TOP CONSIDERATIONS FOR CARPETS IN HOSPITALITY ENVIRONMENTS

In 2007 the catwalk may be filled with bold prints, but when it comes to carpets classic styles are always in good taste. According to Gradus, the interior finishes company, when it comes to specifying carpets in hospitality environments, many businesses are looking for a carpet that is not just good-looking but also, importantly, functional, hard wearing and long lasting. Based on their experience in manufacturing carpets, Gradus has identified that the top considerations are colour, initial appearance and performance.

As product life cycles become increasingly important, ‘trendy’ designed carpets are not always practical as they quickly go out of fashion and have to be replaced if the interior is not to look dated. On the other hand, colour can be used to meet a client’s need for a stylish, more timeless look. As a result, manufacturers have extended their colour palettes to include a greater selection of colour. This year Gradus launched seven new colours into the Square Mile range, which now has a total of twenty-seven colours for specifiers to choose from. This wider range of choice means that hotels are able to coordinate their carpet with any interior design scheme, for a more aesthetically pleasing finish.

Initial appearance is of major importance in hospitality environments to create an aesthetically pleasing environment for staff and guests. However, it should be borne in mind that, while a patterned carpet looks great in an empty room, in the real world it is soon covered up with furniture. It is often more practical to use a carpet tile such as Gradus’ Square Mile in different colours to create a design effect around fixtures or to separate areas for different uses.

However, it seems that in today’s hospitality environments, it is just as important to consider a durable carpet that will maintain an aesthetically pleasing finish and won’t need replacing as quickly due to wear and tear. At this stage, it is useful to decide which considerations are likely to be most important. For example, if the carpet is likely to suffer from spills, then a polypropylene tile carpet such as Gradus’s Genus or Volnay ranges would be ideal as the polypropylene yarn means the tiles will withstand heavy use and also clean up beautifully. On the other hand, if the carpet is for use in an office area, a tile such as Square Mile or Sahara will work better as the nylon fibres recover better from castor wheel use.

Pamela Cairns, Marketing Manager at Gradus comments, “It’s easy to get carried away with some of the design tiles available nowadays. However, most of the time, we have to live in the real world and more mundane considerations, such as the long term performance and appearance retention, are important, too.”

Gradus Carpets is part of the Gradus Group; a leading contract interior finishes company who manufactures a comprehensive range of interior products for a variety of contract markets. Providing end users, designers, specifiers and contractors with a one-stop shop the Gradus offering is made up of an extensive collection of premium and contract carpet ranges and upholstery and soft furnishing fabrics, flooring accessories, barrier matting, wall protection as well as lighting.

For further information on any Gradus products please contact Gradus on 01625 428922 or log onto www.gradusworld.com.