Flooring

Staff -- Interior Design, 5/31/2011 4:55:00 PM

Nanimarquina

Designing brothers Ronan and Erwan Bouroullec rethought traditional Persian rug motifs for their graphic Losanges collection, drawing on ancient kilim techniques in creating this unusual and decidedly contemporary profile and pattern, which incorporates 13 hues. Craftsmen in Northern Pakistan weave the rugs using hand-spun Afghan wool, a process yielding subtle tonal variations that ensure each piece is unique. 34-93-2376465; nanimarquina.com.

 

Stepevi

Bar code gone rogue? Or a virtual depiction of outside-the-box thinking? With his Parquet carpet, Ora-ïto jettisoned the tried-and-true for a helter-skelter linear scheme of units varying in width, position, pile height, and hue. The maverick designer took cues from not only the classic marquetry-like floor pattern the collection is named for but also the remnants from the carpet-laying process. Choose a 100 percent wool assemblage from five French-inflected colorways-Bleu, Mauve, Vert, Noir, and Rouge-or opt for a custom design, which can take eight weeks to execute. Through ABC Carpet & Home, 212-473-3000; stepevi.com.

 

Niba Rugs

Love the look of wood floors-but crave greater warmth and cushiness underfoot? Then consider a happy medium: the Wood collection of wool rugs. Every lifelike-and larger-than-life-image embellishing the pieces is, not coincidentally, based on an actual photograph and named for a dramatic natural landmark, from Utah's Moon Lake to California's Point Reyes. The botanic garden at London's Kew Gardens inspired an abstraction of rough-hewn bark, while Thunder Basin depicts the joint of a knotty pine, a frequent sight in the northeastern Wyoming national grassland. And Piedmont's lush silver ombré recalls trees found in the plateau region of the eastern U.S. Each is handcrafted with Persian knots and can be produced in custom colors. 305-573-1355; nibarugs.com.

 

Sicis

The Petites Fleurs mosaic line's delicate looks belie its durability: The iridescent floral tesserae suit floors as well as they do interior and exterior walls. The innovative collection has air-purifying properties courtesy of the titanium dioxide in the glass. In Rosebay, Magnolia, Peony, Forget Me Not, and 11 other luminous colorways. 877-839-8900; sicis.com.

 

Henzel Art & Design Group

Although his typical medium is a mélange of textiles, painting, and collage, Calle Henzel manages to translate his unique artistic vision into a modular carpet collection with Via Marseille. Made with New Zealand wool and viscose, the rugs are offered in 6-, 8-, and 10-foot squares and custom size and colors. Through Blue Train, 305-531-0704; bluetrainllc.com.

 

Roubini Rugs

In designing a carpet collection, tastemaker Clive Christian played off favorite ingredients in his signature perfume line. Thus the 1872 Rose de Mai rug, named for a flower so precious it blossoms only three weeks in a year-and it takes 170 blooms to make just one drop of essence. Similarly rarefied but far more enduring, the rug's inviting purple, pink, and peach rose is fashioned with wool. 212-696-4648; roubinirugs.com.

 

Emma Gardner Design

A modern take on spare Japanese floral motifs, the striking design of Fuchsia nods to its namesake-both the flower and color. Woven from 100 percent hand-knotted Tibetan wool, the carpet comes in charcoal and, of course, fuchsia; bespoke colors and sizes are also available. 877-377-3144; emmagardnerdesign.com.

 

Decorative Carpets

If Dinari brings to mind casbahs, warm desert winds, and bustling bazaars, there's a reason: Its pattern derives from Moroccan tilework. The hand-tufted wool and silk rug is offered in myriad custom colors and unlimited sizes. 310-859-6333; decorativecarpets.com.

 

Warp & Weft

 

The organic-chic Highlands collection features oversize, abstracted leaves that might have fallen on a sun-dappled forest floor. The carpets are made using a silk-tweeding technique, which interweaves Indian mulberry silk with unbleached Himalayan wool. Both slightly shimmering designs come in four colorways, each representing a season; hello, autumn! 212-481-4949; warpandweft.com.

 

 

Gan Rugs by Gandia Blasco

 

Proof the boob tube can rise above mind candy: The Lepark rug, from the Spanish design group Enblanc, is an op-art spin on a pixilated TV screen. Rendered in wool on a cotton backing, it is available in two sizes: 67 by 95 inches and 80 by 128. 212-421-6701; ganrugs.com.

 

Apavisa

 

The faux-patinated surface textures that distinguish the Evolution full-body porcelain tile collection channel oxidized metals and concrete formwork. Offered in five neutral hues and varying textures; sizes include 12 by 24 inches, 12- and 24-inch squares, and 24 by 47 inches, plus custom dimensions. Through Tile of Spain, 305-446-4387; spaintiles.info.

 

ABS Carpet & Home

 

Something old, something new: The muted jewel tones that animate the Laguna carpet's timeless paisley motif are achieved with decidedly au courant recycled, overdyed sari silk. 646-602-3557; abchome.com. 

 

USF Contract

Sturdy cork flooring becomes that much more so with Cork Décor, a collection of tiles treated with Endura AR + Nano. Applied to the surface of vinyl-clad cork core, the acrylic nanobead lacquer finish rebuffs scratches, scuffs, stains, and even slips (a plus for klutzes). 312-929-5025; usfcontract.com.