RoadXplorer
Image Credit: Beer Gmbh
The unique qualities of solid surface material Himacs have been put to good use in RoadXplorer, a rugged mobile home designed by Christian Beer of Beer GmbH. Based on a 4×4 Mercedes Arocs truck, the sixperson luxurious home has Himacs flooring throughout. The material was chosen as it’s easy to clean, works well with underfloor heating, is resistant to water, frost and UV light and has a good strength-to-weight ratio. Specified in warm Babylon Beige, the flooring has a creative diamond pattern that adds visual interest and increased slip resistance.
Design & Fabrication: Beer GmbH; Material: Himacs by L X Hausys, supplied by Klöpfer Surfaces
Forbo
Marmoleum Solid is a new range of flooring from Forbo that’s made with up to 98% natural raw materials and is rated as climate-positive without offsetting thanks to the photosynthesis of its bio-based materials taking up more carbon than is emitted during its transportation and production. Marmoleum Solid is made from upcycled old Marmoleum, linseed oil, jute, wood flour, pine rosin, limestone and natural pigments. It comes in four contemporary finishes: Cocoa, shown here in the Chia Seed shade, made using waste husks from the cocoa industry; Walton, which has a range of solid colours; Concrete for an industrial look without the hassle; and Piano, a softly specked range.
250 Bishopsgate
Image Credit: Nicholas Worley
Artificial grass has its critics when it’s replacing the real thing, but in the co-working areas at the newly refitted 250 Bishopsgate, HQ of NatWest bank, LOM Architecture and Design has used it to great effect to create a lively, creative and biophilic space. One of the most striking aspects of the overall transformation is a new hyper-flexible co-working floor replacing an old third-floor meeting centre. This co-working hub, with a mix of quiet workspaces, meeting areas and breakout spaces, has been designed around human interaction and socialising, and the artificial grass, combined with real plants, creates a green centre at its heart that promotes well-being.
Design: LOM Architecture and Fesign
Grantly Hall
Grantley Hall is a Grade II listed 17th-century stately home near Ripon, North Yorkshire, that has been transformed into a luxurious hotel, spa and restaurant. Almost derelict when the project began, Grantley Hall is now sumptuously decorated throughout, with one of the highlights being the Asian fusion EightyEight restaurant. The flooring here – Lapicida’s Jurassic marble slabs – has been chosen for its wow factor. Jurassic is a dramatic black marble with grey and white veining that is tough enough to withstand commercial use, even in a wet environment.
Project manager: Lucas Lee; Architect: Bowman Riley; Interiors: JMDA; Stone and tiled floors: Lapicida
Ceramiche Refin
Ceramiche Refin’s Tamashi aims to capture the essence of wood in porcelain. The subtly veined and textured tiles come in seven contemporary shades with delicious edible names: Sugar, Vanilla, Cream, Tea, Walnut, Caviar and Pepper. The tiles come in 25x150cm sizes to resemble wide wooden planks, or as a 60x60cm Leaf format, in three colour combinations of Sugar and Pepper, Cream and Tea or Vanilla and Walnut. The arch pattern can create multiple geometries to give rhythm to floor and wall surfaces.
Cino Chophouse and Crudo Bar
Image Credit: Chris Rohrer
A new restaurant in Honolulu, Hawaii, has been designed by Los Angeles-based Studio UNLTD with a striking mix of maximalism, Art Deco and contemporary styles. Cino Chophouse and Crudo Bar was inspired by the idea of an eccentric artist’s apartment, with the 280m2 restaurant divided into three distinct areas: the main cocktail bar and lounge, a dedicated raw bar, and the main dining room. Underfoot, marble-look black and white porcelain tiles are laid out in an oversized diagonal chevron pattern that weaves through, and visually links, the three spaces. Florals, animal prints and geometric shapes create a complex visual feast.
Design: Studio UNLTD
Fiandre Architectural Surfaces
Image Credit: Giancarlo Pradelli
A new showroom for Fiandre Architectural Surfaces, designed by Area 17, makes striking use of the company’s own ceramic surfaces to create an elegant showcase for the brand. The 2,000m2 showroom in Castellerano, Italy, is floored with White Fjord Maximum with areas of beautiful pale granite-effect Alaska White Graniti Maximum, creating a luxurious yet practical finish. Visitors can also explore the new Active Surfaces range of photocatalytic ceramics that neutralise pollution, degrade VOCs and destroy mould, bacteria and viruses, including MRSA, Covid and flu, on contact.
Design: Area 17; Surfaces: Fiandre
The Good Plastic Company
Plastic may be a bit of a dirty word, but Polygood, from The Good Plastic Company, is addressing the scourge of plastic waste by creating an attractive material that can create beautiful floors while putting rubbish to good use. Designed in the Netherlands, Polygood comes in more than 100 different colours and patterns, from funky brights to stone-like finishes, and is made from 100% recycled plastic from post-consumer and postindustrial waste sources. Polygood has been used by companies including Nike, Adidas, Ikea and McDonald’s. Shown above is #Whatcanwedonow? – an art installation by Tobia Zambotti using Polygood flooring.
