimited, I’d love to create a self-cleaning, self-sterilising floor covering that would deliver huge health benefits and cost savings for hospitals.

Within schools, interactivity would be my ideal. Just as we see smart boards and iPads being used to enhance learning, flooring could also play a big part in the educational experience. Whether for group activities within classrooms, or games during PE, there is definitely a role for interactive flooring in the educational sector. Finally, when we look at department stores, it would be really exciting to see the flooring direct us to items that work well with what we already have in our baskets. Whether it be recipes or outfits, flooring might one day act as a personal shopper!