In hard working spaces such as offices, restaurants and retail, a successful interior design will not only help people navigate through a venue but will also create an environment which emotionally engages and inspires. The flooring design is pivotal to the success of the interior, influencing how people understand and use the space.
Commercial interiors have long incorporated minimalist utilitarian style with exposed brickwork, concrete, piping and cabling. Initially popular with Brutalist and Modernist architecture in the mid-20th century, concrete flooring still features in a huge range of commercial and residential interiors to give a modern industrial look.
Above image features Colorado LLT201
Versatile and long-lasting, it’s easy to see why concrete flooring is a popular look in busy commercial spaces. Providing a practical and neutral grey background, a concrete look floor looks fantastic in combination with either the clean lines of a fresh white interior or with a bolder vibrant palette.
Recently the industrial trend has matured to combine an authentic minimalist look with softer resimercial features on a human scale for a more intimate feel, creating inspirational spaces where people can collaborate and innovate or tranquil spaces to connect and relax. Incorporating natural materials such as wood, plants and leather will soften the starkness of a concrete floor to bring a calm, biophilic aspect to the design that appeals to the senses, connecting the interior to the outside environment and supporting health and wellbeing.
However, unless there is an existing concrete floor suitable for polishing, installing a concrete floor can be time consuming and expensive. With Karndean you can get the concrete look but with all the practical benefits of LVT, offering a durable yet comfortable floor that is easy to maintain.
Above image features Seattle LLT214
Combining a concrete look floor with resimercial and biophilic design aspects can effortlessly create a mix of formal and informal spaces. Walkways and activity zones can be created by combining two or more shades of concrete design tiles, or even with a contrasting wood design, creating a sense of direction through large open plan spaces and highlighting hubs where individuals can interact with each other and with the natural world.
In spaces where acoustic qualities are key or where raised floor access is required, there is no need to compromise on style. Our brand new LooseLay tile range has made it even easier to specify concrete look flooring for your commercial project. Now available in nine on-trend grey shades, the extra-large tiles offer the stunning look of concrete flooring in either sealed concrete or a matt polished concrete finish but without the practical drawbacks.
Above image features Alaska LLT215
Unlike real concrete, our LooseLay flooring can be quickly and easily installed over most sub-floor surfaces, is easily lifted and replaced, and reduces noise to the floor below by 13dB. Like all our LooseLay designs, our new tiles are designed to withstand high traffic volumes and come with a 15-year commercial warranty. With increasing concerns over sustainability aspects, it’s also reassuring to know that our LooseLay range is 100% recyclable.
Other concrete inspired designs are available in our Opus Enhance range, which features enhanced slip resistance rating for spaces where underfoot safety is important, and Da Vinci Cambric with its smaller tile size perfect for more intimate spaces.
Find out more about our brand-new concrete designs and the benefits of specifying Karndean LooseLay.