A Look Back on 2021
December 2021
What a year 2021 has been! The transition back to the office in the summer marked the beginning of normality for most, but even when our colleagues couldn’t all be in the same room, this didn’t stop us from working hard and collaboratively online. Let’s take a look back at what has been a busy twelve months here at Forbo.
Refreshed and Ready for New Year
We started the year with the launch of our refreshed Flotex Planks range, where we introduced a comprehensive collection of sophisticated designs inspired by two distinct themes: Surfaces and Textures. As the trend for modular flooring continues to rise, there is no doubt that Flotex Planks offers a viable alternative to carpet tiles, LVT or vinyl.
In addition, with various studies documenting the negative effects that unwanted noise can have on peoples’ well-being, we combined our well-established Sarlon acoustic vinyl range with the award-winning Modul’up adhesive free solutions to form the ‘Acoustic Collection. With 94 contemporary designs to choose from, it is the go-to reference point for any project where impact-sound needs to be minimised.
Keeping It Inclusive
While we have a lot of literature and guidance on offer, we know that a lot of people learn better face-to-face (or in the case of this year, via Teams!). That’s why we took our CPDs online and even developed a new seminar, ‘The Role of Flooring in Dementia-Inclusive Design’.
The CPD provides accurate and evidence-based information on how to correctly design dementia-inclusive environments, exploring best practice and with a particular focus on flooring.
Find out more about our full CPD offering
T is for Tessera
In the spring/summer, we launched not one - but two - new Tessera carpet tile collections: Struktur 1 and Perspective. The stripped back style of Scandinavian design was the inspiration behind Struktur 1 where the microtuft construction and neutral tones provide the ability to create calming spaces in heavy traffic environments.
On the other hand, Tessera Perspective delivers a feeling of luxury, featuring a delicate lattice weave design that has been developed through the use of two different, yet tonally similar, yarns. It is the ideal solution for workspaces where a stylish, contemporary design is desired.
Back on the Road
In October, we were thrilled to be back out on the road. We exhibited at the IHEEM Healthcare Estates Exhibition in Manchester; our first physical event since 2019! It was great to see so many faces, new and old, and hopefully next year, we will be able to get out to see even more of you at different events and exhibitions.
We are also now proud partners at Material Source in Manchester, where our display pod is the perfect place to discover our flooring finishes from sustainable Marmoleum to specialist Sarlon acoustic & Modul’up fast fit to Coral entrance matting.
Hopefully 2022 will see that many of us out and about much more, so be sure to keep an eye on our Visit us section to keep up to date on our nation wide events and exhibitions, including our Marmoleum roadshow which will be coming to a UK city near you soon!
Staying on Trend
After a busy start to the year, we were determined to keep up the momentum, and in in the latter half of the year, we launched a number of refreshed ranges!
Sphera Energetic: The second generation of our premium homogeneous vinyl sheet collection, the dynamic range offers beautifully balanced designs to create fresh, contemporary interiors whilst still retaining exceptional durability properties.
Marmoleum Linear: with its softly striated design, combined with its new natural colour palette drives that ‘feel at home’ experience in modern public buildings.
Coral Entrance Systems: With any interior design project, it’s important to start at the entrance and our market leading Coral collection has been revitalised to reflect key segment trends.
Celebrating your Projects
In the midst of it all, you may have heard that we reimagined our Fly Forbo competition this year and introduced The Staycation Edit. As travel plans were disrupted, we still wanted to celebrate the successes of interior designers and architects who are designing Forbo flooring schemes day in, day out. We were pleased to crown two winners this year: Toby Ingle of Ryder Architecture for his contributions on the Milton Keynes Cancer Centre project and Jasper Sanders of Jasper Sanders + Partners for his work on The Refinery student living in Leeds.
Could you be our next winner? Find out more about Forbo Escapes: Discover and Reconnecthere .
What a year! Thank you all for your continued support this year and every year – we really couldn’t do it without you. From everybody here at Forbo, we’d like to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. We hope to see you again soon!