For five decades, Karndean Designflooring has carved out a reputation as more than just another flooring supplier. The company has steadily positioned itself as a design authority—one that blends craftsmanship and innovation in ways that continue to resonate with both retailers and consumers.
That commitment was recognized again in 2026, as Karndean earned three prestigious ADEX awards across its newly refreshed collections: Korlok Select, Knight Tile and Opus.
Knight Tile is Karndean’s entry-level collection, offering signature Karndean style with a 12-mil wear layer. With 26 wood- and stone-inspired designs in broad palette of colors—all available in both glue down and rigid core—the breadth of the assortment is a major differentiator.
“Knight Tile has been a showroom mainstay for Karndean retailers, consistently delivering sales since its introduction more than 25 years ago, and most recently refreshed in 2025,” said Jenne Ross, director of product at Karndean. “Knight Tile has time-tested appeal with homeowners. When you think about everything a homeowner might be considering—aesthetics, installation, durability, performance, price—this single collection is going to have great options for a lot of customers who come into a showroom.”
The 2025 Korlok Select collection included 10 new wood- and stone-inspired designs, giving Karndean retailers even more stylish options. Opus, too, received 10 new wood- and stone-inspired designs in 2025, providing even more stylish options for a popular spec—2.5mm glue down with a 20-mil wear layer.
“All our collections offer something a little different, so there’s a style and spec for any customer who’s choosing luxury vinyl,” said Julie Thomas, senior retail marketing manager. “Retailers can sell our products with confidence. When homeowners are happy with their beautiful Karndean floors, it’s going to generate repeat business and positive word of mouth.”
The announcement of the awards for each of these expanded lines proved the company’s intentions successful. “It’s nice to be the only hard surface flooring recognized by design experts who have so much experience with such a wide variety of building materials and products,” Ross said. “The awards ultimately reflect our commitment to retailers. We’re proud to once again be recognized for the artistry and craftsmanship that sets our flooring apart. We invest heavily in our processes to ensure Karndean retailers have the industry’s most beautifully crafted luxury vinyl in their showrooms and available to customers.”
Karndean’s focus on design innovation continues to resonate with dealer partners who see premium styling as a meaningful point of distinction. “We consider Karndean our bread and butter when it comes to LVP,” said Autumn Schweitzer, sales/design, Burkholders Flooring America, Hagerstown, Md. “What I like to tell customers is that LVP is all that Karndean does. They’ve been in business since the 70s but they’ve always stuck with LVP and focus all of their R&D on that. That shows in their product.”
That focused approach is one retailers say continues to set Karndean apart. “We’ve been with Karndean since 2010,” said Tyler Twohig, general manager, Twohig’s Flooring America, Lake Winnebego, Wis. “They are a tried-and-true brand for us. They’ve became our go-to. We install 90% Karndean.”
For Twohig, much of that success comes down to design flexibility—particularly within the Knight Tile collection. “The options for the inlays and borders make it unique,” he said. “I hired two interior designers and the options to go with a chevron or herringbone is a big one that draws their attention and makes them want to sell it just to create cool spaces.”
That ability to create a design story is something Schweitzer also sees resonate with customers. “What’s unique is that Karndean sources all designs from actual materials that are natural in the world,” Schweitzer said. “They have stories about each design unlike other companies that just create pictures—it’s nice to tell a story as well.”
At Burkholders, that storytelling has extended beyond the sales conversation and into the showroom itself. In fact, the retailer recently redesigned its display space to showcase Karndean’s updated Opus styles.
“Ninety eight percent of our installs are glue down, so we did a new glue-down installation in our showroom,” Schweitzer explained. “We did a border herringbone with a design strip and a left-to-right and then a diagonal to show the possibilities with a glue down.”
Ultimately, the recognition reinforces what Karndean retailers have known for years: strong design matters. Karndean continues to lead in that arena with a differentiated offering that gives consumers a reason to buy.
