If It's Hip, It's Here (Archives): carpet tiles

Philippe Starck: Thinking square for the first time

Danish carpet manufacturer, Fletco, approached French star designer Philippe Starck and asked him to create a collection of carpet tiles that combines high-end and visionary international design with the growing demand for flexibility, individuality and sustainability.

The result is a comprehensive, elegant and innovative range of carpet tiles that provides an endless combinations of patterns and colours to match any interior design scheme.

The new Fletco Carpet Tiles, Starck by Fletco range
In the Starck by Fletco collection, Philippe Starck has toyed with figures, icons and patterns. With his characteristically creative approach, he has worked to provide an option to incorporate other materials, such as brushed aluminium, wood, glass, steel and even Nanolight, into carpet tiles, to create very expressive, individual effects.

For use in office environments, public buildings, hotels and restaurants, the carpet tiles can be incorporated with lettering, logos and other creative ideas and modes of expression for added individuality.

The exclusive Starck by Fletco collection includes a plethora of tiles in different designs, where the individual figures, icons and patterns and the background can be combined freely in 12 different colours, making the collection the perfect choice for creative architects, interior architects and designers who want to add an extra dimension to the sensory expression of their work.

“The Starck by Fletco collection is not so much about carpets or rugs. It’s a magical game. Imagine a game in which you cannot lose. A game in which every card is a good card, every combination is a winner, all moves are allowed, and in which all rules can be made up as you go along. A collection of squares, like the letters of a novel or the notes of a symphony which give you infinite possibilities to create styles, drawings, compositions, colours… your own score, your own work of art. And what’s more, it's easy. Magical squares for my friends, particularly my architect friends,” explains Philippe Starck.

Philippe Starck’s textiles debut
This is the first time that Philippe Starck has cast his contagious, visionary and revolutionary design approach into designing carpets. In fact, it is the first time he has ever worked with home textiles.

Moreover, this is the first time Starck has worked with a Danish company. Fletco’s Director Benny Jensen is particularly pleased about working with Starck.

“We know that customers are looking for individual solutions, adapted 100 % to meet the needs of the individual hotel, office building or restaurant. What matters is creating unforgettable experiences, unique visual expression and the perfect ambience. The interior, the function and the design of any building have to be coordinated. Our new Philippe Starck carpet tiles collection is designed to bring utmost quality design all the way down to floor level,” explains Benny Jensen.

Benny Jensen adds that Fletco will be marketing and selling the new collection to the contract sector all across Europe, ready for delivery from early 2010.

Sustainability as a shared value
Philippe Starck is famous for incorporating sustainability and eco-friendly solutions into his industrial designs. He is also a man who expects a great deal of his business partners.

Bearing these factors in mind, the Starck-Fletco partnership was destined to work: both are innovative brands, spearheading the markets on issues related to the environment and sustainability.

“At Fletco, we applaud the fact that a world-renowned designer like Philippe Starck prioritises environmental concerns as part of any cooperative venture. His priorities perfectly match our attitudes to the future of flooring and to how we run our company generally. We are one of a small group of carpet manufacturers that has set new standards for taking environmental issues into consideration at all stages of production,” says Benny Jensen.

One particular environmental problem that applies to carpet tiles generally is the backing, which traditionally contained PVC or bitumen. Thanks to new production technology, the backing of Fletco Carpet Tiles is guaranteed free of these and other harmful substances.

Fletco has contributed to the development of the new technology, given the name ‘TEXtiles’. Briefly, the environmental advantages of TEXtiles are that it is 100 % recyclable and made of 60% recycled materials. TEXtiles production is almost completely CO2 neutral, and all production waste is collected and returned to the production cycle. TEXtiles is uniquely durable, giving carpet tiles a long life-time – to the benefit of the environment.

In addition to sustainability, TEXtiles offers consumers a number of health-related advantages: The materials are allergy-tested and approved, they emit neither odours nor harmful gasses, and the TEXtiles backing not only insulates for sound but also has a shock-absorbant effect.
all images and info courtesy of Fletco.