Interiors Monthly April 2014

T H E F U R LO N G F LO O R I N G P O R T F O L I O

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April

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EDITOR’S COMMENT

www.interiorsmonthly.co.uk 3

A lost opportunity

Andrew KiddEDITOR

[email protected]

Editor: Andrew KiddT: 01273 930 029 E: [email protected] advertising (South): Tim BodenT: 01732 441 130 E: [email protected] advertising (North): Jarrod BirdT: 01565 631 397 E: [email protected], flooring, lighting and accessories advertising:Joanne PaullT: 01732 441 130 E: [email protected] sales agent: Jane DaiT: 00 86 755 8292 5229 E: [email protected]

Published by Interiors Media LimitedMinerva House, Bordkye, Tonbridge, Kent TN9 1NPT: 01732 441 130 F: 01732 362 919E: [email protected] in England no. 6397722Print: Knockout Print Design by TSS DIGITAL © Interiors Media Limited ISSN 1756-2236T H E F U R LO N G F LO O R I N G P O R T F O L I O

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Interiorsmonthly


April201

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As I predicted in January, the Office of FairTrading has swiftly concluded itsinvestigation into reference pricing in theinteriors sector (see p8) just before theorganisation’s abolition.

Bensons for Beds, Carpetright, Dreams,Furniture Village, Harveys and ScS have‘confirmed their commitment to usinggenuine reference prices and, without anyadmission of liability, have made changes totheir reference pricing practices,’ says theOFT.

It doesn’t send much of a signal thatanything will happen to a retailer if theydon’t follow the rules. There is of course thenegative publicity the chains have received,

but shoppers were already cynical aboutsales and the investigation will be quicklyforgotten. The OFT has said it onlyinvestigated retailers it had evidence againstand cannot police the entire retail sector.

Mike Logue, Dreams chief executive, says‘there’s a marked difference’ between howhigh street and online retailers are treated.

The investigation, which began lastsummer, has been a lost opportunity for theOFT. If, as the OFT says, the chains hadadvertised some normal retail prices asdiscounted prices, why didn’t it take actionagainst them rather than seeking anagreement that they would stick to the rules?This would have sent a clear message toretailers that there are consequences tobreaking the rules.

The coming months are likely to see theOFT’s successor, the Competition andMarkets Authority, receive many a claim fromretailers about competitors’ promotionalactivities, particulary if they think somesectors are being treated differently.

Hopefully the CMA will take a firmer lineon all retailers and shoppers’ faith in theprices they see – in-store and online – can berestored.

Retailers – both bricks andmortar and online – muststick to the rules ondiscounting if thereputation of the interiorssector is to recover

CONTENTS


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INSIDE THIS ISSUENEWS8 Six retailers vow to change after OFT probe

12 Carpetright sees no upturn

14 JFS looks to more space

FEATURES6 Awards

Your first chance to vote in the

Interiors Monthly Awards 2014

24 UpholsterySofa designs that will set the trend for 2014

30 UnderlayThe latest developments from the sector

37 Royal warrantsBy appointment

46 Living and dining130 years of Morris Furniture

50 Beds and bedroomClinically proven; the unexpected; on the up

64 PreviewBuying Groups’ National Flooring Show

69 PreviewMay Design Series

78 ReviewMaison & Objet

82 ReviewMIFF

REGULARS17 Opinion

18 New products

86 Final polish

NEXT ISSUEiSalone review

Home entertainment

Carpet

INTERIORS MONTHLY APRIL 2014

AWARDS

6 Interiors Monthly April 2014

Readers’ choiceThe most coveted awards in the UK interiors

industry will again be decided by you in the

Interiors Monthly Awards 2014.

We want you to tell us who you think are the

best suppliers, retailers and events in this year’s

48 categories.

As ever, the judging criteria is entirely up to

you, be it quality of product, commercial

success, customer service, design, or anything

else – it’s your choice to reward the best in the

business.

Simply complete the entry form opposite and

fax it to 01732 362 919 – a copy will also be

available to download online at

www.interiorsmonthly.co.uk –

or email: [email protected].

Best Furniture Retailer 1-2 Stores:

Clarkes Furnishers, Maidstone

Best Flooring Retailer 1-2 Stores:

Chappells Carpets, Bradford

Best Furniture Retailer 3+ Stores:

Oak Furniture Land

Best Flooring Retailer 3+ Stores:

Mr Carpet, London

Best Interiors Retailer: Dunelm Mill

Best Online Retailer: Sofa.com

Best Customer Service (Furniture): TCS

Best Customer Service (Flooring):

Brintons Carpets

Best UK Furniture Manufacturer:

Woodberry Brothers & Haines

Best UK Flooring Manufacturer:

Ulster Carpets

Best Overseas Furniture Manufacturer:

Wiemann

Best Overseas Flooring Manufacturer:

Balta Broadloom

Best Accessory Supplier:

Authentic Models

Best Flooring Accessory Supplier:

Ball & Young

Best Furniture Buying Group: AIS

Best Flooring Buying Group:

Greendale Carpets & Floorings

Best Furniture Exhibition: IMM Cologne

Best Flooring Exhibition:

The Flooring Show

Best Furniture Website:

G Plan Upholstery

Best Flooring Website: Balterio

Best Furniture Wholesaler: Julian Bowen

Best Flooring Wholesaler: Hadfields

Best Business Support (Flooring):

SMG The National Flooring & Furnishing

Group

Best Business Support (Furniture):

Vale Bridgecraft

Best Bed Manufacturer: Sealy UK

Best Carpet Manufacturer:

Cormar Carpets

Best Bedroom Manufacturer:

Kingstown Furniture

Best Laminate Manufacturer: Quick-Step

Best Underlay Manufacturer: Interfloor

Best Dining Room Manufacturer:

Old Charm

Best Solid/Engineered Wood

Manufacturer: Kährs UK

Best Living Room Manufacturer:

G Plan Cabinets

Best Rug Supplier:

Oriental Carpets and Rugs (Think Rugs)

Best Children’s Furniture Manufacturer:

Gautier

Best Vinyl Manufacturer: IVC

Best Fabric Upholstery Manufacturer:

Parker Knoll

Best Luxury Vinyl Manufacturer:

Karndean Designflooring

Best Leather Upholstery Manufacturer:

HTL

Best Software Supplier: Retailsystem

Best Finance Provider: Hitachi

Best Supply Chain/Logistics Company:

Andrew Porter

Best Marketing Support: Ekornes

Best New Exhibition: May Design Series

Best Recliner Manufacturer: Ekornes

Best Home Entertainment Supplier:

UK-CF

Best New Supplier:

East West Furniture Company

Innovation of the Year: Gainsborough

Sofa Beds – Sofa Bed Choice

2013 winnersAIS was named Best Furniture Buying Group in 2013 Greendale was named Best Flooring Buying Group in 2013

AWARDS


Retailers to complete only

Best Customer Service (Furniture)

.................................................................................................................................

Best UK Furniture Manufacturer

.................................................................................................................................

Best Overseas Furniture Manufacturer

.................................................................................................................................

Best Furniture Buying Group

.................................................................................................................................

Best Accessory Supplier

.................................................................................................................................

Best Bed Manufacturer

.................................................................................................................................

Best Bedroom Manufacturer

.................................................................................................................................

Best Dining Room Manufacturer

.................................................................................................................................

Best Living Room Manufacturer

.................................................................................................................................

Best Children’s Furniture Manufacturer

.................................................................................................................................

Best Fabric Upholstery Manufacturer

.................................................................................................................................

Best Leather Upholstery Manufacturer

.................................................................................................................................

Best Furniture Wholesaler

.................................................................................................................................

Best Fabric/Soft Furnishings Manufacturer

.................................................................................................................................

Best Furniture Exhibition

.................................................................................................................................

Best Furniture Website

.................................................................................................................................

Best Customer Service (Flooring)

.................................................................................................................................

Best UK Flooring Manufacturer

.................................................................................................................................

Best Overseas Flooring Manufacturer

.................................................................................................................................

Best Flooring Buying Group

.................................................................................................................................

Best Carpet Manufacturer

.................................................................................................................................

Best Rug Supplier

.................................................................................................................................

Best Laminate Manufacturer

.................................................................................................................................

Best Solid/Engineered Wood Manufacturer

.................................................................................................................................

Best Underlay Manufacturer

.................................................................................................................................

Best Flooring Accessory Supplier

.................................................................................................................................

Best Vinyl Manufacturer

.................................................................................................................................

Best Luxury Vinyl Supplier

.................................................................................................................................

Best Flooring Exhibition

.................................................................................................................................

Best Flooring Website

.................................................................................................................................

Best Flooring Wholesaler

.................................................................................................................................

Best Software Supplier

.................................................................................................................................

Best Finance Provider

.................................................................................................................................

Best Supply Chain/Logistics Company

.................................................................................................................................

Best Business Support (Flooring)

.................................................................................................................................

Best Business Support (Furniture)

.................................................................................................................................

Best Marketing Support

.................................................................................................................................

Best New Exhibition

.................................................................................................................................

Innovation of the Year

.................................................................................................................................

Best Mattress Manufacturer

.................................................................................................................................

Best Recliner Manufacturer

.................................................................................................................................

Best Home Entertainment Supplier

.................................................................................................................................

Best New Supplier

.................................................................................................................................

Suppliers to complete only

Best Flooring Retailer (1-2 stores)

.................................................................................................................................

Best Flooring Retailer (3+ stores)

.................................................................................................................................

Best Furniture Retailer (1-2 stores)

.................................................................................................................................

Best Furniture Retailer (3+ stores)

.................................................................................................................................

Best Online Retailer

.................................................................................................................................

Please fax your completed form to 01732 362 919or email your nominations to: [email protected]

Name ....................................................................................................................

Company ............................................................................................................

Position ................................................................................................................

Tel ..........................................................................................................................

Email .....................................................................................................................

NEWS


OFT ends pricing probe assix firms promise to change

The Office of Fair Trading has closed its investigation into

reference pricing in the interiors sector after six major

retailers promised to change their pricing practices.

Bensons for Beds, Carpetright, Dreams, Furniture Village,

Harveys and ScS have ‘confirmed their commitment to using

genuine reference prices and, without any admission of

liability, have made changes to their reference pricing

practices,’ says the OFT.

It says consumers should be able to trust that reference

price comparisons are fair and meaningful and that the

advertised savings (or price advantages) are genuine.

Improper use of reference prices can mislead consumers, for

example where the discounted price is in fact the normal

retail price of a product.

The OFT says the chains had advertised some normal

retail prices as discounted prices.

‘Retailers advertise bargains and discounts by referring to

a previous or future higher price. It’s a powerful marketing

tool which, when used properly, provides a helpful and easy

way to demonstrate to shoppers the value of discounts and

savings. We are therefore pleased that these retailers have

confirmed their commitment to using genuine prices,’ says

Gaucho Rasmussen, OFT director goods and consumer

group.

The end of the investigation, which previously covered

DFS, Floors2go and United Carpets and saw the flooring

retailers change their pricing policies, came just weeks

before the OFT is replaced by the Competition and Markets

Authority. Alex Chisholm, CMA chief executive says: ‘The

CMA will monitor pricing practices within this sector to

check whether businesses are complying with their legal

obligations. Companies are advised to satisfy themselves

that their practices are in line with the law because failure to

do so could risk enforcement action.’

‘We are pleased the OFT has publicly welcomed

Carpetright’s commitment to open and transparent pricing.

When customers visit Carpetright they can be confident of

getting good quality products at a competitive price, which

is supported by our price promise,’ says Carpetright.

Bensons for Beds was among the retailers investigated

Victoria Carpets has sold its

Kidderminster manufacturing plant in a

deal that could see it pay almost £15m in

rent over the next 20 years.

The company has sold the Worcester

Road facility for £5.8m in cash to

strengthen its balance sheet. It says the

site had a book value of £4.9m.

Under the terms of the deal it will pay

an initial annual rent to new owner

Monopro of £495,000. This will be

subject to annual increases of between

0% and 4%. If there are no increases

Victoria will pay £9.9m over the length of

the lease, but with a 4% annual increase

this rises to at least £14.74m.

Monopro is a property company

owned by the Dangoor family.

DFS has begun selling beds in-store and

plans to roll out the offer. Previously

shoppers could buy beds from DFS

online.

The upholstery chain, which sells

dining furniture at some stores, has

introduced an ‘edited’ bed offer at its

Maidstone and Tunbridge Wells, Kent and

Didcot, Oxfordshire stores.

DFS has converted warehouse space of

between 3,200sqft and 5,400sqft in the

stores to make room for the new offer.

The initiative will be rolled out across the

North West and could be introduced

across the country.

The vast majority of DFS branches

have at least 3,750sqft of warehouse

space that could be converted to retail

use.

Forbo has reduced the collection

threshold of its Back to the Floor

recycling scheme to one bag, which

holds 70sqm of flooring. Back to the

Floor sees Forbo’s clean installation

offcuts converted back into new flooring

products.

The lower threshold allows greater

take-up of the scheme, especially for

smaller installers and retail outlets, says

Matt Charlton, Forbo Back to the Floor

coordinator.

