Continuing a decades-long partnership, Tarkett has launched a new collection with designer Jhane Barnes. The Connectivity collection features three designsโCelestial, Celtic Knots and PM Squareโall ideal for education environments, including Kโ12 and higher education settings.
โItโs always exciting working with Jhane because of her unexpected approach to design. Her work on the Connectivity collection resulted in fresh, stimulating designs that are perfect for learning spaces, as well as any other environment where spurring creativity or sparking inspiration may be desired,โ said Omoleye Simmons, vice president of design, commercial, Tarkett North America.
Barnesโwhose early fashion designs attracted customers like John Lennon, Paul Simon, Elton John and moreโuses mathematics and signature textile techniques to create innovative designs. Some of her other collaborations with Tarkett include classics Longitude, Haphazard II and Aftermath II, as well as the more recent Corollary, Spin-Off, Soundblock and Blockade.
Celestial, available in Powerbondยฎย and three modular sizes, combines different types of mathematical sequencing and visual elements to create an unexpected yet harmonious design.
โIn designing the cloud-like texture thatโs the background in Celestial, a truly random pattern would not have worked well, because you might have a cluster of elements. Instead, Celestial uses both rigid and random math to create a seamless, subtle pattern,โ Barnes explained.
Barnes took a geometric approach to Celtic Knots, which was inspired by the ancient Celtic symbol representing unity and growthโa fitting theme for education environments. In her design, Barnes used only straight lines and right triangles to create interlocking knots and a delicate woven pattern. Like Celestial, Celtic Knots is available in Powerbond and three modular sizes.
Both Powerbond designs are offered with Powerbond RS, the worldโs firstย CERTIFIED asthma & allergy friendlyยฎย soft surface floorcovering. Made with ultra-low VOCs, the hybrid resilient flooring combines the look and feel of carpet with the durability and cleanability of a resilient surface. Made with the only truly impermeable, closed-cell cushion backing and installed with chemically welded seams, Powerbond RS provides a wall-to-wall moisture barrier to prevent mold and mildew. Its low pile height allows for the easy removal of dust and allergens: In testing, 95 percent of allergens were removed effectively with a simple dry vacuuming.
The modular options are available in Tarkettโs ethosยฎย Modular with Omnicoat Technologyยฎย and in Flex-Aire Modular Cushion. A Cradle to Cradle Certifiedยฎย Silver non-PVC backing, ethos Modular is made with post-consumer recycled PVB from car windshields and architectural glass from buildings. Flex-Aire contains 22โ28 percent overall recycled content and provides superior acoustic performance, appearance retention and moisture management.
All Celestial and Celtic Knots soft surfaces are made with Dynex SDยฎ, Tarkettโs proprietary, branded yarn that provides permanent resistance against most staining agents. For even greater protection, Dynex SD is treated with Eco-Ensure, a fluorine-free formula with a C2C Certified Material Health Certificateโข at the Platinum level that resists soiling from oils and organic materials. Eco-Ensure lowers the cost of maintenance and creates healthier spaces by promoting better indoor air quality with low-VOC emissions.
Celestial and Celtic Knots, each available in 12 coordinating colors, pair well with PM Square LVT, the third design in the Connectivity collection, which will be available later in Q1. PM Square was created using Latin squares, the mathematical constructs famously used in Sudoku puzzles.
โLike the learning process, I believe good design comes from the right combination of order and chaos, structure and freedom,โ Barnes said. โPM Square illustrates a perfect balance of bothโwith orderliness established by Latin Square mathematics and chaos added by the random placement of color. The resulting cloud-like texture walks right on the edge of chaos.โ
PM Square LVT features Techtonicยฎย protection for top-of-class resistance to scratches, scuffs, stains and abrasions. A unique, polyurethane floor coating, Techtonic includes no unnecessary composite materials to prevent scratch whitening and has a matte, low-gloss finish for a more natural appearance.
As with all Tarkett products, the entire Connectivity collection is ortho-phthalate free. In addition, 97 percent of Tarkettโs raw materials are third-party assessed for their impact on human and environmental health based on Cradle to Cradle criteriaโwhich means consumers can rest assured that the materials in their flooring are good for both people and the planet.
To learn more about the new collection, visitย tarkett.com.
About Tarkett
With a history of 140 years, Tarkett is a worldwide leader in innovative flooring and sports surface solutions, with net sales of โฌ2.8 billion in 2021. Offering a wide range of products including vinyl, linoleum, rubber, carpet, wood, laminate, artificial turf and athletics tracks, the Group serves customers in over 100 countries across the globe. Tarkett has 12,000 employees and 34 industrial sites, and sells 1.3 million square meters of flooring every day, for hospitals, schools, housing, hotels, offices, stores and sports fields. Committed to change the game with circular economy and to reducing its carbon footprint, the Group has implemented an eco-innovation strategy based on Cradle to Cradle principles, fully aligned with its Tarkett Human-Conscious Designยฎย approach.Visitย www.tarkett.comย (North America) orย www.tarkett-group.comย (Global)
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For years, Tarkett has raised the sustainability standards of the flooring industry. It purposefully designs floors with total transparency to create healthier, safer spaces for both people and planet. When Tarkett floors reach their end of life, the company’s ReStartยฎย program makes it possible for them to be repurposed or recycled. Tarkett has taken the next step in advancing sustainability standards in the industry by announcing a new carbon strategy that will change how the company makes its floors, reducing impact rather than offsetting it. For more information, visitย*Featured Image Courtesy: Tarkett