Chicago— NeoCon 2022 takes place here this week at the Merchandise Mart to showcase the latest in commercial design across industry categories. Representing markets ranging from workplace, healthcare, hospitality, retail, education, public space and government, the show prides itself on offering the commercial design community a place to connect, learn and do business each year.
The industry’s major manufacturers as well as the latest emerging companies will showcase thousands of new products and services in categories including furniture, fabrics, flooring, interior building products, interior finishes and technology. For the flooring industry, that means highly anticipated innovations in product that tout the latest in design technology from brands like Shaw, Mohawk, Crossville, Interface, Mannington and so many more.
Following is a preview of some of the new product innovations set to launch today at NeoCon 2022.
AHF Contract: Expressive Ideas
Expressive Ideas is the new vinyl-based tile (VBT) innovation from AHF Contract that will be featured at NeoCon 2022. The VBT product line, exclusively from AHF Products, offers lower maintenance and life-cycle costs versus traditional vinyl composition tile (VCT) tile, with colors developed specifically for commercial environments. According to AHF Contract, commercial customers like the coloration and the premium chip visual of the brand new VBT. Densely patterned tones effectively mask scuffs and soil in busy commercial spaces. From bold brights to subdued natural colors, the 28-color palette aims to enhance any environment. Through-pattern construction of VBT, which means the color and pattern extend throughout the thickness of the tile, is said to ensure the tile’s color and design will last the life of the floor.
The low-maintenance VBT product offers scratch, stain and scuff resistance without polish, reducing the total cost of ownership over the life of the floor. Education, offices, retail and healthcare environments can resume operations far more quickly and with minimal interruption because of a simpler maintenance regimen and a variety of performance benefits that help efficiency, productivity and sustainability goals.
Ava by Novalis: 2TRZO
The Ava by Novalis brand will highlight its 2TRZO at NeoCon 2022. 2TRZO is a product that features a full line of unique terrazzo visuals that provide a wide range of design options for many applications. 2TRZO will be offered in a 36 x 36 x 2.5mm glue-down construction with a 22-mil wear layer and has Ava’s proprietary AMP coating, making it an ideal flooring product for a variety of installations. 2TRZO is FloorScore certified and is phthalate free and Greenguard Gold certified. It also features the Declare label and includes an EPD (environmental product declaration) and HPD (health product declaration).
Bentley: Modern Curator Collection No. 1
Today, everyone is a curator. Of design or words, of cinema or technology. Whether creating a collection of fine art or graphic fonts, the curator culls and convenes, framing viewpoints while widening perspectives, shaping and shifting how others see the world. But the experience—and story—that result is uniquely yours to tell.
Modern Curator from Bentley takes moments from the past that continue to influence the world today, combining and re-interpreting them in new, different and contemporary ways. Inspired by the 1960s with a European tilt, the collection’s three styles feature moody palettes and edgy patterns designed to resonate with a generation grappling with unprecedented change—and unparalleled creativity.
Crossville: Stone Fiction
Crossville’s new Stone Fiction will be on display at NeoCon 2022. The line aims to capture crosscuty travertine’s distinct appearance with soft, swirling surface graphics and a mild, abundantly matchable neutral color palette. The line’s subtly striated visual and limestone-like textural detailing—achieved through Crossville’s advanced tile design technology—is designed to emulate the nuances of stone mineral deposits and pitting of the natural material. Though the overall effect captures the real stone’s appearance, the tiles are easy-to-clean and extremely durable.
Stone Fiction’s versatile color options include Travertine Ivory, Beige, Silver and Coffee. These hues are offered in both an unpolished interior finish and an exterior option suitable for walkways and pool surrounds. Though the texture of the tiles is smooth to the touch, the unpolished finish provides necessary slip resistance. This invites designers to carry a look from interior spaces to outdoor areas with no compromising performance.
The collection’s concise field tile sizes are 12 x 24 and 24 x 24 supplemented by a 2 x 2 mosaic. The trim package includes bullnose and cove base to provide a large range of application feasibility for commercial and residential projects.
Stone Fiction field tiles are made in the USA and Green Square Certified to answer sustainability standards. The complete collection is suited for commercial or residential projects with options recommended for both interior walls and floors.