‘Volumes collected from smaller

projects can all go together in one bag,

contributing towards their overall

sustainable goals,’ he says.

DFS to sellbeds in-store

One bag means more recycling

Victoria sells Kidderminster plant

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INSPIRE – The pick of the Peppers

More shades of ‘Grey’!The question is often asked ‘will strong colours ever make a return to ourfloors?’. The answer of course is that no one really knows. The most popularcolour trend at the moment is ‘Grey’ highliting a more varied selection ofshades from very pale silver greys to dark anthracites. These new greys arecomplementing the new trends in fabric and furniture. We are seeing thatexisting grey shades are steadily moving up our colour charts. We are alsoadding new exciting greys to our most popular ranges Harvest Heathers,Everest, Santorini and Temptation to satisfy your customers’ needs. Seealso the new ranges of Distinction, Imperial Twist, Home Twistand Inspire for greys to suit today’s market.

Just add a little pepper for a tastefulalternative to heathers. There is anincreasing appetite in the market for aspeckled effect carpet and AssociatedWeavers has developed a clever, classleading range called INSPIRE to takeadvantage of this trend. Using our latesttufting technology INSPIRE creates aunique three colour finish across ten

natural colourways. This high performance,2ply construction weighs in at a luxurious60 oz. It also enjoys Associated Weavers’full 20 year Stainaway warranty and wearguarantee and is available in 4m and nojoin 5m widths. If you want your customersto be inspired have a look at INSPIRE. Thenew look of INSPIRE is now available viayour local Associated Weavers Sales manager.

Associated Weavers works together with its retailersto offer an exclusive offering of products on alimited distribution policy. Strengthening our sales-force by 50% has enabled existing customers toreceive more attention on a more regular andfrequent basis. Unlike the majority of our competitors,Associated Weavers works together with a moreselective account base to give our retailers semiexclusivity and a chance to really get behind theAW brand with confidence.

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NEWS


Carpetright sees no upturnCarpetright has again warned that profits will be lower than

expected with the chain seeing a decline in sales growth

and no benefit from the improving housing market.

The country’s largest flooring retailer warned that it

expected to make an underlying pre-tax profit of between

£3.5m and £5.5m for the year ended 26 April. This compares

to the £3m profit in the first half.

UK like for like retail sales in the eight weeks to 22 March

rose by 0.9%, compared with a rise of 2.5% in the quarter to

25 January.

Total UK sales were down by 0.8% in the eight week

period and 1.1% lower for the 47 week period.

‘In our last trading statement [in January] we reported

that like for like sales in the UK were volatile, and this

remains the case. Nevertheless, based on previous

experience we had expected to see some recovery as UK

housing transaction volumes improved. In the event, this

has yet to materialise and the momentum established in the

third quarter was not sustained. Excluding the expected

decrease in sales from our wholesale business, the core

retail business would have reported a like for like increase of

0.9%,’ says Lord Harris, Carpetright executive chairman.

In an effort to turn around its European operations, which

saw sales drop by 5.3% in the eight week period, it has

recruited Nick Worthington, former Dreams ceo, as

operations director Europe.

Natuzzi profit planItalian upholstery producer Natuzzi has set out its plans to

restore profitability by concentrating on trade sales, own-label

production and the Revive recliner. It says it will end losses by

the end of the year and make a profit margin of 3.9% in 2016.

The plans to reorganise its Italian production, boost efficiency

by adopting ‘24 industrial product platforms, which are the

result of the re-engineering of existing models and the design

of new models according to the new moving-line production

process’, cut stock levels, reorganise logistics and close 13

unprofitable stores, including some in the UK.

‘This plan is the culmination of an enormous effort over the

last three years and is being adopted in the context of greater

changes that we have implemented over the last 10 years.

During the last decade, we managed the challenges imposed

on us by globalisation with consistency, investing in the Natuzzi

brand, the opening and development of the retail network, the

upgrading of production facilities in Italy, the opening of

factories and commercial offices abroad, integrating processes

with the adoption of a single management information system

and the innovation of products and processes,’ says Pasquale

Natuzzi, Natuzzi founder and ceo.

Work has begun on a £900,000 extension to

Cormar Carpets’ Holme Mill, as it looks to boost

efficiencies. The carpet manufacturer is

expanding its warehousing space, increasing

the size of the unbacked carpet storage space

by more than 50%.

The base foundations have already been laid

with the extension expected to be completed

in June.

‘The extension allows us the opportunity to

grow the business and increase our warehouse

capacity for unbacked carpet. It is a critical

development that will free up process time at

both sites and enable implementation of our

plans to deliver the growth and performance

enhancements not previously possible due to

space constraints,’ says Paul Murphy, Cormar

Carpets production manager.

Vine to hostNBF awardsBroadcaster

Jeremy Vine is to

host the gala

dinner and

awards at this

year’s The Bed Show.

Radio 2 presenter Vine

(pictured) will host the fifth

NBF gala dinner and awards

ceremony on 23 September

at the Telford International

Centre, during The Bed Show.

The evening will see the

winner of the Bed

Manufacturer, Bed Supplier,

Independent Bed Retailer,

Multiple Bed Retailer and Bed

Etailer of the Year revealed.

Ahead of its half-year results

on 20 May, laminate and tile

chain Topps Tiles has revealed

that like for like sales for the

26 weeks to 29 March will

have risen by 10% with total

sales up 11.6% to £97.5m.

Underlying pre-tax profits

are expected to rise from

£4.7m to £8m.

Matthew Williams, Topps

Tiles ceo, says he is ‘very

confident’ of meeting

analysts’ estimates of

profits between £15.4m

to £19.3m, with a consensus

of £16.4m, for the year to

27 September.

Cormar expansion to boost efficiency

Sales and profits up for Topps Tiles

Natuzzi’s Revive

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NEWS


JFS needsmore spaceThe organiser of the January Furniture Show hasconfirmed that it will expand the show to a fifth hall as itapproaches a sell out just weeks after it was launched.

JFS is already 90% full as exhibitors continue to sign up.Laraine Janes, JFS co-organiser, says plans are being drawnup to use a fifth hall. Originally the show was to use halls 1,2, 3 and 3a at the NEC ‘to ensure a tightly focused, relevantshow.’

‘We could not have expected to fill up so quickly – it’samazing. We can add more space if we need to,’ she says.

‘We have been overwhelmed by the unprecedentedlevel of support for this event. January is a crucial time inthe industry calendar and having listened to exhibitors’feedback we will be making several improvements to theshow during the next few months.’

Major exhibitors include La-Z-Boy, TCS, Buoyant, MorrisFurniture Group, Global Home, Rauch, PD Global, ParkerKnoll, Duresta, G Plan Upholstery, Westbridge, Baker,Lebus, Ercol, Furniture Origins, Sherborne, Alstons, MarkWebster, Breasley and Vogue.

Tony Brewer, Headlam chiefexecutive, is cautiouslyoptimistic that the flooringdistribution group can returnto profitable growth this yearafter a profits drop in 2013.

Group sales increased by2.9% to a record £603.1m. UKlike for like sales rose by 1.5%to £498.9m but continentallike for like sales fell by 3.7%.Underlying pre-tax profitsdropped 5.1% to £26.4m.

‘The final months of 2013showed progressiveimprovement and thismomentum has carriedforward into the first twomonths of 2014. WhileJanuary and February arerelatively lower tradingmonths and comparedagainst weaker comparativesfrom 2013, both months haveproduced a positive result,’ hesays.

There are indications of a

slight improvement in marketconditions in the UK and amore stable market inContinental Europe.

Brewer says this hascoincided with the increasedinvestment across groupinitiatives aimed at ‘providingcustomers with an everimproving overall serviceproposition and the groupwith a strong platform forfuture growth’.

‘We enter the typicallystronger spring selling periodin a good position. While thefirst two months are awelcome improvement, webelieve that given a normalseasonal cycle and amaintained focus on thecontinued development ofthe quality of our businesses,we can look forward withcautious optimism to aresumption of profitablegrowth,’ he says.

Online furniture and homewares retailerLoaf is to target showrooms of 4,000-12,000sqft as it looks for 10 new outletsin London and the South East.

The retailer wants to open fivebranches in ‘prominent south westLondon locations’ in the next three yearsand five more in the South East by theend of 2017. It has hired retail consultantMMX Retail to advise on the expansion.

Loaf wants to uphold its reputation fornon-conformist retailing by setting up‘Loaf Shacks’, breaking from thetraditional formal setting of in-store retailby launching large, informal showrooms

where customers will be invited to ‘loaf’around on the products.

‘We now want to establish a physicalpresence to complement our etail offer,’says Charlie Marshall, Loaf founder.

‘While Loaf has experienced rapid salesgrowth year on year since our 2008 start-up, we want our customers to be able tointeract with our growing range ofproducts, while retaining our uniqueapproach to retailing. The Loaf Shackswill operate in a manner that reflects ourproducts: relaxed and easy going, butwithout ever compromising on the highquality standards that define Loaf.’

Headlam predicts growth

An invitation to loaf in the store

Loaf’s Bagsie sofa

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OPINION


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served basis.

Book your sales event early to guaranteeexclusivity for your business.

I am by nature a glass half-full sort of person, but my years inthe trade have taught me not to get too carried away with anychange in circumstance, be it good or bad. Things have a habitof evening themselves out over the period so it’s best not to gettoo excited or down.

But saying that I’m genuinely convinced, at least here, thatthings are on the up. We’ve been doing better for a while if the truth be known but I am now sure that we’ve left the darkdays behind us (if saying this hasn’t cursed things) with onecaveat.

During the downturn we kept most of our existing customers.They may have not bought as frequently as they once had orspent as much when they did buy, but they still came and sawwhat we had.

And it’s these customers who have come back in the past few

months and have been driving the improvement in business. While our product mix is admittedly different from what it

was a few years ago, it’s still the better-end that our longestablished customers are buying.

Many have been telling me that they’ve managed to pay offtheir mortgage in the past couple of years, thanks to the lowinterest rates, so they now have the disposable income to onceagain afford what they did before.

My worry is those consumers who have not saved the moneyfrom their lower repayments and instead spent it, largelyfuelling the growth in the economy.

What happens when interest rates and therefore mortgagepayments eventually go up?

Where will these people find the extra money they’ve gotused to spending?

The housing market may well be healthier than a few yearsago but can it carry on when interest rates are higher?

Oh, and the flooring business next door is still ticking alongnicely and the flow of sales reps trying to convince me that Ireally must have their products has thankfully slowed.

The author is an independentinteriors retailer

Trying to look onthe bright side

We’ve been doing betterfor a while if the truth beknown but I am now surethat we’ve left the darkdays behind us

NEW PRODUCTS


1

2

3

4

5

1 StainSafe Moorland Twist &

Stripes from Balta Broadloom

makes getting a coordinated look

in the home simple. Made from

100% bleach cleanable StainSafe

yarn, the collection coordinates

four stripe colourways with 12

plain shades and makes the once

premium stripe look obtainable

for all budgets.

Tel: 0032 56 622 211

2 Karndean Designflooring’s

LooseLay Series Two collection

features six wood tones, two

stone designs in large planks and

its first Textile stone designs –

Pennsylvania LLT204 and Nevada

LLT205 (pictured) in a linear

pattern for a modern look.

LooseLay is an innovative format

of LVT that is quick and easy to

install and simple to maintain.

Visit: www.karndean.com

3 The striking flooring collection

from Granorte combines the

unique patterns and textures of

wood flooring with the acoustic,

thermal and comfort benefits of

cork. Featuring a high-definition

reproduction of wood decors

atop a high-density cork surface

and protected by a high

performance PUR coating, Vita

delivers 14 looks.

Tel: 01785 711 131

4 For those seeking the ultimate

in luxury, bespoke sleeping

comfort can now be added to the

list thanks to the Savile bed

collection from Hyder Living.

Customers can choose the bed’s

fabrics and headboard shapes

along with the hand-tufted and

side-stitched mattress fillings and

ticking.

Tel: 01484 531 000

5 The Ultimate Timber collection

from Avenue has 17 wood-look

decors in an assortment of

tempting shades, from the light

and smoky tones of Camargue

through to the deeper chocolate

tones of Barriques and Fair Oaks

bringing warmth and character to

interiors.

Tel: 0800 032 3970 ��

BUYING GROUPS’ NATIONALFLOORING SHOW

Proudly supported by

“What a fantastic show! A great

centrally located venue and the

best suppliers all under one roof!”

“The show continues to grow every year and is a

great event for the carpet industry!”

13th& 14th MAY 2014

Cranmore Park, Solihull,

West Midlands, B90 4LF

Tuesday 13th May, 9:00 - 19:00

Wednesday 14th May, 9:00 - 17:00DATES & TIMES

LOCATION

Available exclusively to Members of affiliated Buying Groups.

Please visit www.bgnfs.co.uk to register!

Jonathan Davies, Sales Director of Associated Weavers

Stephen Pearce, Choice Homes

NEW PRODUCTS


6

8

10

9

6 Floorwise Aware is built

around a charitable

donation to Breast Cancer

Care for every roll of

underlay sold, but the

incentive has wider

implications for retailers,

with a more positive image

for underlay and the store

in which it is sold. It allows

retailers to tap into the

positive feeling that

contributing to charitable

causes gives, working as an

excellent and silent sales

tool.

