Review: Showtime in Solihull

The Buying Groups’ National Flooring Show 2023

Boldly going above and beyond Furlong Flooring

Heard all about the booming interest in wool? Now listen up for “Beyond Wool” – now the buzz is getting louder for a breakthrough concept that Furlong Flooring introduced into an unsuspecting market at the BGNFS show.

Furlong has had huge success with Elegance which was launched in 2011 after intensive yarn development to create a wool-like twist. Industry experts were impressed.

Now, a dozen years later, Furlong have announced the new Beyond Wool collection with two loop ranges in 100% recycled PP and those same experts are amazed – one veteran of wool tweeted the same day, calling it a game-changer.

The launch was with two options Amesbury and Castlerigg – a tight, neat, low-level loop and a ribbed high/low level construction. More design options are coming soon to extend the collection.

All the performance credentials consumers love are there. Bleach cleanability, 10-year wear and stain warranty, resilient 2-ply yarn, no moth issues, and with Furlong’s popular Combi-bac backing that's easy to handle and fitter friendly.

Unstoppable one-stop shop

“We are the unstoppable one-stop shop. Retailers can rely on Furlong to deliver new ideas and innovations that keep customers interested in buying,” said Ian Collacott. “And when they do make a purchase, we’ve got the proven operation that delivers the flooring on time.”

Other key highlights at the show included the recently re-launched Trident – the bestselling twist, now with enhanced performance from a 2-ply, tenth gauge construction and a larger choice of contemporary colours.

Furlong also launched its new LVT collection which has been carefully created to provide the widest choice of options in an accessible format. On-trend authentic wood designs and herringbones sit alongside beautiful modern tile designs in natural stone.

T 01772 696787 www.furlongflooring.co.uk

Review: Showtime in Solihull

The Buying Groups’ National Flooring Show 2023

Right royal celebration of wool Victoria

Victoria is a company at the centre of the buoyant market for quality wool carpets right now and has great ambitions to build on their strength and reputation in the sector.

Victoria has “high hopes” for one of its latest showcase launches in wool, Tudor Co-ordinates, which rolls out to retailers this month featuring 20 plain and 4 stripes in a smart loop pile range. Based on the best selling colours of the popular Tudor Twist range, the coordination is sophisticated with neutral, pastel shades –described as "very wearable" by Victoria.

Also on show were important updates to the best–selling Strathmore Berber with the introduction of a meltbond construction to give a more precise finish to the rustic appearance across the range’s 12 colours.

There are also new options for Victoria’s man-made collections with the launch of EasiCare Vision – a heathered heavyweight in a spectrum of colours made from 9 shades using a tri-colour yarn. This is a substantial carpet, weighing in at 97oz on a 6-ply yarn.

Mosaic of the monarch

Victoria has also increased the flexibility of its attractive wall display system by introducing a new double unit in addition to the current triples This gives some additional flexibility in the configurations retailers can deploy in store as well as the opportunity to pair up two ranges on one tand where appropriate.

T 01562 749300 www.victoriacarpets.com

As a Royal warrant holder, Victoria was keen to honour the occasion of the coronation of King Charles and did so with a stunning mosaic made from 3,000 carpet pieces – turn to page 23 for details.

Review: Showtime in Solihull The

Sneak preview of 2024 Louis de Poortere

Belgian woven rug and carpet manufacturer, Louis de Poortere, give a tantalising preview of forthcoming designs in its 2024 collection. Buying group members also saw just how the company is innovating through the introduction of a monopolymer 100% polyester construction, which gives the potential for recycling back into new rugs.

Alan Russell, sales director, Louis de Poortere, says: “It was a successful couple of days and a great chance to bring visitors up to date with some of our most exciting news to date.

"The introduction of a mono-polymer construction is the first step towards closing the loop. While we’re just at the start of our journey and there are significant steps to take, but it’s a great start and shows just how committed we are to making a lasting and positive change.”

The 100% polyester construction – even down to the rug label – will be introduced for Louis de Poortere’s 2024 collection later on this year. By using only one material in construction, monopolymer products are considered easier to recycle and with no cross material contamination, are less energy intensive to return to new products.

The stand also saw Louis de Poortere tell of its Richelieu Mix and Match programme. Recently expanded to nine patterns and 144 colour options, there is an extraordinary number of pattern and colour pairings. The company also demoed the programme’s interactive runner builder, showing how easy it is for homeowners to create their favourite runner from the comfort of their own home. info@depoorterelouis.com www.louisdepoortere.com