It is a form of creative expression where the process is as visceral as the outcome. The Milliken design team used as its inspiration the glazed washes of colour and puddles of opacity combined with the alchemy of the earth's most natural elements to create a fresh and contemporary collection.
The design process began in 2014 with a meeting of Milliken's global design team from America, the UK and China. The designers looked at trends and themes in popular culture that reflect the way we live and speculated about how they might come to impact upon the everyday items we use. The designers were caught by the work of modern ceramicists, whose craft has been elevated to an art-form, through practitioners like Grayson Perry, Ai Weiwei and Edmund de Waal.
For the next part of the process the Milliken design team crystallise the essential elements from their inspiration to translate into the carpet tile design. Milliken designers Jacqui Jones and Claire Kimble explain: "The inspiration comes from the delightful unexpectedness of the mixture of these colours and glazes when they morph together under the heat of the kiln." Claire goes on to explain the significance of the inspiration behind this collection: "It's important in these days of mass production that we value something that's very special, artisan and unique to ourselves."
The different levels of lustre and varying pile heights of the carpet construction reflect some of the effects to be seen on glazed pottery: matt finishes contrast with beautiful sheens. There are 30 colours within the Glazed Clay collection with diverse hues and contrasts reflecting the inspiration of the pottery, both vibrant and subtle. The product names imply different pottery and glazing techniques: 'toasted colour', 'ash glaze' and 'kiln wash'. In the finished collection the design flows with areas of light colour which are almost matt and flat in places and then contrast with areas of depth and texture.
Glazed Clay has exceptional environmental credentials; the collection is produced using high-performance ECONYL® yarn with 100% regenerated nylon. Offering the same strength and lifecycle as fibre crafted from virgin polymer, ECONYL fibre is made from a minimum of 50% pre-consumer and 50% post-consumer content reducing resource consumption and waste. Glazed Clay carpet tiles feature 90% recycled content cushion backing which not only ensures supreme underfoot comfort, it also offers improved acoustics. To further reduce their environmental impact, Glazed Clay carpet tiles can be supplied with TractionBack® for adhesive free installation. Eliminating the need for adhesives, TractionBack® improves indoor air quality and reduces materials usage. Glazed Clay features up to 26% recycled content including up to 6% post-consumer content. With Glazed Clay you have the security of the following third party certifications:
- Glazed Clay is produced in an ISO14001 certified facility in Wigan, UK using ethically sourced and wherever possible, locally produced, materials.
- CRI Green Label Plus/GuT Certified/EPD verified
- All Milliken products are certified carbon neutral
- Glazed Clay with regenerated content fibre and TractionBack® is eligible for LEED® points.
Responsible end of life re-use is assured with the option to return your used Glazed Clay carpet through Milliken's 'Carpet Take Back' programme.