Tel: 01509 673 974

7 With Easy Lawn artificial

grass from Lano

Landscaping, domestic

and commercial

environments can benefit

from the look of grass

without the maintenance

headaches. Available in pile

heights from 15mm to

40mm, it delivers

incredible realism and

softness yet it has the

durability to withstand

footwear for years,

supported by a nine-year

warranty.

Tel: 00 800 5266 5266

8 With proportions that

achieve the fine balance

between maximising shop

space and allowing the

carpet range to shine, the

latest Crown Floors

lectern is available for

three of the brand’s most

desirable collections, as

well as the three new 2014

ranges of Parkland, Wilton

House and Sheringham.

Tel: 0800 077 3301

9 Fading World rugs from

Louis de Poortere’s New

Vintage collection will keep

retailers at the forefront of

interior style. Capturing the

trend for worn-looks,

Fading World takes

inspiration from Damask

and Persian designs worn

by the ravages of time to

create a vintage look with

all the benefits of a new

rug available in eight

standard sizes.

Visit www.

louisdepoortere.com

10 For installers looking for

large volumes of wood,

laminate, LVT and cork

flooring at short notice,

UK Flooring Direct can

provide large volumes of

flooring with next day

delivery. Covering

mainland UK, installers can

use it as a reference point

for samples too, packaging

samples to present to

customers.

Visit: www.ukflooring

direct.co.uk ��

7

Supersoft & extra resilient grassperfect for garden, (roof)terrace, balcony, patio, swimming pool, play area

new!

Just like natural grass!

Orotex Belgium nv | Ingelmunstersteenweg 162, 8780 Oostrozebeke - Belgium T +32 56 67 22 11 | F +32 56 66 87 45 | [email protected] | www.oryzongrass.com

www.beaulieufl ooringsolutions.com

• Always green• Natural look• Zero maintenance• Weather proof

• Full UV protection• Colour fastness warranty• Strong & durable• Made in Belgium

Sampling and POS material available from your local fl oorcoverings distributor.

www.oryzongrass.com

NEW PRODUCTS


12

13

14

11 The six designs in Kährs’ Capital

Collection are defined by their clean

timber grade and minimal colour

variation. Oak Dublin (pictured) has a

light honey tone and is offered with a

satin lacquer, matt lacquer or oil

prefinish. White-toned Oak Paris has a

luminous appearance and a matt

lacquer or oil prefinish, while Oak

Berlin has a grey oiled finish.

Tel: 023 9245 3045

12 Quick-Step Master Installer, Martin

Sands of Kileys Carpets, Eastbourne

(pictured right with colleague Jack

Slaughter) was called in to help House

Beautiful magazine put the finishing

touches to its Multi-Generation Home,

a major

exhibit at

this year’s

Ideal

Home Show, with more than 100sqm

of Quick-Step laminate.

Visit: www.quick-step-

academy.co.uk

13 Kersaint Cobb has added Sisal

Pandas Eye to its extensive naturals

collection. Made from 100% sisal and

backed with latex, it is hardwearing

and suitable for high traffic areas. The

rustic big boucle design is available in

five earthy tones and offers a designer

look for rooms.

Tel: 01675 430 430

14 The Schnepel Now programme

features six furniture products

available for delivery within seven

days. VariC, ELF-Line and S1 (pictured)

are available in pre-configured

designs at retail prices from £299 to

£999. High gloss finishes within the

Schnepel Now selection include new

Cuba Libra. S1 Lowboard and new MK

Sound models are also available.

Tel: 01270 586 236

15 Cattelan Italia’s Tosca

combines maximum

comfort with elegant

design, making it perfect

for the most modern to

the most traditional

situations. It is available

in natural oak, oak

stained walnut or wenge

stained oak.

Tel: 00 39 03 6232 8162

11

15

01698 883001Unit 2, East Station Retail Park, Duke Street, Larkhall ML9 2AL

� [email protected] � divaniainternational.com ALL PRICES EXCLUDE VAT

Free pick-up from our warehouse and full containers available on request.

100% ECO LEATHER

FREE3 year

warranty

£575 3RR+R+R Black, Brown or Cappuccino

New York SINGLE ORDER PRICE

Serving the U.S., Canada and the U.K. 29 Warblington Road,Emsworth, Hampshire PO10 7HE Tel: +44 01243 378369 www.LynchSales.co.uk

Copyright 2014 Lynch Brothers Licensing Corporation

Our success has been the result of our commitment to honesty, integrity, and results. During the

Lynch 100th anniversary celebration, there’s never been a better time to see how a Lynch Sale can

help you expand, clear out inventory, sell your business or exit it.

Contact us for details and receive a special, 100th anniversary commemorative gift. Plus, if you hold

a Lynch Sale during 2014 you’ll become eligible for our Grand Prize of a trip for two to Ireland!

“Truth is the best sales tool.It is today, just as it was when myfather started this business in 1914.”Daniel Lynch, Chairman Emeritus, Lynch Sales Company

UPHOLSTERY


These designs, all to be debuted

at iSalone and Fuorisalone, will

help set the style agenda.

Visit: www cosmit.comwww.fuorisalone.it ��

Trendsetters

Moroso’s Diesel Living

Sister Ray sofa and chaise

longue sport extra-large

cushions with double

stitching referencing the

world of denim.

Foam? Feathers? Air?

Tanner Slade’s Ch-air is an

inflatable chair with a

padded upholstered cover.

Mercedes-Benz Style by Formitalia’s MBS038

has a choice of leather or showwood

(pictured) sides to coordinate with the coffee

table. Three and two-seater sofas are

available along with an armchair.

Busnelli’s Manda armchair follows the

footsteps of the Manda chair and is available

with or without a fixed backrest cushion.


��

UPHOLSTERY

Marc Sadler’s Lau stool is available

in a version illuminated with energy

saving bulbs or LEDs.

Cappellini has speedily tweaked the Cap Chair 2 it introduced at

IMM Cologne with a lower version of Jasper Morrison’s design.

The Nuvola sofa from the

DecòGlam Casa Gioiello

collection by Mantellassi

1926 is a four-seater that

takes curves to new heights.

As individual items or in a group, Kare

Design’s Bazar stool, chair and matching

chest of drawers are a rejuvenated

variant of the patchwork look.

Infiniti’s Hug chair, armchair and sofa

develop from two symmetrical halves

held together by an aluminium block

concealed within the soul of the

furniture. A variety of bases are available.

Le Corbusier designed the LC5 sofa with Pierre Jeanneret and Charlotte Perriand in 1934, Cassina introduced the

chrome frame version in 1974 and this year sees the introduction of a larger version with seven frame colours.

UPHOLSTERY


Above: Elledue’s Virgilio armchair has a slightly

retro style modernised by gun-metal grey lacquered

feet. The Gaspare sectional sofa has been updated

with new colours.

Arketipo’s Abacab uses a patchwork effect to create a sense of movement enhanced by the visible stitching

Heritage Collection’s Marais is

characterised by a compact and snug

shape with a hint of art deco.

Roberto Lazzeroni’s Nivola

for Poltrona Frau is a

streamlined and light design

with a feminine, almost

romantic, allure.

Calia Italia’s Niobe

features a deep-buttoned

back with clean lines for

the sides and includes

manual and electric

motion options.

Modus’ Lily chair is a

compact lounge chair with

moulded shell that benefits

from a high back and

armrest. Base options include

wood, rod or swivel.

The new Anja SofaCall 01902 459898

Lower Walsall Street, Wolverhampton WV1 2ES




100% ECO LEATHER

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UNDERLAY


Interfloor has updated its

Underlay Selection Guide

Interfloor has updated its popular

Underlay Selection Guide with new

products and clarification of which

brands are most suitable for specific

needs.

This useful selling tool was developed

for retailers and distributors to identify

the best performing Tredaire and Duralay

products in each of six key segments.

‘Our consumer research shows that the

two most important consumer needs for

underlay are underfoot comfort and

durability. These are chosen by 72% and

64% of consumers respectively. However,

we are seeing four other needs that have

emerged and become significant – heat

insulation, sound insulation, underfloor

heating and acoustic underlays for hard

flooring,’ says Steve Woodhead, Interfloor

marketing director.

The guide emphasises the inherent

brand strengths of Tredaire and Duralay.

Tredaire is designed for comfort and its

springy characteristics, in both PU and

sponge rubber, make it suitable for

insulating against heat and sound,

Woodhead adds.

Duralay’s ultra-high density crumb and

sponge rubber fit a number of needs.

Crumb rubber provides long lasting

carpet protection, supporting carpets in

high traffic areas such as hallways and

staircases.

The sponge rubber underlays are best

for underfloor heating being low tog and

providing noise reduction under hard

flooring.

‘Retailers tell us that the Underlay

Selection Guide is the best tool on the

market for selecting the right underlay

for their customer,’ says Woodhead.

‘We’ve improved it further by clarifying

which brand is most suitable for each

need, and by introducing some exciting

new products. The guide increases

customer satisfaction and maximises

value for the retailer in the short and

long term. It can be accessed from our

website where customers can also use

the powerful Underlay Selector.’

Visit: www.interfloor.com

The guide has been

updated and consumers

can also select online

Six of the best

Perfect performers and famous for bringing pure luxury,warmth and comfort to the home, Tredaire underlays are designed

to keep carpets looking good and feeling fabulous for longer.

The Tredaire range features outstanding levels of comfort and performance so every carpet gives that ‘on air’ feeling. That’s why Tredaire

is the UK’s biggest selling underlay brand - the market leader!

UK Sales:01706 238 810 www.interfloor.comlove your floor™

UNDERLAY


First name termsFloorwise has revamped the branding of it is underlay

Floorwise has recently transformed its

underlay portfolio, capitalising on the

Floorwise brand and refocusing attention

on one of the most well-established

names in the flooring industry.

‘Floorwise has a long and hugely

successful track record as an underlay

supplier to retailers across the UK,’ says

Richard Bailey, Floorwise md.

‘Names such as Longevity and Flexilay,

and more recently, Hyper, have become

firm favourites with retailers and have

always delivered consumer focused

touch points helping retailers to explain

the benefits of choosing a new underlay.

Yet through this all, the Floorwise name

has remained a constant, always there,

but somewhat in the background.

‘Yet for many retailers, with its huge

collective of associated products the

Floorwise name is far more powerful and

important than that of individual

underlay collections,’ he stresses.

For this reason the approach to

underlay branding was rethought with

the aim of simplifying the range and to

make it easier to draw clean lines of

distinction between types, specifications

and performance.

Now all underlays fall under the

Floorwise brand and are divided into

suitable product types; carpet: sub-

divided into foam, felt and rubber;

specialist underfloor heating underlays;

and wood and laminate.

‘We’ve kept the product names such as

Tread, Pinnacle and Endura, so that

retailers can quickly find their favourite

products. However, the Floorwise name

remains as the primary focus on

packaging, presenters and other POS,’

he says.

‘This even runs true for our Floorwise

Aware underlay in support of Breast

Cancer Care, though unsurprisingly this

uses a unique shade of pink for its film

and packaging.

‘The result is far easier to understand

underlay portfolio that gives us more

flexibility without being confusing and

that provides retailers with underlay for

every requirement and price point.

While only a superficial change, it is a

hugely important one for us and marks

a new direction for the brand,’ adds

Bailey.

Floorwise, tel: 01509 673 974

Branding has been updated with

emphasis on Floorwise

adhesives + screeds

profilestools

gripper

or contact: Floorwise Group Ltd. Floorwise House, 22 High Street, Kegworth, Derby, DE74 2DA, UKtel: +44 (0) 1509 673974 fax: +44 (0) 1509 674841

underlay

When it comes to flooring, Floorwiseis the name for quality and value!For over 30 years Floorwise has been the number one choice forflooring professionals.

Reliable service - through an exclusive network of distributors - and the consistent quality of our products, have earned Floorwise an enviable reputation.

Floorwise strives to deliver excellence in innovation too, with a continuous developmentprogramme aimed at meeting the evolving needs of both consumers and fitters alike.

For details of our distribution network visit: www.floorwise.co.uk

it’s time togetwise about floors

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UNDERLAY


Flying the flagCarpenter is proud to manufacture in the UK

‘British Made’ and ‘Manufactured in the

UK’ are stamps widely regarded as

signifying excellence and the Union Flag

subconsciously communicates messages

of quality, thanks to Britain’s stringent

rules and regulations. Now more than

ever, British credentials have become an

incredibly powerful marketing tool for

industries of all shapes and sizes.

Carpenter is one of the world’s largest

producers of PU underlay. Its state of the

art UK manufacturing facility in Glossop,

Derbyshire produces underlay that not

only performs well but comes with

excellent environmental credentials.

‘We are proud to display the Made in

United Kingdom strapline on all of our

products. Customers can be confident

that if they choose Carpenter underlay

they will get a strong, solid product

which meets exacting British standards

that cheap imitations cannot guarantee,’

says Helen Rowberry, Carpenter national

sales manager for underlay.

All the underlay is made from recycled

material and is backed with high

performance polyethylene laminate,

which aids recycling more effectively

than paper backing. This factor is

increasingly important to consumers,

who want environmentally conscious

products where possible, she explains.

