Cruise & Ferry Review - Autumn/Winter 2020

INTERV IEW 1 9 3 T he choice of floor covering can have a significant impact on the comfort, aesthetic appeal and overall ambience of any space onboard a passenger ship. “The type, pattern, colours and the level of design detail of the floor covering will vary depending on what the area will be used for and the atmosphere the designer wants to create,” says Jason Holmes, head of design textiles at Forbo Flooring Systems. “For example, the floor covering may be used as a statement piece in a public area where the visual from the deck above is just as important as the visual within the room itself. Alternatively, in smaller spaces such as cabins, the flooring design may be more subtle.” Forbo Flooring Systems works closely with interior designers to create floor coverings that best suit their requirements. “We’ll create a floor covering that works well with the overall design scheme, perhaps linking the colours or the patterns to other elements in the space, such as the wall coverings, artwork, seating textiles or curtain fabrics,” explains Holmes. “Our experienced design team can help with everything from re-scaling or re-colouring existing designs, to creating unique custom design pieces.” Flooring possibilities are almost limitless with Flotex FR. The textile flocked floor covering, can be easily customised using high-definition digital printing technology. “We can create large pattern repeats and vivid lifelike colours to offer ultimate design freedom and flexibility,” says Holmes. “Designers can build on this flooring to create the type of striking interiors that will keep guests coming back to the ships time and time again.” CFR “We’ll create a floor covering that works well with the overall design scheme” Achieving design freedom Forbo Flooring Systems’ Jason Holmes explains to Rebecca Gibson how the company helps interior designers create custom floor coverings for spaces onboard passenger ships