In a category crowded with look-alikes and mass-produced visuals, Karndean Designflooring continues to carve out its own lane—one defined by original artistry, meticulous product development and a commitment to luxury vinyl. Retailers say it’s this approach that keeps them choosing Karndean for many of their customers’ design needs.
The brand’s approach starts with a steadfast commitment to the LVT category—and only the category. Then, it’s all about its design philosophy: Every design must be created from real materials, hand curated and captured with the kind of detail that honors the natural world.
“Our award-winning luxury vinyl flooring captures the beauty of wood and stone in extraordinary detail,” Jenne Ross, director of product at Karndean, told FCNews. “Combining artistry, craftsmanship and cutting-edge technology, every wood and stone design is an original, available exclusively from Karndean.”
What’s more, Karndean owns those designs, which means better results for retailers. “Owning the designs allows us to choose where we manufacture, providing flexibility when there are market disruptions that might necessitate a shift in production,” Ross explained. “We have a well-established network of strategically located factory partners that can be trusted to manufacture products to our exacting standards.”
Design prowess
Karndean’s reputation begins with design—not in general terms, but in the literal process of sourcing its visuals. Ross explained that it’s all in the company’s hands-on development approach. “Unlike most luxury vinyl suppliers, we develop and own all of our wood and stone designs, curating the natural materials that inspire them,” she noted. “Our product team travels the world, selecting the wood and stone that inspire our designs. Then our product development team crafts the wood and stone to capture and enhance the natural beauty, ultimately resulting in a visual on print film that becomes our intellectual property.”
Specialty retailers say that level of originality shows immediately on the showroom floor. “Karndean has the best visuals in the business by far,” said Brian Berson of Creative Carpet & Flooring in Mokena, Ill., which carries the entire Karndean line across rigid, glue-down and loose-lay constructions. “There is no ‘stock photography’ being used for the visuals. When you view a Karndean floor, you are looking at a floor from somewhere in the world that was photographed then transposed into LVT. You can tell the difference immediately. There are even stories behind some of the visuals, which customers love to hear about.”
According to retailers, that authenticity is further enhanced through texture and dimensional realism. “Karndean’s R&D is dialed in and made a really good 3D visual without having a 3D product,” said Cindi Rude, owner of Family Flooring, Bonners Ferry, Idaho. “Their Art Select collection, for example, really captures the texture, hand scrape and bevel on the wood to make it look real.”
But that’s not all. Retailers also tout another major advantage of Karndean’s design prowess—staying power. “Karndean brings style longevity to the marketplace,” Creative Carpet & Flooring’s Berson said. “Too many times customers come back to finish or add on to a project they started last year and the material is no longer available from that vendor. Karndean does [style longevity] better than anyone.”
Engineered for reliability
While design is what the Karndean name is known for, performance is what keeps dealers loyal. In fact, Karndean’s engineering roots run deep. Ross noted that founder Mike Walker’s background as an installer directly influences product development. “Product design is always installer focused—things like having the product feel right in an installer’s hands, cut cleanly with a utility knife and fit cleanly beneath door jambs.”
That emphasis on real-world handling translates into dependable results on the jobsite. Tim Tyson, president of Full Service Flooring in Winterville, N.C., which also carries everything Karndean offers across constructions, said he simply trusts Karndean products to perform. “Karndean stands out against its competition because of the confidence that you are selling a product that will perform well with no issues,” he explained.
In fact, several Karndean retailers said the product helps them avoid several areas of headaches they can’t avoid with other vendors. Family Flooring’s Rude, for example, noted the locking systems. “Karndean has a better locking mechanism than all the other companies on the market. When it comes to the tile in particular, we’ve had many failures with other companies’ locking mechanisms—but we have never had a failure with Karndean.”
When it comes to performance, the flooring is available in three installation formats: glue down, rigid core and loose lay. Ross noted that this provides targeted options and flexibility for both retailer and consumer. “We have the industry’s largest assortment of visuals available in both glue down and rigid core, giving retailers and homeowners options based on project needs,” she said. “Customers can choose a color, and the retailer can be the expert about which format will be best.”
Retailers agree. “The line is robust with most colors being available in glue down or rigid, which brings a lot of flexibility to the usage,” Berson said. “Karndean, in my opinion, has a very well-rounded catalog of products to choose from that could rival any type of hard surface. Karndean being beautiful, waterproof, cost effective and durable gives most consumers the advantages they are looking for in hard surface flooring.”
But is that all? No. All Karndean flooring is backed by a lifetime residential warranty.
Trust, satisfaction, partnership
Behind the visuals and performance lies another defining strength: the relationship retailers say they have with Karndean.
Customer service, for example, is a differentiator retailers consistently noted. “We have a great relationship with Karndean,” Tyson said. “Our customer service rep, Lori Kohl, is one of the best without a doubt. She makes ordering easy and seamless and takes care of issues.” He added that their sales support team—“Team Jason”—is equally valued. “Our relationship with Karndean is a good one. We consider them part of our team.”
Rude agreed, noting, “They have great customer support and representation. If you ever have a problem, they are right there to help you navigate that—instead of always wanting to blame the installer. I want to sell a company’s product where the company is going to have great customer service and stand behind their products. As well as a product that does not have the failure rate of other products.”
Choosing Karndean
At the end of the day, for many Karndean retailers, the brand and its breadth of product is so impressive there’s no need to look elsewhere. “Karndean is our preference without a doubt,” Full Service Flooring’s Tyson said. “We actually stopped selling laminate around eight years ago. When we have a customer looking for laminate, we explain the difference between the two selections and convert them over to a quality Karndean LVP.”
Berson agreed, noting, “In the end, Karndean provides the ultimate shopping experience for the customer. Through their robust selection of colors, styles and designability, to their world class representation, Karndean has made their mark in the floor covering industry.”
And Rude? She just put it simply: “I will sell a Karndean product all day long over their competitors.”