‘Buying British doesn’t just mean a

quality product – but that the customer is

more likely to receive excellent service –

whether it’s advice on which underlay to

select or aftercare,’ says Rowberry.

‘Face-to-face interaction is incredibly

important too, and building a strong

relationship with the customer is

essential for receiving crucial feedback

which could impact on product

innovation and development. Remember,

buying British counts,’ she adds.

Carpenter, tel: 01457 892 400

The underlay is backed with

polyethylene laminate and is

made from recycled material

UNDERLAY


UpperclassambitionsBall & Young is looking to the top-end

After the success of the its Connoisseur Cloud9 underlay, whichwas launched in 2012, Ball & Young has created an underlaywith more density to create a ‘post recession’ premium range.

‘It has been unashamedly named Caviar & Champagne and isavailable in a 9mm thickness with 15sqm per roll and a 11mmthickness with 10sqm per roll. It is getting a little heavy at thisdensity for the 11mm to be manufactured in a 15sqm roll,’ saysAnn Shaw, Ball & Young sales director.

‘It sounds a little extravagant, but retailers will know thatsome consumers will come in and just ask for your bestunderlay. Now they can trade them up a little further. Somepeople just expect the best and we just want to make it better.’

The company has also relaunched the double stick/stretch fitcontract underlay Radiance as a 6mm product designed forunderfloor heating with a tog rating of 1.3.

It is also developing a new product portfolio which will showall of its ranges and specifications.Visit: www.underlay.com

Part of the Novostrat range of polyethyleneunderlays to suit every application and pocket.

From store to floor - there’s no better solution

Sonic rangeComfort range

HIGH PERFORMANCE UNDERLAYS

Sonic Gold Excelwood and laminatefloor underlay

EXCEPTIONAL SOUND REDUCTIONEXCELLENT IMPACT RESISTANCEEVENS OUTUNEVEN FLOORS

[email protected]

TEL: 00353 61-339287

Thesexiestunderlayyou willnever see

Caviar & Champagne POS

www.axminster-carpets.co.uk

Come And See Our

New Rangesat theBuying Groups’National Flooring Show

Buying Groups’National Flooring Show

13 - 14th May 2014

Cranmore ParkSolihull, West Midlands

www.bgnfs.co.uk

SEEYOU

THERE!

PICTURED ABOVE: Windsor in Itschner Grey, from the new Royal Borough Wilton Collection

13-14thMay2014

ROYAL WARRANTS


A look at companies holding prestigious

Royal Warrants and what it means to themHolders of Royal Warrants are part of an elite group of about

800 companies or individuals which are regular suppliers of

goods and services to the households of the Queen, the Duke

of Edinburgh and the Prince of Wales.

Over the centuries royal life and tastes changed. Henry VIII

appointed Thomas Hewytt to ‘Serve the Court with Swannes

and Cranes’ and ‘all kinds of Wildfoule’. The Field of the Cloth of

Gold in 1520 was largely put together by Royal Tradesmen.

Charles II’s 1684 list of royal tradesmen included a sword cutter,

an operator for the teeth, and a goffe-club maker. Among the

tradesmen supplying the royal household in 1789 were a pin

maker, a mole taker, a card maker and a rat catcher.

In the late 18th century royal tradesmen began displaying the

royal arms on their premises and stationery, but it was Queen

Victoria who ensured that Royal Warrants gained the prestige

they enjoy today.

During her 64-year reign more than 1,000 were granted, eight

times as many as granted by the Queen’s uncle, George IV. They

included companies such as Fortnum & Mason, Schweppes and

Twinings, which still hold them today.

Royal Warrants continue to be a prestigious mark of

recognition to those supplying the three households and

represent the widest cross-section of British trade and industry

(there are also a small number of overseas companies) – from

individuals practising traditional crafts to large firms equipped

with the latest technology. Royal Warrants are automatically

reviewed by the Lord Chamberlain’s committee a year before

they are due to expire. As part of the review, companies must

provide evidence of the goods and services they have supplied

to the royal household over the previous five years.

Last summer 60,000 visitors attended the Coronation Festival

in the grounds of Buckingham Palace to mark the 60th

anniversary of the Queen’s coronation and showcase more than

200 warrant holders, including Hypnos which was awarded its

Royal Warrant in 1929.

‘Clearly all the products used by the Royal Family are of a high

standard, but there is so much more to Hypnos’ relationship

than that. Companies that hold the Royal Warrant are diverse

and set apart, not only for their products and services, but also

for the standard and depth of supporting service provided to

the Royal Family and royal households,’ says Chris Ward, Hypnos

marketing director.

‘At Hypnos we are proud of our royal connection, and the

royal crest figures prominently in our marketing to reinforce our

best of British status, and to underline our British made and

British owned position: Hypnos is the last family-run and British

owned bed making company to hold a Royal Warrant. The

attraction of our handcrafted British-made beds, with family

values and royal patronage, has been very strong overseas for

many years enabling us to take our products to some of the

finest homes and hotels around the world.’

Visit: www.royalwarrant.org

PH

OTO

GR

AP

HS

: TH

EO

CO

HE

N P

HO

TOG

RA

PH

Y

Some 60,000

visitors attended

the Coronation

Festival last

summer

The

specialones

ROYAL WARRANTS


‘At Hypnos we are proud of our Royal Warrant status. Having

one is not just a badge of excellence, superior quality, expertise

and trust – it is a way of life for us,’ says Chris Ward, Hypnos

marketing director.

Hypnos received a Royal Warrant from King George V in 1929

and has supplied beds to many royal residences including

Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, St James Palace, Balmoral

Castle, Sandringham House, The Palace of Holyroodhouse and

Kensington Palace. As well as mattresses and divans, the

company also undertakes bespoke upholstery commissions for

the Royal Family, recently reupholstering the banquet seating of

Buckingham Palace’s ballroom.

The company has also presented to the royal households

teaching the importance of sleep and its impact on health and

wellbeing.

‘Our relationships and royal network have also been

extended to collaborate and work closely with other Royal

Warrant holders. Indeed we have partnered with Sanderson on

our latest Royal Comfort collection, where the mattress and

divan designs draw on our historical royal archives and royal

commissions, with Sanderson upholstery fabrics adding a

luxurious finishing touch to the divans and headboards to

create a design statement and the perfect indulgent stand-out

bedroom centrepiece,’ says Ward.

Hypnos was among the Royal Warrant holders which took

part in last summer’s Coronation Festival to promote its

products to the Royal Family, royal households, VIP guests and

some 60,000 visitors.

‘Our reputation and network of active relationships across the

royal household and the royal residences has resulted in a

constant flow of enquiries from the Master of the Households

department and private secretaries to ladies-in-waiting and

each of the palaces own housekeepers,’ adds Ward.

Hypnos also has synergy with the Royal Family with its

commitment to the environment. It was the first British bed

manufacturer to achieve carbon neutral status and comply with

the BS PAS 2060 carbon neutrality standard. Both of its factories

have achieved FSC and PEFC forestry certification and passed

the Sedex ethical trading audit.

Visit: www.hypnosbeds.com

A way of lifeHypnos has held a Royal Warrant for 85 years

Inset: Hypnos

was among the

warrant holders at

the Coronation

Festival

Left: Sovereign

Below: Cross

section of a Royal

Comfort bed

Beautiful Sleep

Introducing the Royal Comfort Collection, inspired by Hypnos’ royal archives and royal commissions,

featuring multi-tiered comfort that guarantees a deeply relaxing and rejuvenating night’s sleep.

Every Hypnos bed is individually made to order and lovingly hand crafted. Customers are invited

to personalise the design of their bed – luxurious upholstery fabrics are selected from Hypnos’

Royally Appointed fabric partner, Sanderson, for the ultimate finishing touch.

Don’t miss out, try the luxurious Royal Comfort Collection today!

T: +44 (0) 1844 348200 | E: [email protected] | www.hypnosbeds.com

Hypnos is proud to be Carbon Neutral, complying with BS PAS 2060 Standard.

ROYAL WARRANTS


Seal of approval for 82 yearsStaples continues to make bespoke quality beds

Staples has a long and respected history of making luxury

handcrafted beds in the UK.

Set up in 1895, Staples was awarded a Royal Warrant by King

George V in 1932 and it has been repeatedly awarded by each

successive monarch including Queen Elizabeth ll.

Staples has always combined quality craftsmanship with the

best natural fillings to enable them to handcraft each unique

customer order to the highest manufacturing standard,

embodying the meticulous attention to detail that its

handmade quality beds are synonymous with.

During the past 12 months the Staples product development

team has been working hard using these tried and tested

traditional manufacturing skills and some of the latest technical

innovations in the bed industry to create the Staples 2014 bed

collection.

This will be unveiled at the inaugural Steinhoff UK Beds At

Home show between 13-15 May at its Huntingdon,

Cambridgeshire factory.

Also on display will be the latest collections from sister

brands Myer’s and Slumberland.

Staples, tel: 01480 442 219 Every bed is handmade

Above: Brittannia Inset: Staples’ Royal Warrant

“Our passion for quality handmade beds began over 100 years ago and while technology has a great deal to offer, nothing equals the performance of natural materials, which with traditional manufacturing methods, produce a bed of superior quality.”

Come and visit us at our Huntingdon showroom to see our

brand new bed collection

ROYAL WARRANTS


The public’s awareness of bed brands is generally low. Bed

manufacturers don’t command the same must-have desirability

or fierce customer loyalty enjoyed across other sectors. Brand

perceptions of customers when facing choices within a

standard bed department are likely to be somewhat muddled,

perhaps void of any preconceptions and lacking in any

significant motivation to orientate towards the bed of the

moment, according to Sleepeezee.

Because the voice of most bed brands is somewhat unheard,

Sleepeezee has gained ground by allowing its products to

speak for themselves. This approach hasn’t gone unnoticed,

since a little over 30 years ago Sleepeezee received the highest

honour by being bestowed the Royal Warrant of the Prince of

Wales for its beds.

Proudly positioned above the Sleepeezee name, the Royal

Warrant epitomises and endorses everything that Sleepeezee

stands for in its products and brand: British-made quality,

craftsmanship, reliability, style and value – a cut above the

others, with reassurance of its status coming from the highest

authority.

The benefits of this accolade were extended last summer

with an invitation to take part in The Coronation Festival, held in

the gardens of Buckingham Palace. Selected Royal Warrant

holders, including Sleepeezee, showcased the best of British

workmanship and design within beautifully presented

marquees throughout the Palace grounds.

Visitors included the Prince of Wales and the Earl and

Countess of Wessex. Members of the Royal household,

celebrities, invited guests and visitors all showed an interest in

the products on display.

Clearly, certain events can mark a turning point in a

company’s fortunes. For Sleepeezee, having been hand-making

beds for 90 years, receiving the Royal Warrant has given the

company opportunity, value and presence in the bed market. In

a sector of low brand awareness, it has meant that the

Sleepeezee brand doesn’t need to be loud, it just needs to be

seen. The most respected institution of all presides over it and is

doing all the talking for it.

Sleepeezee, tel: 01634 729 436

Beingseen

Sleepeezee uses its Royal

Warrant to highlight its qualities

Left: New Royal

Below: New Amba

Bottom: New Late

ROYAL WARRANTS


A long associationAxminster Carpets’ links with royalty stretch back for centuries

A world-renowned British manufacturer, Axminster Carpets

joined the ranks of Royal Warrant holders in 2012 when it was

recognised for supplying carpets to the Queen. However, its

connection with royalty goes further back when King George III

and Queen Charlotte purchased carpet from Axminster Carpets

and also visited the factory in 1789.

‘We’re immensely proud at Axminster Carpets to be holders

of the Royal Warrant. It’s an exceptional sign of recognition from

the royal household of our carpets’ quality and the company’s

exceptionally high

service standards

and we are very

proud of the

carpets that we

make for Her

Majesty Queen

Elizabeth,’ says

Josh Dutfield,

Axminster Carpets

commercial

director.

With a long-

standing

connection to the royal household from supplying George III,

through to supplying carpet for Queen Elizabeth II at

Buckingham Palace, Axminster Carpets has supplied some of

the most prestigious buildings in the country.

In 2005, a commemorative rug woven to celebrate the

company’s 250th anniversary of carpet weaving in Axminster

was placed in Clarence House, the home of Prince Charles, after

being presented to the Earl of Devon. There are also many other

carpets from Axminster Carpets in various royal households.

They are also found in many celebrated British institutions,

such as Ashridge

House, the

Grade I listed

19th century

mansion in

Hertfordshire

with a 700 year-

old history and

the Barbican arts

centre.

Visit:www.axminster-carpets.co.uk

Ashridge House in Hertfordshire has carpet from Axminster Carpets

Many of Axminster Carpets’ Imagination

rugs can be personalised Simply Natural

stripe in Vogue

FLOORING21-23 SEPTEMBER 2014 HARROGATESHOW

www.theflooringshow.com

Join us in September for The Flooring Show The UK’s only national flooring event will again bring together

the whole industry for three intensive days of business

activity and networking.

FREE VISITOR REGISTRATIONNOW OPEN online at www.theflooringshow.com

Planyourvisit

NOW!

