PAVING THE WAY WITH LVT
Louisa Eyles, commercial marketing manager at Amtico, discusses the versatility of LVT and how to effectively introduce zoning or subtle wayfinding in commercial spaces.
Offices, shopping centres or restaurants – these are all commercial interiors that receive extremely high levels of footfall and are in need of resilient, durable flooring. As a result, it’s essential to consider the options early in the specification process.
Now, when it comes to versatile, hardwearing flooring, luxury vinyl tile (LVT) is one of the best-performing products available, offering a wealth of design possibilities, including attractive alternatives to materials such as stone, carpet or sheet vinyl.
LVT can bring a touch of style and quality to a commercial environment, whether it's used as a neutral backdrop that lets other furnishings do the talking or as a statement design itself. One of the major benefits of this type of flooring is the ability to utilise laying patterns to stimulate design in commercial environments or reflect the nature of a space and how it is used. Pattern is a subtle yet effective way of creating instinctive flow within a building, as well as remedying any lack of definition or potentially confusing layouts. As a result, flooring is increasingly used as the main surface to either guide human behaviours in an open-plan space, draw the eye and highlight movement through an area – or even offer a change of mood or privacy.
For instance, a simple timber-effect Stripwood design can naturally navigate visitors from one zone to another, such as an entrance lobby to a reception desk. Zoning is most effective when combining two or more laying patterns or LVT products. And the floor should be seen as a canvas – starting with a base design and colour palette that extends into complementing hues to accent areas; or contrasting with colourful, highly decorative flooring to highlight break- out sections that offer visual stimulation and encourage communication. The Designers’ Choice collection, for example, boasts geometric and intricate patterns that are perfect for adding decorative detail to a space. Designs are created using our Signature collection, so there are more than 200 complementary products, ranging from balanced schemes to contrasting layouts. Combining products offers endless design possibilities to create zones, including experimenting with colours, geometry and palettes.
Borders and perimeter planks present an opportunity to combine instinctive flow and zoning. Not only do they allow the floors to be finished with neat proportions, but choosing the right border also has the power to transform a space. It can demarcate seating areas and walkways, draw attention
to an architectural feature, or elegantly join different flooring and patterns between rooms. For added subtlety, designers can consider dividing up a space into patterned sections with a single plank border to give a multi-layered marquetry effect.
Of course, flooring also provides differentiation and wayfinding, particularly in hospitality, offices and public spaces. As the world emerges from the pandemic, flooring is increasingly used in these environments as a subtle directional tool, with people often looking down first when walking into a building to see if there is a certain direction they need to follow.
A well-designed floor that considers all elements of zoning delivers seamless transition between rooms or spaces. There isn’t a ‘one-design-fits-all’ solution, but LVT makes it possible to create personalised concepts and manufacturers offer a wealth of colour, pattern and texture options; however, some also offer bespoke services for a truly one-of-a-kind floor.
As a British manufacturer, Amtico has a variety of services from made-to-order, unique concepts and creations, to LVT products and laying patterns tailored to customers’ needs. For designers and flooring professionals, working closely with a local manufacturer ensures a client’s technical specifications, such as acoustic backing or antimicrobial protection, can be taken into account alongside the design concept.
Whether wayfinding, zoning or just creating a floor that will work over a large, open-plan space, the expertise of a manufacturer’s in-house creative and CAD teams is invaluable. This, alongside its advanced knowledge of the product range and cutting capabilities, can then be further utilised to create an intricate design or feature floor area.
Achieving the desired flooring result relies on the flexibility, adaptability and durability of the flooring material. Selecting LVT is a forward-thinking decision for any commercial venue; after all, it can provide the shapes, angles/geometry and scale needed to optimise and zone a space, while meeting VOC requirements for wellbeing and air quality.
Ultimately, one of the major aspects to consider is who will be using the space. Although lighting, furniture and flooring all play a critical role, there isn’t one element that is more important than the other. However, the right choice of flooring material – and a generous commercial warranty – certainly goes a long way.
www.amtico.com/commercial
22 | RESILIENT FLOORING
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