Econyl: Delos Azure Rug
Delos introduces the Azure collection at NeoCon 2022, crafted with Econyl nylon. Made entirely out of waste, Econyl is a 100% recycled nylon that empowers designers to create beautiful new products without depleting the Earth’s precious resources. The collection is said to showcase the familiar sight of water ripples on the coast, inspired by nature and Blue Mind theory—the neurological, psychological and emotional state of rest that we experience when we are in or around water.
Kate Cave, Delos’ lead designer, said she found inspiration in this digital age and juxtaposed it with the idea of Blue Mind theory, adding movement and varying shades of blue to otherwise stagnant digital design elements. By doing so, Cave said she has created intentional pieces of art for the floor that suggest that although we choose to live in the digital age, we don’t have to be controlled by it if we are mindful of ourselves, our needs and our surroundings.
Designing with Econyl substantially reduces the waste stream while harnessing spent energy in lieu of oil, lessening the carbon impact of nylon by up to 90% compared with petroleum-based alternatives. For every 10,000 tons of Econyl raw material, 70,000 barrels of crude oil are saved, avoiding 65,100 tons of equivalent CO2 emissions.
EF Contract: Alfresco and Flourish Weave
Alfresco and Flourish Weave continue the celebration of hand-crafting design established in the company’s Simple Weave carpet.
Offered in 18 x 36 carpet tile, Alfresco is an organic abstract that plays with the light and shadow found in the layered view of looking upward into a lush tree canopy. Its minimalist styling and rich texture share a common thread with the more tailored Simple Weave and together provide a subtle, understated canvas for fresh interiors. With a nod to botanical tapestries, Flourish Weave features a contemporary silhouette of scrolling vines. Its large-scale and defined lines provide a striking visual contrast to Alfresco and Simple Weave. Flourish Weave is available in 18 x 36 carpet tile and shares 10 colorways with Alfresco for a beautifully blended flooring design.
Alfresco and Flourish Weave are manufactured from 100% solution-dyed Encore SD Ultima nylon, feature a patterned scroll construction as well as a Nexus modular backing.
i4F: True Grout
i4F is making its debut at NeoCon 2022 with i’s True Grout, designed to imitate the beauty of modern rectified ceramics for both floors and walls without its inconveniences, offering easier installation and maintenance as well as improved hygiene. The trend for wet rooms and ensuite bathrooms is driving demand for floor and wall products that imitate ceramics. SPC/rigid core tiles featuring True Grout are ideal for any room.
Durability on rigid core products featuring True Grout is maximized due to the addition of a colored wear layer between the décor film and the core. True Grouts are milled directly into this additional wear layer—available in any color—eliminating risk of grout damage, color deviations, staining and gathering of mold. This increased resilience outperforms both a V-groove and a traditional ceramic grout in terms of wear and tear, the company said. True Grout technology also enables the milling of an additional grout line in the middle of a tile or plank thus mimicking two tiles on a single panel. This greatly facilitates the creation of staggered patterns and cuts installation time in half.
Interface: Beaumont Range
As cities and communities become more in-tune with nature, so do our interior spaces. With four styles inspired by the ever-changing beauty of mountain trails, the Beaumont Range carpet tile collection from Interface reflects the growing connection between nature and well-being. It includes three plank styles—Mesa, Eben and Ferris—along with Zera, a companion carpet tile from Flor, that captures the infinite elegance of marbled stone in a square format.
These styles expand upon the i2 smart design innovation from Interface, which mimics the random beauty of a forest floor through tile-to-tile variations in pattern, color and texture. Using this new, innovative design approach, Beaumont Range offers substantial pattern variation within each style. According to Interface, the result is a one-of-a-kind floorscape every time, beautifully varied but cohesive like one found in nature.
Beaumont Range, which will be featured at NeoCon 2022, is made using processes and materials that result in a low carbon footprint, like 100% recycled content nylon. In fact, according to Interface, its carpet tile portfolio offers the lowest carbon footprint in the commercial flooring industry. Also, as part of the company’s Carbon Neutral Floors program, all Interface flooring products—including the four Beaumont Range styles—are carbon neutral across their full product life cycle, helping designers reduce the carbon footprint of their spaces and improve the health of the planet.