LIVING AND DINING


Morris Furniture celebrates 130 yearsIt may be celebrating the 130th

anniversary of Harris Morris founding

what was to become the Morris Furniture

Group, but there is no hint of looking

backwards for the Glasgow company.

‘After 130 years, the group has played

its part in our nation’s history; after two

world wars, many recessions, the rise and

fall of empires and the ever-changing

tastes of today’s fast-paced environment,

it has come through all of these

challenges stronger and more equipped ��

Ever onwardto deal with the challenges that will

come in the future. Today, the company

is still a strong player within the industry

and a key partner to our many retailers,’

says George McGraw, Morris Furniture

Group joint-md.

‘We may be in a different time and

place 130 years on, but the desire to offer

furniture to retailers and ensure their

businesses prosper has never changed.

We have a continued commitment to

invest in the business and to offer higher

stock levels, faster

deliveries on key

items and even more

flexible services for home delivery in

2014 and going forward.’

The group offers a vast choice of

product across its three cabinet brands

with G Plan Cabinets’ classically styled

portfolio, Morris Furniture’s reputation for

value and choice and Zone Furniture’s

combination of contemporary design

and affordability.

Morris offers three delivery choices:

• HomeSpeed: a next day delivery service available to

stockists on swivel, recliner and club chairs. Orders placed

before noon will be delivered the next day across all of

mainland UK, subject to stock availability, for £19.99.

• Store Express: free three to five-day deliveries to

stockists across all of mainland UK.

• DHD Service: a full white glove home delivery service

that more and more stockists are signing up for. This

includes delivery, assembly, positioning, clean up and any

questions a customer may have, ensuring customers have

an effortless purchase and delivery.

The three options are backed by the group’s

Ambassador Service: improvements in the sales and

service department provide stockists with quicker and

faster responses to deliveries, service and aftersales

service. Spare parts are guaranteed to be available within

24-72 hours and replacement products within 14-28 days.

Products are backed by a two-year warranty and service

technicians are available throughout the UK. ‘This new

service initiative has been a fantastic resource for our

retailers and we are confident that we tick all the boxes

and can offer them the quality service that is required for

today’s market,’ says McGraw.

G Plan Cabinets’ Tivoli

Inset: Relaxateeze’s Averna

Faster delivery to home or store

Its upholstery brand Relaxateeze has

grown from strength to strength since its

launch and is fast becoming one of the

UK’s top manufacturers of reclining

chairs. This progression has been

supported by the addition of accent

chairs, sofabeds and action sofas.

‘Having invested in new systems and

computer technology that improves

sales, service, transport, accounting and

marketing, all communications are faster

and more efficient. The group is able to

process orders, enquiries, restocking and

transport quicker than ever before

thanks to our new efficient systems,’ says

McGraw.

The group has a modern state of the

art office and warehouse facility in

Glasgow holding £10m of stock. Being

close to the M74 provides easy access to

the rest of the UK. ‘The facilities on offer

allow comfortable storage of all of our

bestselling products,’ McGraw adds.

Onsite, the group has an in-house

marketing and sales team to assist

stockists, keeping them up to date with

their latest ranges of products and

providing images, brochures, range

cards, swing tickets and specifications.

The group has websites for each brand

and the group itself, providing

information to stockists including group

news, stock updates, products available

for delivery and product specification.

Visit: www.morrisfurniture.co.uk

Diary of progress

more contemporary furniture using lighter

materials as a result of rationing furniture

during the war. It later featured at the

Festival of Britain and won numerous design

awards. It and the Bambi Chair are featured

in New York’s Guggenheim Museum.

1970 The group decides to focus more on

the residential market.

1973 Robert Morris, current joint-md,

follows in his father’s and grandfather’s

footsteps and joins the company.

1980 The company decides its future is in

the residential market. George McGraw,

current joint-md, joins.

1990 The business has expanded tenfold

and moves from the original factory built by

1884 Harris Morris establishes cabinet

workshops to supply wood furniture to

merchant ships.

1904 Begins to supply furniture for the

liners being built on the Clyde, a market it

succeeded in for decades, including the

Queen Mary in 1930 and the QE2 in 1967.

1901 Begins to supply office furniture.

1938 Neil Morris, son of the founder, joins

the company and fast becomes an

innovator in wood technology and design,

especially in pioneering laminated wood to

shape chairs and tables.

1939 Provides a valauble contribution to

the war effort with the manufacture and

provision of Enfield rifle butts, ammunition

boxes, aircraft jettison fuel tanks, barrage

carriers and the casings for Barnes Wallis’

bouncing Upkeep bomb.

1947 Is commissioned to design and fit a

special bedroom suite for the Queen and

Prince Philip as a royal wedding gift on

behalf of the people of Scotland.

1951 Neil Morris designs the Morris Cloud

Table arising from Britain’s need to build

Harris Morris to a new 300,000sqft factory.

1996 Buys the licence to the G Plan

Cabinets name that boosts business to

such a degree it outgrows its production

capabilities in four years.

2000 Moves to a new purpose-built

700,000sqft facility with production and

storage capabilities with a fleet of more

than 110 lorries.

2002 Sells more than 4,000 chairs at The

Furniture Show in four days as Relaxateeze

is launched offering just 12 models.

2010 Relocates to its present 700,000sqft

location in Rutherglen (pictured).

2014 Celebrates 130th anniversary and

introduces more delivery options.

Morris Furniture’s Lucerne

Zone Furniture’s Long Island


LIVING AND DINING

East West 0333 344 2140 email [email protected]

7 Highlands Court, Cranmore Avenue, Shirley, Solihull, West Midlands B90 4LE

PREVIEW

A stunning range of bedroom and dining furniture.

Made from solid Oak and Oak veneers, Preview offers a fresh

approach to contemporary living.

Preview represents, STYLE, QUALITY AND FANTASTIC VALUE to the

retailer and is available from UK stock for immediate delivery.

Call us today to find out more about this and our other beautiful

collections and how we can help improve your margins!

IMMEDIATE

DELIVERYFrom UK stocks

W

STYLE QUALITY & FANTASTIC VALUEQ

BEDS


On targetMammoth Technologies is going

from strength to strength

Mammoth Technologies is celebrating a

number of successes already this year

thanks to its innovative product range.

According to Mammoth, it produces

the only mattress of its kind in the

industry that is clinically proven to

improve sleep.

Headed by John Tuton and Mike Nash,

the company announced in January that

it has nearly doubled business over the

past 12 months to an equivalent annual

turnover of £2m. Since the beginning of

2013, it has increased 135% on

independent accounts and 125% on

nationals, and is on track to reach its

target of £5m turnover in the next five

years.

It now has products stocked across the

nation in stores ranging from Selfridges

to AHF and Furniture Village, as well as a

number of leading independent retailers.

The company recently secured an

exclusive deal to become the British

Athletes Commission’s bedding provider.

The mattresses were originally designed

for athletes and the company has a

number of key endorsements from major

sporting associations and personalities

including the English and Irish Rugby

Players Associations, the UK Chiropractic

Patients Commission, Olympic long jump

gold medallist Greg Rutherford and

Olympic weightlifter Zoe Smith. The BAC

agreement will continue to strengthen

its links within the sporting sector,

allowing athletes up to 50% discount on

its products.

Mammoth has also agreed a major

contract with a leading premiership

football club for a state of the art training

facility that is yet to be announced.

Over the past few years, Mammoth has

taken its original sports design and

developed it for the wider market.

‘Our aim is to provide solutions to get

the best night’s sleep possible, whatever

a person’s age or lifestyle. Our products

are made with enhanced medical grade

foam which offers superior temperature

control, pain relieving benefits and

supports movement while sleeping,

making the 50 to 60 shifts that the body

makes in the night easier and less

disturbing,’ says Tuton, Mammoth

founder and md.

Mammoth mattresses are Class 1

registered medical devices with the

Medicines and Healthcare Regulatory

Authority and has testimonials and

affiliations with the University of

Northumbria Sleep Science Centre and

the Newcastle University School of Bio-

Sciences. Mammoth’s credentials were

also enhanced when it collaborated with

sleep expert Professor Jason Ellis of the

University of Northumbria Sleep

Research Centre, who carried out a study

that proved the sleep benefits of a

Mammoth mattress.

‘The company is going from strength

to strength and we are particularly

pleased with how well the first quarter of

this year has gone. We have so many

more plans and initiatives in the pipeline,

that we’re more than sure we’ll hit targets

by the end of the year. And of course,

we’re continuously developing our

product lines to ensure we’re always

offering the best possible solutions for a

greater night’s sleep,’ adds Tuton.

Visit: www.mammothmattress.com

Left: John Tuton

Below left: In-store POS

Below : The mattresses are endorsed

by Olympic long jump gold

medallist Greg Rutherford

01 07 14

W NILLIAM IGHTTM

williamnight .co.ukbeds

BEDS AND BEDROOM


Now for something differentCaxton’s latest ranges may not be what you expected

Caxton has a reputation for

creating affordable, high quality

bedroom collections that sell. From

the ever-popular Pippa and

London to enduring bestsellers

such as Strata and Henley, they’re

on target and on price – and not

always what you’d expect, as its

latest releases, the entry-level

Essentials and modular Eclipse 400

bedroom collections show.

Designed with price in mind,

Essentials is a compact entry-level

collection. Available in four finishes

– white, grey ash, mid and light oak

– and built to the same quality and

specification as all other Caxton

bedrooms, Essentials’ proportions,

metal handles and extensive range

of wardrobe and chest of drawers

options make it a practical,

affordable no-nonsense collection,

suited to today’s lifestyle.

Eclipse 400 is a more versatile, modular

furniture system that offers the building

blocks for creating an individual

bedroom. With its up to the minute

styling and the flexibility to satisfy any

space requirement, Eclipse 400 offers

shelved or hanging wardrobes in two

heights and two widths, top boxes,

chests of drawers, an overbed surround

and a desk. It has four finishes – black,

white, grey and aubergine gloss – giving

even more opportunity to create a

personalised fitted look, while retaining

the flexibility to rearrange.

Over the years Caxton has built a

portfolio of both classic and

contemporary bedroom collections.

Featuring a sleek oak finish in a

horizontal grain with vertical edges and

curved metal handles, the London

bedroom has quickly become a

bestseller, while Pippa continues to prove

popular, thanks in part to its sculpted

panels, softly curved handles and cherry

style finish.

Available in the same, comprehensive

range of wardrobes, chests of drawers

and ever-popular overbed surround

that made their predecessors successful,

these two contemporary collections

complement the appeal of the classic

pearwood style Strata and crisp, white

Henley collections.

Visit: www.caxtonfurnitureonline.com

Caxton Pippa

Caxton Essentials

Caxton Eclipse 400

Caxton London

SpringLONG POINT

1 2 t h - 1 4 t h M ay 2 0 1 4

www.longeatonguild.co.uk

Te l : 0 1 1 5 9 2 2 2 5 4 2

BEDS AND BEDROOM


Centre ofattractionThe fifth Clerkenwell Design Week will

see bedroom products take centre

stage from 20-22 May.

Visit: www.clerkenwelldesignweek.com

Vitamin Design’s Aetas bed sports clean

lines and a slightly inclined headboard.

It is available in all standard sizes, in

European oak, knotted oak, ash, beech,

American walnut and cherry.

Pinch Design’s Iona grand mirror is made

from black American oak. It can be wall-

mounted or floorstanding supported on an

optional oak chock.

Inspired by

the original

Stilt cabinet,

Case

Furniture’s

Stilt

wardrobe

takes those

clean mid-

century lines

into the

bedroom.

It provides

ample

storage

space and

can be made

to bespoke

sizes.

Urbanara’s Lanton ivory bedlinen with black piping is made with

100% long-staple cotton. It has a 600 thread count and the sateen

weave ensures a subtle sheen, making it supersoft to touch.

Ensemblier’s Casati headboard has

bold and voluptuous curves that

accentuate the beauty of the fabric.

23 September 9am-5.30pm 24 September 9am-4pm

Register now at www.bedshow.co.uk

Signature 3000After months of tireless searching for the best quality Natural Lamb's Wool, the search wasconcluded at the most prestigious wool farms the county has to offer. Complimented with aLayer of Pure Cotton and Silk, this bed truly pushes the boundaries of comfort. Three rows ofHand Side Stitching by highly skilled craftsmen, add to the exclusivity of the bed.Handles Embroidered with the brand, leaves the most elegant impression.

DORLUXElizabeth Industrial Estate

Shroggs Road, Halifax HX3 5HAt: 01422 399250 • f: 01422 399251

e: [email protected] • w: www.dorlux.co.uk


5

BEDS AND BEDROOM

3

4

1 GNG’s Affinity collection

includes two orthopaedic mattresses, both designed to offer optimum

comfort and support for sufferers of back pain, and one softer, triple

layer mattress that offers ultimate comfort and luxury. All Affinity

mattresses feature castellated reflex support foam, providing

ventilation to ensure a cool night’s sleep. The Modena base is available

with a choice of storage options including ottoman (pictured).

