NEW YORK—The Portuguese Cork Association (APCOR) kicked off its 16-city road show Sept. 1 in New York City with the goal of educating consumers about the different styles, varieties and benefits of Portuguese cork flooring. The promotion will last 10 months.
The Décor(k) Tour will feature a 53 foot-long mobile showroom designed by “Divine Design” host Candice Olson, one of North America’s leading interior designers. Inside the showroom, visitors will be able to experience cork flooring’s comfort, resiliency and range of aesthetics while viewing different room layouts and flooring applications designed by Olson. Additional displays allow visitors to see how cork stands up to moisture, heavy foot traffic and allergens, providing users with durable, comfortable flooring that can last for years.
Most stops on the tour will last for multiple days. One day will be for the media and others will be for key customers invited by individual APCOR members who include Amorim, USFloors, Torlys, Expanko and Jellicork.
“The choice of flooring is always an integral element in my designs,” Olson said. “I’ve specified thousands of square feet of cork, both commercially and residential. When homeowners are building their nests, they must think about how much time will be spent on their floors. Cork flooring is a perfect choice for the home because it can provide a desired, stylish look while remaining functional and environmentally friendly. Not a single tree is ever cut down. The bark is cut and regenerates itself.”
The Olson-designed settings for the Décor(k) Tour are meant to demonstrate that cork flooring is the ultimate in what she refers to as “eco-chic.” With inspirational designs ranging from traditional and vintage to artistic and modern, luxurious textures and shades, classic patterns and elegant finishes, the options available for cork flooring in North American homes are limitless.
According to Paulo Nogueira, managing director of Amorim Flooring, this is certainly something about which consumers need to be educated and an important function of the tour. He cited the fact that many consumers are unaware of the range of designs afforded by cork flooring.
Piet Dossche, chairman of APCOR North America Flooring Group and president and CEO of USFloors, added, “Cork has been used as flooring for a very long time because of its natural beauty, durability and renewability. New finishing techniques and improved technologies have revived an interest in cork flooring. No other floor covering can match the combined benefits of cork.”
On the road
Following the New York City launch, the Décor(k) mobile cork flooring showroom will visit these U.S. and Canadian cities:
- Boston: Sept. 17 to 19
- Montreal: Sept. 23
- Toronto: Sept. 29 to Oct. 3
- Buffalo: Oct. 8
- Washington, D.C.: Oct. 20
- Atlanta: Oct. 23
- Dallas: Jan. 20
- Las Vegas: Jan. 25 to 27
- San Francisco: Feb. 1
- Seattle: Feb. 4
- Vancouver: Feb. 8
- Salt Lake City: Feb. 12
- Denver: Feb. 15
- Chicago: June 14 to 16
- Los Angeles: June 24 to 26
For more information about the Décor(k) Tour, visit realcorkfloors.com.
-Steve Feldman