September, 2003
Source: Pioneer Press
Stylish Sustainable Floors
For many people, new green products are intriguing but mysterious. Here are two floorcovering products with an edge and style that can’t be beat.
Marmoleum
Marmoleum is a resilient floorcovering made from natural ingredients—linseed oil, wood flour, rosins, pigments and jute. It comes in over 100 colorways, in sheets and tiles (thought not every color comes in both). The tiles are 13 x 13, so mixing the color palette is an exercise in creativity where the sky’s the limit. Imagine what you can do with so many colors to choose from—create a colorful mix with multi-colored tiles or use a neutral gray, brown or beige and drop in only a handful of one or two colors in strategic locations.
The people at Marmoleum say it all starts with nature. Linseed oil is pressed from the flax plant. The flax plant, the source for linen, is an easily cultivated plant whose supply is readily renewable. Pine Rosins are mixed with the linseed oil to produce a flexible binder. The pine trees from which the rosins are extracted exist in abundance throughout the world. Wood flour is obtained from managed forestry, including the planting of special forests. No tropical hardwoods are used. The vibrant colors are made from ecologically friendly pigments. The backing used for Marmoleum sheets is made from spun yarn of strong jute fiber, Jute is plentiful and highly renewable.
All linoleum remnants are recycled back into the production process which achieves maximum waste reduction. All adhesives are 100% solvent free and meet all low VOC requirements. At the end of the product’s life, it is biodegradable. For more information on Marmoleum contact www.themarmoleumstore.com.
Flor
Flor is a modular peel and stick carpet system that comes in 100 colors, 30 styles, 11 textures and 8 new patterns. It’s thoughtfully engineered to handle traffic, smartly designed to be liveable and stylish. Sustainable carpet used to be obscure but now you see the Flor advertisements in all the home and interiors magazines, and for good reason.
The beauty of the modular system is that you can mix and match from the system of related colors and textures that were designed to work together. You can order and install it yourself.
The Flor product and its packaging are completely recyclable. The carpet is made from the corn plant. The product was developed by the parent company Interface, a leader in the sustainable market for interiors products.
The variety of styles offered by Flor make it a great product choice for many rooms. It can be used as a wall to wall product or as an area carpet, defining a furniture grouping. If need be, you can peel up a square and wash it off in the sink. If one piece needs to be replaced, change out one square. Samples are also available by mail so you can check out the colors before you order. For further information click www.interfaceflor.com.
Recently, I had the opportunity to specify both Marmoleum and Flor for a client. We used a field of neural gray Marmoleum for a study/family room with a dozen drop-ins of red and blue. In the adjoining guest suite, we specified a neutral Flor color with a sparse 4 or so drop-ins of red. The result was a clean, crisp look with a playful finish. There is great satisfaction in implementing a successful design with sustainable products.