Tel: 01924 950 300

2 Serene Furnishing’s Thornton features in the Oak Collection, which

harnesses the ever-present beauty of wood in a design-led range of

beds and drawers. With a striking headboard, Thornton is a low

footend bed in five sizes, each with a posture sprung slatted base and

complemented by an optional two-drawer bedside table.

Visit: www.serenefurnishings.co.uk

3 Part of Rest Assured’s revamped Eloquence Collection, the

bestselling Memory Luxury 800 features a handmade 800 pocket

spring mattress with memory foam filling, providing comfort and

luxury at an affordable price. The six-strong collection now features

stronger branding for recognisable Rest Assured quality, with the

addition of a Purotex probiotic sleeping surface that eliminates mould

and dust mites to prevent allergies without chemicals.

Tel: 01282 851 111

4 The Geltex Ultimate 1400 is part of Silentnight’s innovative Geltex

collection. The groundbreaking collection features a gel infused

comfort layer with a Mirapocket spring system, offering a unique

combination of unparalleled breathability, pressure relief and optimal

body support. The Geltex Ultimate 1400 incorporates a 6cm comfort

layer and is available with a range of divan colours and a choice of

bases, storage solutions and coordinating headboards.

Visit: www.silentnight.co.uk/geltex

5 Carpenter’s Sleep Better Clima Plus is a phase changing layer,

encased between two layers of foam to help the user achieve the

optimum sleeping temperature. It absorbs excess heat when the

body’s temperature rises and releases it when it drops, keeping the

body at a constant temperature – not too hot or too cold.

Tel: 01457 892 400

2

1

AFTER-SALES CARE KITSAfter-sales shouldn’t be an afterthought!Leather | Fabric | Wood• Comprehensive range of after-care products• Maximise revenue through add-on sales• Flexible branding options• Reduce after-sales issues and complaints• UK made, competitive pricing

Contact Dawn Hogg: 07702 345305 | Tel: 0844 879 3691 | www.furnitureclinic.co.uk

FOR LEATHER- Cleaners - Conditioners - Protectors

OR LEATHERCleanersConditionersProtectors

FOR WOOD- Cleaners - Oils - Waxes

- Cleaners- Oils- Waxes

FOR FABRIC- Cleaners - Stain Removers - Protectors

FOR FABRIC- Cleaners- Stain Removers- Protectors

Schnepel furniture is recognised as a hand made, German furniture collection with versatility and value. There are 4 ranges to

choose from, many finishes and multiple options to ensure the furniture is suited to your clients’ needs.

We have introduced Brick and Click Partnership alongside the brand, and in simple terms we sell product on your behalf, and

then we pay you for each sale in your area.

Our new web store is a result of considerable investment, ensuring we get the maximum exposure for our brands, and in turn

increase the sales opportunities for you.

We deliver direct to the client’s home, so taking all the hassle away from you. We will offer an after care service whereby the

client has full support where needed, and most of all, we pay you for every sale we make in your area if you are a Partner.

The Brick and Click Partnership is growing, so don’t miss out on an opportunity to join a scheme where there are no catches,

only advantages.

AV Furniture LtdE Mail: [email protected] • Tel: 01270 586 236 • www.demagio.com • www.schnepel.co.uk

S1 MK SoundPlenty of room for a soundbar up to

1.57 wide

S1 MK 2SKWhite with Pasadena front doors

SOFTWARE


Make IT work for youThe latest software developments make things easier

For some retailers the world of

accountancy and financial fact gathering

and recording may be the more

humdrum side of their daily routine, but

it is still essential. Retailsystem.com’s

software solutions include an integrated

accountancy package that updates all

the accounting data when a sale or

purchase information is entered.

Because of the Cloud, all financial or

accountancy aspects of the business are

up to the minute in real time. And it’s not

just profit and loss accounts or cashflow

projections, it also provides information

such as instant data on stock levels, the

opportunity to reconcile bank

statements online and daily

reconciliations for sales and purchases.

Unlike having to do all the accounting

with a separate software, or spreadsheet,

there is no need to key in all those

figures more than once, with the

additional risk of making mistakes, and

then having to match the information

from one system with another to do even

the simplest reconciliation.

Retailsystem.com uses Twinfield, a

online accounting provider which

gives flexible, collaborative and

automatic real-time data exchange

between you and your accountants

��

or financial department.

‘It is the top web service for

accounting and invoicing in Europe and

we integrate that expertise into the

systems we provide. It’s a solution that

means less jumping through hoops to

satisfy the fiscal year end demands of

those expensive accountants. Imagine,

they may not be able to charge you as

much as they did last year, poor chaps,’

says Stephen Smith, Retailsystem.com

ceo.

Less wastageThe latest addition to MasterPiece

System’s software is a large job

autoplanner, which works out how to use

multiple whole rolls efficiently with low

wastage at each roll end. This is designed

to save planning time and enable more

competitive quotes.

MasterPiece’s autoplanner is a simple

to use measuring and planning system

boosting margin through tighter plans.

For additional time saving, you can draw

straight on to the screen as you walk

from room to room using a tablet PC.

Files can be automatically synchronised

to give access to all jobs from all

MasterPiece installations and it allows

quick access to previous jobs.

Additional capabilities can be

MasterPiece has added a large job module

SOFTWARE


TThhee UUKK’’ssLLeeaaddiinngg SSuupppplliieerr ooff

SSooffttwwaarree ttooCCaarrppeett && FFlloooorriinngg RReettaaiilleerrss

We have a dedicated Installation and Support Team, so contact us today to arrange a no obligation demonstration and quote.

New “ Cloud" Point of Sa le

New Postcode Lookup Option

New Est imating Option avai lable soon.

Existing Customers include : Yorkshire Flooring Supplies, Your Carpet Shop, Perthshire Flooring,

Victoria Carpets, John Lewis Partnership, Greendale Carpets, Carpet & Flooring, Clyde Carpet & Flooring, Dallas Carpets, Brockway Carpets, Phloor, Millers Specialist Flooring Coverings

21st

Anniversary 1993-2014

Unit 13b, Brindley Court, Lymedale Business Park, Newcastle under Lyme, Staffordshire, ST5 9QH

Tel : 01782 562522 [email protected] www.maynetechnology.co.uk

Visit us at :

13-14 May 2014 - Solihull

readily added such as accurate tileplanning, including Karndean andAmtico product sets. Retailers with acontract arm can benefit from tracinground PDF/CAD floorplans.

Systems to fit any businessMayne Computer Technology’s Mosaicsystem can be used by most carpet andflooring companies, from independentretailers through multi-branch retailersand distributors up to multinationalmanufacturers.

The Windows-based system allowsusers to choose the modules they requireas the requirements of the businesschange. These include estimating andplanning, sales order processing, stockmanagement, sales and purchase ledger,complaints, fitter’s diary, managementinformation, samples, electronic datainterchange, warehouse automation,product catalogue, online sales andtouchscreen order entry.

Mayne’s latest offerings include a POSmodule for retailers that covers all the

daily functions such as checking stock,raising orders, printing quotes andinvoices, processing payments andarranging fitting.

A Customer Relations Managementmodule allows management of thecustomer interface from initial contactthrough to sales.

These and the full Mosaic system arenow available to run Cloud-based with a

small deposit and a monthly fee,enabling retailers to enjoy all the benefitswithout software downloads or costlyinstallation charges.

Mayne is also the agent for theMeasure Square estimating softwareavailable on iPad, iPhone and PC.Visit: www.masterpiece-system.comwww.maynetechnology.co.ukwww.retailsystem.com

Mayne supplies themodules that best meetcustomers’ requirements


Wools of New Zealand

Tel: 01943 603 888

Visit: www.laneve.co.uk

Wools of New Zealand launched the Laneve

brand half a decade ago, as it was clear that

home-owners at the higher end were

demanding greater integrity within the prod-

ucts they decorate their homes with.

Laneve is now used in more than 30 prod-

ucts from leading carpet brands including

Crucial Trading, Ulster Carpets, Brockway,

Ryalux and Flock.

Laneve offers full transparency with every

metre of carpet traceable back to the farms

in New Zealand

via a dedicated

consumer web-

site: www.

laneve.co.uk.

Every farmer

accredited to

grow Laneve

wool cares for

their property

and the crea-

tures nearby

and aims to

Ad

vertising feature: W

ools of New

Zealandpass their farm on to the next generation.

The wool is grown to meet strict specifica-

tions especially for the carpet that it is des-

tined for. The typical Laneve farm has 3,000

white sheep growing wool, which is scoured

and shipped using the world’s most efficient

processes.

Consumers purchasing Laneve carpets can

be assured of full transparency, excellence in

land management, animal welfare and social

responsibility. WNZ is also working with its

partners to up -

cycle any left-

over fibres and

turn it into

products such

as crumbwool

underlay.

Talk to WNZ

at the Buying

Groups’ Nat -

ional Flooring

Show in Solihull

on 13-14 May.

Wools of New Zealand’s Laneve programme is gaining momentum,as consumers demand to know where their products come from

The sustainable farming practices of

Laneve wool protect the habitat of these

beautiful endangered species. Growing

Laneve wool to meet strict eco-

standards means the farmers have to be

very careful about how they do things.

It is critical the farms that neighbour the

harbours are kept free from chemicals

that might enter the waterways. WNZ

contributes to the New Zealand Whale

and Dolphin trust to fund research to

further protect the dolphins.

The Hector’s Dolphin

Growing demand for ethicaland transparent interiors

LVT


‘After two years in the UK marketplace, we have witnessed a

clear correlation in seasonal sales success; and we expect

retailers will once again welcome a host of home renovators, as

the days get longer. With home owners set for some spring

cleaning, the question of whether to redecorate inevitably

arises and this is why it’s great for stockists to have a variety of

new products ready to showcase for the curious consumer,’ says

David Bigland, Moduleo UK and Eire md.

Moduleo’s Transform range was expanded at the start of the

year to include six new wood finishes and 10 new stone

products. This includes a collection of Jura Stone tiles with

detailed stone patterns and textures, along with the Azuriet

designs boasting metallic hues suspended within the stone to

create a sparkle effect.

Above left:

Verdon Oak

Right:

Country Oak

Below:

Jura Stone

Moduleo is anticipating a sales uplift

Spring surge

‘The January launch has been a resounding success, and the

initial feedback from our new Impress range, which was

previewed at Domotex, has been outstanding. It’s an exciting

time of year for manufacturers and retailers alike, and we’re

thrilled to be offering our stockists a vast selection of exciting

new products to promote during this busy period,’ adds Bigland.

Transform is available in a click system and dry back versions.

Moduleo, tel: 01332 851 500.

Polyflor at Home has been developed to

inspire you by offering exciting and authentic

design ideas to suit any style of home interior.

Introduce yourself to the Colonia and Camaro

Luxury Vinyl Tile collections.

Full marketing support for both LVT ranges

is available, including a next day samples

service, brochures, presenters and retail

display stands. Visit polyflorathome.com to

view stunning imagery, or contact us by email

on [email protected] for further information.

COLONIA Nordic White Oak

POLYFLOR LTD. PO BOX 3 RADCLIFFE NEW RD WHITEFIELD MANCHESTER M45 7NR

TEL: 0161 767 1122 FAX: 0161 767 1128 E-MAIL: [email protected] WWW.POLYFLOR.COM

PREVIEW


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For the first time members of flooring

buying groups can attend the Buying

Groups’ National Flooring Show at

Cranmore Park on either day. Previously

the first day was exclusive to Flooring

One Members.

Adam Carpets will show its Revelation

range, designed to coordinate plain

twists, stripes and tonals, along with two

new collections.

Axminster Carpets’ Royal Borough

Wilton collection features three types of

yarn, all exclusive to the company.

Devonia Plains will receive new colours

including French Grey and Eggshell Blue

while Simply Natural will have 12 new

colours including Quartz and Flint.

Ball & Young is promoting its new

Cloud 9 Caviar and Champagne underlay

collection.

Making its show debut is Crown Floors

with four new designs. Sheringham is a

luxurious solid colour twist, using wool-

like hues to complement today’s

contemporary design trends. Parkland

has 10 salt and pepper colours. House

Wilton is an 81oz woven collection with

a 15-year wear warranty. Cut pile

Inverlochy Castle takes inspiration from

traditional plaid designs and is available

in nine colours and a 4m width. Crown

will also showcase three of its bestsellers

– Penrose, Roseland and Alderley Edge –

on its latest mini-waterfall lecterns.

Crucial Trading introduces nine new

colourways to its diverse and extensive

collection of sisal flooring, along

with additions to its wool collections.

These will all be available to see ��

Open houseHere’s some of what visitors can

look forward to at the show

Gaskell’s Kennington

Crown’s Sheringham in London Fog Parador’s Classic 1050 Walnut natural wide plank

Adam Carpets’ Revelation

stronglong-lasting resilient fibre

sparklingsilky lustre

softluxurious comfort

Call us to find out more: +32 56 62 22 11

PREVIEW


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on its Mini Hub Display stand.

Edel Telenzo adds to its Tube

Collection with new colours for the plain

Centrepoint, including Mustard, Willow

and Sky, along with several natural

shades. Docklands is a multicoloured

design while Circle Line is a fine stripe.

Also on show are structured loop

Bloomsbury and Harrow after being

introduced at Domotex. They feature

three-ply 100% New Zealand wool yarn

in six shades.

