Provenza, an upper-end, high-quality hardwood flooring brand, first waded into the wood look-alike waters with its MaxCore waterproof rigid core offering. The popular collection, which has been expanded in recent years to include even more eye-catching visuals that closely mimic natural wood, was based on many of the top-selling genuine hardwood looks in Provenza’s storied portfolio.
Now the company is looking to extend some of those same striking hardwood visuals into another red-hot category: the resurgent laminate flooring segment. With the recent rollout of Modessa, Provenza is giving retailers a broader range of price-conscious hard surface alternatives to sell while still leveraging the brand’s reputation for one-of-kind wood aesthetic designs.
“Some manufacturers purchase a film that they use for their WPC, laminate, etc., but the patterns in the new Modessa line are exclusive to Provenza,” said Ron Sadri, principal owner. “The inspiration for the collection was taken from our popular Dutch Masters collection of European oak custom floors, which are scanned exclusively for us.”
From the visual characteristics of the exclusive designs, to the big, bold format of the planks, Modessa aims to make a dramatic first impression. It begins with the extremely long + wide footprint of the boards (86 inches long x 9.4 inches wide) to the heft provided by the product’s 14mm thickness—including a 2mm attached pad. To complete the installation, Provenza is making available coordinating accessories such as moldings, trim and transitions.
For added realism, Modessa’s planks feature four-sided beveled edges and a 10-pattern design package created using high-definition printing for fewer repeats across a large room installation. “That compares to the four- or five-pattern repeats that are typical with some of the other products,” Sadri said. Lastly, EIR technology mimics the depth of real wood designs.
Modessa was also engineered to perform in busy applications, thanks to an advanced aluminum-oxide coating to protect against scratches and scuffs. The product also boasts an AC4/Class 32 rating for proven durability in addition to 80-hour, built-in Water Block technology to resist household accidents such as spills and everyday messes.
On top of that, Modessa installs using the Välinge 5G fold-down locking system, offers a 25- and five-year warranty for residential and commercial applications, respectively, and is GreenGuard and CARB2 compliant.
With respect to pricing, Sadri would only say that Modessa will be positioned in such a fashion that specialty retailers will be able to offer the product as a trade-up over opening price point laminates. That’s in keeping with the overall high-end cachet of the Provenza brand. “This is not going to be an entry-level product,” he said, adding, “but it’s priced very well for the market.”
Provenza expects dealers will be able to get their hands on the product in short order. “It will be ready for us to showcase at Surfaces, and we’ll be able to get samples and displays out to dealers right after the show,” Sadri explained.