J+J Flooring: Forces of Nature
At NeoCon 2022, J+J Flooring unveils Forces of Nature, a carpet tile collection that aims to depict the beautiful chaos that results when elements gather and collide to take command of the skies. Tempest renders the strong surging movements of a windstorm through its irregular strokes of tone-on-tone color. Cumulus clouds share a story through translucent shape and billowy formations across a backdrop of temperate sky. Zephyr offers an after-the-storm freshness with its muted textural transition of color and pattern. The Forces of Nature collection’s 18 x 36 carpet tile palette features 14 colorways in Cumulus and Tempest, with seven complementing colors in Zephyr.
All three styles are manufactured with 100% Encore SD Ultima solution-dyed nylon and contains ProTex Anti-Soil Treatment, a technology that is applied and bonded to the pile fiber to impede soiling and to improve cleanability. These products are backed with Nexus Modular backing and include the ProSept antimicrobial treatment. Sentir advanced odor blocking treatment is an optional special technology that can be added.
Kährs Upofloor: Zero
Kährs Upofloor is introducing the next generation of Zero, a tried-and-true range of PVC-free resilient flooring for commercial spaces at NeoCon 2022. The Zero range of products is known for offering a product with zero PVC, zero plasticizers and zero worries. The new generation of Zero builds on this reputation with an even greater focus on reducing the environmental footprint while retaining the great performance of scratch resistance, chemical resistance and high durability. All Zero products are now manufactured with 100% renewable energy, all production waste recycled and all products contain up to 50% recycled production waste. Plus, as part of the next generation of the Zero family, Kährs Upofloor is introducing the new Zero & Green collection: a PVC-free, bio-based resilient sheet flooring that will be launching in the U.S. this year in 10 colors matching the Zero Sheet range.
In the Zero & Green collection, 40% of the virgin polymer content is bio-based and 60% of the total product is calcium carbonate—a natural mineral sourced within 124 miles of the production facility in Finland. Zero & Green and Zero Sheet are both backed by the Declare label and are Red List Free. Zero & Green is also certified by the Nordic Swan Ecolabel, the most rigorous and trusted ecolabel in the Nordics.
Küberit: Expansion Profiles
Küberit makes its debut at NeoCon 2022 with its Expansion Profiles, which are designed to allow the movement expansion joints demand, preventing buckles and cracks in floor coverings. The unique construction of Küberit Expansion profiles allows movement of the joint, while making a strong style statement. Küberit provides expansion profiles for use with every floor covering, allowing every expansion gap to be honored.
Küberit Expansion Profiles are new to the market, designed to solve decades-long flooring problems with an innovative design and functional solution for use with any floor covering. Two innovative designs address this industry-wide problem. One is a two-part profile with the parts installed on either side of the joint. The other design uses a flexible center, which will move with the slabs. Either choice accomplishes the same objective and provides a pleasing aesthetic result.
Mannington Commercial: Amtico Active Lines
Mannington Commercial introduces the Amtico Active Lines collection at NeoCon 2022, an easy-to-customize LVT flooring solution that helps bring a sense of flow to busy spaces.
Lines are a fundamental element of art, created by connecting two points, and they are the starting place for most artistic creation. The Amtico Active Lines collection is an exploration of the line and its expressive qualities and was designed to create variety in pattern, scale and color play.
The collection makes it simple to customize flooring, the company said, delivering design flexibility with 112 possible running-line combinations of styles, base colors and accent colors—all of which can be mixed or used independently for a completely tailored floor. Because the accent colors are digitally printed, designers can also create a fully custom accent color that matches a project’s branding or palette.
The collection is available in two sizes—18 x 18 or 6 x 36— and four styles. Grid is the smallest scale pattern with a subtle color shift. Bend is an organic linear pattern that weaves accent colors along the design in a quiet way. Crisscross is the heaviest pattern visually, incorporating color in a bold way. Shift is the largest scale of the four patterns, which in accent colorways delivers high energy.
In addition, the Amtico Active Lines collection features a 40-mil wear layer and Quantum Guard Elite, Mannington Commercial’s leading performance technology.
Mohawk Group: Social Canvas
Mohawk Group’s Social Canvas modular carpet collection—which uses the work of artist Charlie French as a point of departure—is a result of a collaboration with ArtLifting, an organization that champions artists who are impacted by disabilities or housing insecurity. ArtLifting provides a platform and creates opportunities for underrepresented artists to amplify their voices and participate in the contemporary art market.