Elliott Anti-Slip is showcasing its anti-

slip rug underlays, including precut sizes

and rolls.

Flock will show its 12 Laneve designs.

Gaskell is adding the Westminster

loop pile to its London collection

and is also relaunching Camden.

Heuga Home Foundations will launch

six Adore-Touch wood designs, with the

collection of 20 woods and 10 tile

designs now available in stick-down

format as well as click. Albany from its

Shaw brand will be relaunched with new

colours while Brunswick is a new 53oz

polypropylene saxony in six colours.

Its Sensa brand will introduce

Cosmopolitan, a collection of 20

contemporary designs presented on a

toast rack display stand, while it will also

show its self-adhesive, recycled rubber

crumb Instalay underlay.

Husain International introduces

Flatweave, a collection of reversible wool

rugs; Swing, a range of textured hand-

woven wool rugs; Medley, a collection of

hand-knotted patchwork designs and

four new designs to the Kalahari

collection including Tiger.

Kingsmead Carpets is launching five

ranges for the Clean Easy portfolio,

including the first in the new Everlon

Supersoft fibre and a polypropylene

saxony in three-ply yarn. The Book of

Stripes and a wall unit featuring its Glen

Shee, Artwork and Artwork Special wool

ranges will also be launched.

Lano Carpets will highlight its Easy

Care and Easy Lawn collections, as well as

Mohawk’s SmartStrand and Everstrand,

its new rug portfolio and polyamide

updates to the Ultimo range. Easy Care

will include the new Heathertwist Elite

Husain International’s Tiger Kalahari

Crucial Trading’s

display stand

Flock’s PortlandUlster Carpets’ Heritage Twist in Chesil

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and Heathertwist Supreme, and the

lectern now features Startwist and

Sumatra. The rug collection has renewed

runners for halls and stairs.

From Mayne Computer Technology is

the latest release of its cloud-based

Mosaic POS system designed for flooring

retailers, with facilities including a

postcode search function. It will also

display the latest Measure Square

estimating software for iPads.

Mr Tomkinson will feature a number

of new products including Cotswold, a

wool Berber twist; and Galaxy, a velvet

product alongside a relaunch of

Tomkinson Twist.

Parador is showing its Click-Tex and

Eco-Balance PUR concepts alongside its

latest laminate, engineered wood and

LVT flooring ranges.

Sebo highlights its no-stock holding

scheme, where retailers have a

demonstration vacuum cleaner and are

paid commission on sales with Sebo

handling the DHD.

Ulster Carpets is launching the striped

Monaco and coordinating beige, neutral

and grey-toned Panama as part of the

Open Spaces collection; adding

traditional Scottish tartans Douglas and

Robertson to Glenmoy, while showcasing

Heritage Twist, York Wilton and Anatolia.

Ultimate Rug Company will feature its

latest Unity Wool range, available in

seven texture options in a selection of

earthy tones and two standard sizes

along with a bespoke option. It has a

dedicated 20-arm display stand.

Victoria Carpets debuts Royal Victoria

velvet in 18 colours, 4m and 5m widths

and 45oz and 60oz weights. It will also

show the EasiCare Heartland and

EasiCare Morton collections and preview

a number of polypropylene ranges.

Woodpecker Flooring is displaying its

rebranded laminate flooring as Olsen. Its

abrasion rating has increased from AC3

to AC4, along with a 21% denser high

density fibreboard and glueless clic

sliding joint, allowing the plank to slide

lengthwise along the previous row

before being fully locked in. The range

has 17 designs.

Visit: www.bgnfs.co.uk

Axminster Carpets’ Royal Borough Windsor in Itschner light grey

Muddy paws don’t worry Victoria Carpets’ Morton Lano’s Mohawk SmartStrand Sheer Ecstasy in Magnolia Bud

Ultimate Rug Company’s Unity

��

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Kingsmead will brighten up Cranmore Park

Following its involvement in the

successful launch of Wool Owner’s

Warranty (WOW), Kingsmead Carpets is

now promoting a new wall stand

featuring three of its bestselling 80/20

products: Artwork, Artwork Special

Edition and Glen Shee.

‘Finally consumers are turning to

colour,’ says Martin West, Kingsmead md.

‘We have persevered with colour while

others have concentrated on beige and

now our perseverance is paying off and

this new stand will attract anyone

looking for colour in their wool twist.’

Another launch will see the arrival of

The Book of Stripes, a themed collection

of 100% wool loop stripes in varied

thicknesses of stripe. The range is due to

be unveiled at the Buying Groups’

National Flooring Show.

Kingsmead’s Clean Easy collection has

become a turn-to offering for many

independent retailers, according to West,

and the collection will increase in size

over the coming months with another

five ranges including the first using the

Turning to

colournew Everlon Supersoft

polypropylene fibre.

‘At the time of our merger with

Georgian Carpets in the middle of

last year, we promised a

revitalised and focused offering

to benefit our customers from

both companies. I believe we

have delivered in all ways and

that customers have seen the

benefit both in product

development and in

representation since the merger.

This has led to increased

presence within independent

retail stores and more profit

opportunities for those

retailers,’ says West.

Kingsmead Carpets, tel: 01827 831 424

Above: The new stand

features Artwork, Artwork

Special Edition and Glen Shee

Below and right: The Book of

Stripes will debut at the show

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Five into

oneHighlights of what visitors

can expect to see at Excel

May Design Series returns from 18-20 May made up of five

events: The Furniture Show, DX, Lighting (including Arc), Decor

and Kitchen + Bathroom. Almost 400 exhibitors will be at Excel

London.

Art Hide will show its range of products, from rugs to tablet

cases, made from sustainably produced Argentinean cow hide.

It also provides a bespoke design and manufacturing service.

Highlights from Casamania include the Toshi range of

modular storage units. The system is completed by three

optional smaller containers, either with doors or drawers, that

can be positioned on the modules themselves.

Deirdre Dyson will be presenting her 2014 rug collection,

entitled Designs from the Seashore and inspired by the

beaches of the Las Perlas islands, Panama. The designs ��

Top: Innermost’s Glaze

Above: Koiner’s Voice

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incorporate Chinese silk and pure wool, giving the carpets an

iridescent appearance resembling water passing over

the beach. Each rug is bespoke and customers can apply their

own creative ideas to Dyson’s designs to create a personal

product.

Ebb & Flow combines British and Nordic style with glass,

metals and textiles to create modern lighting. The company will

officially launch its Spring 2014 collection at the show. The

Rowan pendant lamp and the cylindrical Pillar lamp will be

updated with the addition of horizontal stripes in gold, copper

and platinum, while the Pillar dimpled lampshade range and

Glow in a Dome models are now available in more colours and

finishes.

Formani UK will be showing a host of door, window and

cabinet hardware solutions, including two collaborative designs

by Piet Boon alongside the Fold collection designed by Tord

Boontje, the Royal College of Art’s head of design products.

Fold is made up of stainless steel door and window fittings,

while its lever handle design won a Red Dot Design award in

2013.

Traditionally known for its mirrors, Gallery Direct has recently

expanded its range by almost two-thirds to include furniture

and accessories. It will showcase British designed sofas and

chairs, console tables and occasional furniture ranges at the

show, including the classically styled Sienna three-seater sofa

with turned oak feet.

From Gwinner will be the Hang wall unit from the Felino

range, a large wall unit made from panels that curve at each

end. The unit is available in a range of wood veneers, including

natural oak and walnut, as well as white lacquer. ��

Left: Gwinner’s Felino

Below: Casamania’s

Chariot

Below left: Bazaar

Velvet’s Dune rug

Bottom right:

Bohemian Works’

Chocolate Oak wood

flooring

For further information or to request a catalogue contact us on0121 506 4888, [email protected] or vist our extensive showroom in

Wednesbury. We are open Mon - Fri 8am - 5pm (4:30pm Cash & Carry)

COMPREHENSIVE PRODUCT RANGE - FIRST CLASS SERVICE - OUTSTANDING VALUE

Monroe BedShown with Ecuador Bedroom Items

Abbey Dining SetShown with Charisma Occasional

Vanya Sofa Bed

Ashmore Range

www.seconique.co.uk

Corona Torino with Ecuador Keswick with Hollywood

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Iain James Furniture will have on display a variety of its classic

furniture designs including the new occasional Breakfast Table

in Japanese ash with ebony.

Harmony Furnishings’ Ideal brand will be showing its latest

ranges of contemporary dining tables and chairs.

On Innermost’s stand will be its furniture and lighting.

Furniture will include Canvas, a seating solution that acts

as a piece of functional art thanks to the construction of

structured fabrics. Canvas leans against a wall and appears

at a distance to be a two-dimensional image, when in fact

it is a fully functional chair. Its Facet lighting collection,

designed by Tom Kirk, is available as pendants of varying sizes.

Facet features polished stainless steel sections around its

circumference to create a surface of small facets, each helping

to present part of a fragmented image of its surroundings.

Koinor’s upholstery will include the Bronx dinner sofa that

can be adapted to include an armrest at one or both ends, or

remain an open-ended bench. It is also available with or

without a backrest.

Handmade lighting company Patinas Lighting marks its

return to the show with chandeliers, wall lights, ceiling fittings

and pendant and table lamps.

Rug-Maker.com is showcasing a variety of designs including

a collaborative range with textile artist and designer Ptolemy

Mann, which is compiled of flatweave and pile rugs inspired by

mid-century design.

Fresh from installing 8.5m engineered planks at a London

project – thought to be the longest installed in the �

Above: Gallery Direct’s

Restoration

Right: Original Bedstead

Company’s Morvern

Far right: Enigma Lighting’s

the Big Bubble Set

Below: XEY’s S2 kitchen

Below right: Eskimo’s Woody

radiator

��

IDEAL PRODUCTS LTD.01902 456457Lower Walsall StreetWolverhampton WV1 [email protected] www.idealproductsltd.co.uk

WE HAVE MOVED TO A BIGGER WAREHOUSE

COME AND VISIT US

SAT NAV WV1 2ES

• NEW 5,000 sq ft showroom• Over £2 million on stock• New lines always arriving• Same day collection/dispatch available• Leading supplier for on-line & multi-channel retailers• Daily stock feeds available• Exceptionally high levels of customer service

�

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UK – Rainleaf will introduce the Signature range of 8m x 450mm

planks in two new colours.

Rio is the latest collection of beds in Seconique’s Distressed

Waxed Pine collection. This includes a 3ft and 4ft 6in bed along

with a 3ft bunk that complements the Corona bedroom

furniture range. The Stowaway dining set is the latest addition

to the Cambourne range. Available for dining, occasional and

bedroom, the range is finished in Sonoma Oak effect veneer.

Sharon Marston will debut six lighting designs. These will

consist of gold and black earthenware ceramics, while

the stand itself will be adorned with stainless steel sculptures,

bone china pendants and a backdrop of wall panels gilded in

silver leaf.

Centre stage for Smartbedz will be two multimedia beds: the

Audio bed features built-in Bose speakers and allows users to

play music from their smartphone or tablet via Bluetooth. The

Media bed also features built-in Bose speakers, and wi-fi

connectivity to a built-in Samsung TV allows the user to stream

television programmes via applications such as Netflix, iPlayer

and LoveFilm.

TCS will show its Lydia sofa, a range of leather gaming chairs

and two of its latest beds. Su:Hu features a reversible foam

mattress designed to either trap or expel air to create a

warming or cooling effect which can be alternated depending

on the season. Ying-Yang allows couples to select different

firmness levels for each side of the bed.

The Original Bedstead Company is launching several models,

including four-poster spire Turner available in 200 painted

finishes.

Zugs will be showing its range of hand-tufted, illustrated

children’s rugs. The company says its designs, which feature

eight different characters including Suzie the Sunbeam and

Razzle the Rainbow, uses a fifth more wool per sqm than

standard rugs.

Visit: www.maydesignseries.com

Above left: Seconique’s

Corona bedroom with Rio

bed

Above: Ideal’s Harper

Left: Zugs’ Gary the Cloud

rug

Below: Iain James’

Breakfast Table




100% ECO LEATHER

FREE3 year

warranty

£595 3RR+2RR White, Black, Red or Cappuccino

Brazil SINGLE ORDER PRICE

[email protected]

Visit us atMAY DESIGN SERIES

Stand B300/B310

PREVIEW


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Great outdoorsSOLEX moves onwards and upwards into 2014

This year’s Summer Outdoor Living

Exhibition (SOLEX) will be the largest yet

as it takes place at the NEC for the

second time. Last year in hall five it

attracted a record number of visitors and

exhibitors. This year there will be more

than 60 exhibitors showing their

products for the 2015 season and a

greater take-up of space.

New for 2014 is a redesigned New

Product Showcase, showing visitors the

best new products from Leisure and

Outdoor Furniture Association members.

There will be room to wander around the

showcase and get to see the products

before viewing the rest of the show.

The Enterprise zone gives new

candidate companies the opportunity to

display their products to buyers and get

a foot on the ladder to membership of

LOFA and a space in the full show.

This year sees the introduction of the

Greatest Awards ceremony at the

National Motorcycle Museum on the

evening of 7 July.

