Surfaces Focus: Latest products
Discover the latest collections and designs in our product showcase, from Bill Amberg Studio, Milliken, Salvatori, Amtico, Kvadrat and Forbo
Words by Emily Martin
Bill Amberg Collaborations
Launching its third collection of digitally printed leather hides, this year’s collaborators with the Bill Amberg Studio include Bethan Gray, Yinka Ilori, Amber Khokhar, Kesewa Aboah, and Jonathan Saunders. The collection features exquisite designs that showcase the incredible possibilities of digitally printed leather for upholstery and interior architectural use.
Bethan Gray
Inky Dhow is inspired by the sails of Dhow boats – traditional Arabian sailing vessels, whose lateen sails are made from fabric strips that are sewn together. Gray painted the print 1:1 on a large roll of watercolour paper, using ultramarine ink. The pattern’s fluid lines capture the movement of the sails billowing in the wind.
Yinka Ilori
Love is Blind is a response to the book For Every One by Jason Reynolds. While the book is about not giving up on your dreams, Ilori’s design considers how one might interpret dreams, and what these might look like as a pattern.
Amber Khokhar
Khokhar’s Decagram; Deca is a crystalline pattern that explores five and ten-fold geometries. Emanating out from a ten-pointed star that sits in the centre of the rosette, the work references notions of inclusivity, oneness and spirituality.
Kesewa Aboah
A Piece of Alba portrays imagery derived from text taken from the poem The Rime of the Ancient Mariner by Samuel Taylor Coleridge. It tells the story of a sailor who gets cursed when he kills an albatross in flight. The body impression was created in a base nude tone, with layers added in dry pigment, evincing the reds and oranges Aboah drew from the poem.
Jonathan Saunders
Wander is an engineered graphic print of tonal neutrals that graduate from a light centre to a dark border – intended to frame whatever it is applied to, creating depth across the hide and the finished piece. The work is inspired by Colour Theory, as taught at the Bauhaus art school – a process-led ideology that studies the changing path of colour tones via applied gradients.
print.billamberg.com
Lithoverde from Italian firm Salvatori is a recycled stone that boasts environmentally friendly qualities and showcases a beautiful texture with unique features. It is used in interior surfaces to create floors, walls, wet areas and kitchens.
Stone off-cuts comprise 99% of the material, with the remaining 1% being a natural resin acting as a binder. Lithoverde contributes to LEED rating points (established by the US Green Building Council) and has been validated by SCS (Scientific Certification Systems), leaders in the independent certification of environmental sustainability. It has also won a number of awards both within Italy and abroad, for innovation and its positive contribution to the environment.
It’s available in Bianco Carrara, Crema d’Orcia, Gris du Marais and Pietra d’Avola finishes.
salvatori.it
Milliken – Social Factor
In a response to government led safety legislations within the workplace Milliken has launched a striking carpet tile collection to assist social distancing within these spaces.
Social Factor is a collection of informational carpet tile graphics that can be easily inserted into an existing carpet tile layout. With countries in various states of lockdown, Milliken designers have created an aesthetically pleasing floor covering collection to facilitate a safe return to work.
Carpet can effectively be used to define boundaries, create zones, provide wayfinding, set navigation, direct traffic, and provide a measuring tool through graphic messaging, colours and patterns.
Social Factor carpet tiles help facilitate responsible behaviours such as enhanced hygiene practices. Designs include distancing and directional arrows, footsteps, chair positioning, and hand-washing icons in vibrant colours.
The carpet tile collection can also be quickly and easily customised to meet the specific information requirements of each unique interior.
Kvadrat has launched The Monotypes materials collection by Kinnasand. Designed by creative director Isa Glink and her team, the collection is comprised of 100% circular materials.
Monotypes showcases the signature characteristics of wool, hemp, Lyocell and recycled polyester. Precise weaving constructions reflect the unique design qualities of the textiles. The collection’s colour palette is made up of light pigments and weathered shades and organic nuances and tones. Modified primary colours add edge and depth, evoking the vibrancy of the man-made source material.
Amtico has expanded its Signature 36+ collection luxury vinyl tile (LVT) flooring to suit a variety of commercial applications, including hospitality, office and healthcare environments.
The collection comprises of wood, stone and abstract designs. The Woods range from warm and golden tones to neutral and dark oaks, including the company’s new Rustic and Treated Grains designs. The Stones palette features tonal grey backdrops with delicate markings through to industrial, skimmed-effect concrete, while Abstract consists of metallic and pewter tones taking inspiration from brushed aluminium and patinated metals.
The flooring’s toughened 1mm upper wear layer provides all the resilience and long-lasting properties, while offering enhanced slip resistance for the lifetime of the product.
Designed and manufactured in the UK, Signature 36+ delivers sustained performance in slip resistance, alongside the endless design possibilities of LVT planks and tiles. The range also contains an active ingredient that has been shown, under blind independent lab tests, to resist the growth of bacteria such as MRSA and E. coli throughout the usable lifetime of the floor – providing added peace of mind for healthcare environments.
amtico.com/commercial.com
As part of its Live Forward campaign, Forbo Flooring Systems is underlining its commitment to sustainability and minimising the environmental impact of its products and processes. Unlike other vinyl or resilient floor coverings, its linoleum product, Marmoleum, does not use plastics such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and is carbon-neutral, being manufactured from 97% natural raw materials.
This includes flax, jute and linseed oil, which are obtained from annual crops, and wood flour and pine rosin, which are sourced from sustainably managed forestry plantations.
In addition to its sustainability, Marmoleum offers true design freedom and choice with more than 300 colours and designs to pick from. It is also phthalate-free for improved air quality and Allergy UK-approved. All Marmoleum products also feature the Forbo Topshield high-performance UV finish, which prevents staining, scuffing and scratching for a longerlasting finish as well as easier cleaning and maintenance.