Social Canvas is designed to convey the expression and poignancy of French’s abstract painterly style, depicted in multiple styles, each viewed as a different canvas. The styles in this collection span chunky and smooth textures, colorful brushwork and have a refined palette. Social Canvas serves as a focal point, or artistic accent, to bring the warmth of the human spirit into spaces for all to feel welcome and supported, according to Mohawk.
With Mohawk Group’s new EcoFlex One backing, Social Canvas is Living Product certified, NSF 140 Platinum and has low embodied carbon for a net-positive impact. According to Mohawk, the collection embodies the company’s sustainability efforts and supports a more equitable future for all. In keeping with its commitment to Believe in Better, Mohawk Group said it crafted this collection with Duracolor Tricor Fiber, delivering proven stain resistance, colorfastness, durability, color clarity and enhanced soil performance. Additionally, as part of its Better Together Initiative, Social Canvas also provides a positive social impact through its Specify for a Cure program, wherein a portion of sales is donated to the Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation.
OneFlor USA: SetaGrip
OneFlor said it turned to nature for a flooring installation solution that needed no glue. The answer was found in the gecko. By mimicking the gecko’s feet, OneFlor has created a new installation system called SetaGrip.
You’ll find SetaGrip on the company’s Foundations collection, available in two sizes and boasting 24 SKUs in complementary wood and tile colorways and patterns, allowing designers to mix-and-match for any commercial environment. Foundations is made with 100% recyclable virgin vinyl and zero phthalates. All OneFlor USA flooring is waterproof and engineered to its performance and environmental-quality specifications.
SetaGrip is said to go down faster and generate a bond so strong that it will not shift—even in high-traffic areas or where floors are subjected to heavy rolling loads. This technology uses millions of tiny, micro-suction cups in the company’s patented, attached foam padding to create a strong, secure grip to any smooth, flat, non-porous substrate without flooring adhesive. No more adhesive means no more added expense and scheduling delays, and no more lingering chemical odors and mess.
Patcraft: Earthen
A robust collection of versatile visuals across four product platforms, Earthen is designed for flexibility, performance and functionality. With natural stone visuals for an elevated design aesthetic, the collection offers multiple constructions that allow the selection of the appropriate product for almost any space, connecting beautiful design with ease of use throughout the built environment.
Earthen is a collection of high-performance LVT and SPC available in 12 x 24 tiles in four different constructions: LVT and SPC with a 12-mil wear layer; and LVT in 2.5mm and 5mm thicknesses with a 20-mil wear layer. The collection’s 12 colorways are connected to nature, with shades of stone ranging from warm to cool, and it features a range of realistic stone visuals with varying amounts of visual texture and veining. The variety of both construction and styles provides optimal choices and product solutions to best meet the demands of a space—including a focus on value engineering, ease of coordination and a more efficient product specification process.
The collection features an ExoGuard finish for enhanced scratch and stain resistance. As a platform designed to meet the needs of various market segments ranging from multi-family to education spaces, retail to workplace, the Earthen collection features products with multiple performance attributes aimed to transform both space and experience.
Shaw Contract: West Elm + Shaw Contract Collection
The aesthetics of residential flooring combined with the performance attributes of commercial carpet? It sounds like an urban flooring myth, but it’s a reality Shaw Contract said it has achieved via the West Elm and Shaw Contract collaboration.
Coordinating rugs, broadloom and carpet tiles offer a range of textures that simulate the look and feel of handwoven rugs, while maintaining the performance necessary for commercial applications. This allows commercial spaces to create a residential feel through color, texture and feel. A warm color palette with hints of mid-century modern patterns, which West Elm is known for, provides options to create unique spaces that feel warm.
These unique styles and performance requirements have been realized through a combination of different yarns, using machines in innovative ways. There are six tile options in 24 x 24. All carpet tile styles are made with EcoSolution Q100, a high-performance, 100% recycled content nylon fiber. Products with EcoSolution Q100 have low embodied carbon as reflected in the EC3 tool.
Rugs are available in four standard sizes of 6 x 9, 8 x 10, 11-foot circular and 12 x 15, with either surged or hidden edges. Custom sizes are also available to create a unique space. There are seven different rug styles. All rug styles will also be sold as broadloom.