Visit: www.lofa.co.uk/solex

ExhibitorsExhibitors include:

4 Seasons Outdoor UK

A Mir & Co

AT Industries

Alexander Rose

Anchor Fast Products

Ascalon Design

Bambrella

Barlow Tyrie

BDP

Beefeater Europe

Bellagio UK

Black Country Metal Works

Bosmere Products

Bulls Bridge

Cadak UK

Char-Broil

Cobb

Coleman UK

Cozy Bay

CPL

Culcita

Daro Outdoor Living

Desser and Co

Europa Leisure

Firmans Direct

Fuel Express

Gardenco

Garden Furniture Global

Glencrest Seatex

Grakka

Hartman

Innovators International

Jonart Design

JTS Cushions

Kettler

La Hacienda

Lafuma

Landmann

Leisuregrow

Li-Lo

Lifestyle Appliances

Lifestyle Garden

Mercer Agencies

Norfolk Leisure Lifestyle

Outback International UK

Pacific Lifestyle

Premier Decorations

Quest Leisure Products

Rondeau Leisure

ScanCom UK

Summit International

Suntime

Swiss Grill

The Solar Centre

Weber-Stephens

Westminster Furniture

Wilstone House and Garden

This year’s show will be the largest yet

The FIRST place to see 2015 designs!The Summer Outdoor Living

Exhibition of Garden Furniture,Barbecues and outdoor living

accessories

7-9 July 2014National Exhibition Centre

Hall 5

Book the date in your diary now!

[email protected]/solex

01243 839593

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Every roomMaison & Objet again proved it was

home to an incredibly varied mix of

furnishings.

Visit: www.maison-objet.com

Darono’s Euchanis pouffe is based on an Amazonian

flower, with removable covers and a choice of sizes.

Dialma Brown’s Latten

sideboard in black with

an antique finish.

Object Carpet expanded its

leather and leather-look

edged RUGX collection with

Neon and Chill (pictured).

The Fil Vert section

of the show

highlighted

environmentally-

friendly exhibitors,

including Valerie

Richomme’s lighting

made from

newspapers.

Deirdre Dyson unveiled Designs from the Seashore, eight rugs inspired by stones and shells,

including Coral (pictured) seen on a beach during a holiday to the Las Perlas islands, Panama.

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Giardini Wallcoverings’ Sauvage wallpaper collection has soft hues that

range from beige to brown, but with splashes of colour for a bold style

and the slightly chintzy jacquard satin fabric gives a shiny effect. Sauvage

also features two metallic viscose variations inspired by Moorish

architecture for more traditional, albeit sophisticated, interiors.

Barcelona Design introduced a

lower backrest version of Jaime

Hayon’s 2009 Lounger. Low

Lounger is available in wood

and colour-lacquered finishes.

Baxter gave leather many an usual twist, including the Housse sofa, which looks deep buttoned

but is smooth printed leather.

Alongside the G&T Turn occasional tables and her first

tableware collection, Bethan Gray introduced the Stud

table, a new interpretation of her Brogue table with

brass studs replacing the stitching detail.

Inspired by Sir

Donald

Campbell’s

Bluebird cars and

boats, Timothy

Oulton’s Jet

collection is

influenced by the

world of speed

racing, including

the Baseball chair

and Sputnik light.

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Shout outBeing bright was the order of the day

Any economic concerns were pushed to one side at

Heimtextil as exhibitors looked to cheer consumers up with

eye-catching designs and bold use of colours. Here are some

of the highlights.

Visit: http://heimtextil.messefrankfurt.com

1 Desigual expanded Deco to include

lampshades, magnets, stickers,

storage boxes, notebooks, photo

frames and travel kits alongside the

existing cushions, rugs and blankets.

2 Christian Fischbacher introduced

several cushions including Persia,

Polaris, Orient and Pepite.

3 KAS continued its well-established

policy of making homes brighter

places.

4 Fashion house Maison Martin

Margiela debuted its first wallpaper

collection in collaboration with

Belgian manufacturer Omexco.

5 Erfurt expanded its Trendvlies

textured wallpapers with Mesh

(pictured painted grey), Crust, Plissé

and Yarn.

1

2

3 5

4

Explore 5 sectors at theUK’s defi nitive internationalfurnishings fair:

The Furniture ShowKitchen + BathroomLightingDecorDX

Be inspired by 400 new and establishedbrands from residential, commercialand hospitality interiors at this year’sMay Design Series.

Hear forward-thinking speakerscover the hot topics in our unrivalledConversation Series and source from anextensive range of architectural lighting,bathrooms, materials and furniture fromcompanies including:

ARREDO3 | Artistic Upholstery | AshwoodDesigns | Coleccion Alexandra | Collinsand Hayes Furniture | Deirdre Dyson |Doca UK | Dune UK | Gascoigne Designs |Grestec Tiles | Henderson Russell | HitchMylius | James Brindley Of Harrogate |KKDC | Morris Furniture | SantaMargherita | Sharon Marston | Sits.

Register now at www.maydesignseries.comquoting MDS128

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DiversityMIFF again showed a wide range of furniture

The Malaysian International Furniture Fair

began in 1995 with 152 Malaysian

exhibitors and 2,500 overseas buyers. For

the 2014 edition ( 4-8 March) there were

more than 500 local and international

exhibitors and some 6,000 overseas

buyers, occupying 80,000sqm.

‘We started on a very small scale in

1995, and have expanded considerably

in terms of exhibitors. Venue space is a

constraint here in Malaysia. Otherwise

we could have gone even further than

where we are now. Nevertheless, I hope

that we have done something good for

manufacturers in Malaysia and also for

some of the companies in the region that

have been with us since we started,’ says

Tan Chin Huat, MIFF chairman and

founder.

Since its beginning, the show has

always had a wide diversity of products

on offer and this year’s event was no

exception.

Visit: www.miff.com.my ��

1 ELK Furniture

2 Deep Furniture

3 Inception Design

4 Hin Lim Furniture

5 TMH Furniture

6 Simewood

Next page

7 & 8 SJY Furniture

1

2

3

4

5

6

F U R N I T U R E F L O O R I N G B E D S C A R P E T R U G S A C C E S S O R I E S

Interiorsmonthly


Reach over 7500 interiors buyers

Advertising starts at just £99for the New Product Section

Call Joanne now on 01732 441133or email [email protected]

REVIEW


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1st

2nd

Three cheersFrancis Lye Aik Theng won the MIFF Furniture Design Competition

with XSR, a bar stool inspired by the Chinese lucky bamboo plant.

The 26 year-old impressed the international jury with a play of

metal legs, leaf-shaped thermoplastic seat and a used mountain

bike spring absorber in the stainless steel frame in the

construction of XSR.

Theng, a consumer electronics industrial designer for the past

two years, submitted two entries and both made it into the final

round of 11 from the 244 entries. He won the £1,835 cash first

prize in this year’s competition carrying the theme ‘Living

Furniture, Leading Design’.

‘It was a good crossover; he used materials widely and wisely.

The multiple materials provide a fresh approach to the furniture,’

says Philip Yap, chief judge.

The second prize went to Lee Hui Ying, 22, for Gather, a bean

bag sofa with a rattan

frame. Third placed was

Tengku Ahmad Danial

Tengku Mustaffar, 22, for

his tree-inspired utility

storage, Pohon.

‘I am delighted that MIFF

FDC is moving on the right

track. We are encouraged

to see more market-driven

designs from contestants

this year. This competition

is a great challenge to

young talent, it is not only

very competitive but it

presents them the

opportunity to show their

innovative designs and the

chance to work with top

manufacturers,’ says Tan

Chin Huat, MIFF chairman

and founder.

Next year’s award will

have the theme of Living

Furniture, Global

Perspective.

3rd

XSR

Gather

Pohon

Nichol & Hill

Upholstery | Furnishings | Fabrics

Nichol & Hill Limitedis offering the opportunity for anexperienced sales and marketing

professional, preferably with a background in the contract

curtains industry, to join a wellestablished manufacturing

business with plans to grow.

Nichol & Hill LimitedKellaw RoadYarm Road Business ParkDarlingtonCo Durham DL1 4YA

t: 01325 357431f: 01325 362483

e: [email protected]

KNOCKOUTPRINT. ��

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RETAIL SALES EXECUTIVEUlster Carpets’ is one of the world’s largest and most progressive carpet manufacturers, servicing global retail andcontract markets. We now have a vacancy for a Retail SalesExecutive with responsibility for developing sales through ourIndependent retail accounts in the North East of England.

We offer a competitive salary, company car, medical cover,contributory pension scheme and profit related pay, along withgood development and progression opportunities.

To apply send your tailored CV and a covering letter detailinghow you meet the following criteria:

1. Specify the number of years experience you have gained inretail sales and within which industries (minimum criteria is 3 years experience)

2. Demonstrate your ability to achieve sales targets and provide details of results and achievements.

Applications should be emailed before 5pm on Monday 28April 2014 to [email protected], or by post to The Monitoring Officer, Ulster Carpets, CastleislandFactory, Portadown, Co Armagh, BT62 1EE. To speak with amember of our team telephone 028 38395123.

We are an Equal Opportunities Employer

Dormeo Octaspring is one of the world’s fastest-growing mattress brands, available throughout the UK, USA, Canada, Australia, Japan, Europe, and Middle East. Following the successful launch of the ground-breaking Octaspring mattress, and in response to increased market demand we are broadening distribution in three key territories.

We are looking for three ambitious, proactive sales agents to help build our business in the Midlands, North West and Scotland.

You will find our sell-in support for retailers is second to none, using high impact marketing and media campaigns, powerful point of sale materials and tailored promotional packages.

Successful candidates must have: - Excellent presentation and communication skills- Experience of selling to premium sector bed or furniture retailers- A current call cycle that includes major bed and furniture retailers- Personal drive and genuine enthusiasm for the product

We offer excellent product training, exclusive territories, plus a generous commission structure.

For more information please [email protected]

MIDLANDS, NORTHWEST & SCOTLAND

SALES AGENTS

FINAL POLISH


The world of beds isn’t known

for being the centre for

glamour, just think of any

bed factory. But Archers

Sleepcentre is determined to

change that, or at least one of

its employees is.

Sara Pender, 24, from

Glasgow will split her time

between working in the

chain’s telesales operation

and taking part in voluntary

activities in aid of

Strongbones Children’s

Charitable Trust after

becoming a Miss Universe GB

finalist.

Sara was among 2,000

participants from across

Scotland, England and Wales

who were competing for a

place in the Miss Universe GB

2014 final.

She has already arranged to

climb Ben Nevis in May and

aims to raise at least £1,000

for her chosen charity before

the final on 21 June. If she

wins that she’ll go to Brazil for

the grand final in October.

From left: Calvin Pope, Ulster Carpets designer with his wife Georgina, and fellow designer Claire

Jenkinson with her husband Stephen

Party time for UlsterThis year is a landmark for Ulster Carpets as it celebrates 75 years in business.

The company recently hosted a gala dinner at the Armagh City Hotel, to pay

special thanks to all who have contributed to Ulster Carpets’ success. The 550

guests included shareholders, employees past and present, local dignitaries and

representatives from the many organisations and charities Ulster supports.

Some people keep a diary,

but Colin Middler who works

at the Glencraft mattress and

furniture factory in Aberdeen,

has been keeping a count of

how many mattresses he has

completed since the factory

relaunched in 2010.

The company employs

visually impaired, disabled

and disadvantaged people.

Last month Middler, who lost

his sight aged 15 and began

working at Glencraft in 1983,

celebrated making his

20,000th mattress.

‘Glencraft is very special to

me as it’s where I met my wife

Helen when she started

working here in 1987. We

married three years later and

will celebrate our silver

wedding next year,’ says

Middler.

Helen works at Glencraft as

showroom team leader.

‘Over the years I have been

fortunate to meet many

interesting people including

the Queen, Scottish First

Minister Alex Salmond, The

Princess Royal and Sir Alex

Ferguson. I am grateful every

day for my job at Glencraft, it

has allowed me to meet new

people, learn different skills

and enabled us to buy our

own home,’ he adds.

Not fitting for a princeWhen it sounds too good to be true it

probably is. Sadly, one Austrian flooring

fitter didn’t know this when he came

across a Facebook user claiming to be

Prince Harry.

The fake prince offered him a €1m

contract to renovate the parquet floors at

Buckingham Palace. So delighted was he

at the opportunity he transferred

€27,500 into several UK bank accounts,

which the fraudster said was necessary

to set up a British business.

Then it went silent.

The fitter from the Burgenland region

went to the police after not hearing from

the ‘prince’ for a fortnight, according to

the Kurier newspaper.

Initially he had transferred €2,500 to a

Lloyds bank account, before sending

another €22,000 for an alleged security

deposit and a third sum of €3,000. His

chances of getting his money back have

been described as slim.

Still counting after 20,000 mattresses

Colin Middler and colleague Gemma Adie complete the 20,000th mattress

Universal glamour

Sara Pender

JJD

C P

HO

TOG

RA

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www.underlay.com t: 01536 200502

The Caviar & Champagne Collection Made With You In Mind Pure Luxury.Proudly made in the UK to BS 5808 (1991) and BS EN 14499:2004

Documents

Interiors Monthly April 2014