Globally-renowned
interior designer, Ashley Hicks, has had his unique design ‘Specimen Marble’
digitally printed onto Forbo Flooring Systems’ Flotex flocked floor covering,
for his new studio in Oxfordshire.
Ashley
Hicks is a globally-renowned interior designer
known for his intricate patterns and eclectic designs. He therefore required
his studio to have a neutral aesthetic to act as a suitable background for his
projects; and wanted a flooring that his own design could be printed on.
After
contacting Forbo about its digital printing capabilities, Ashley was presented
with a sample of Flotex and he knew it was the perfect solution from the moment
he saw it: “When I saw the Flotex sample, I knew the construction of the
material would provide the ideal finish to my ‘Specimen Marble’ design, as well
as being hardwearing and easy to clean – especially when some of my projects
can get quite messy.”
Forbo’s
Flotex is a completely unique product, which offers the hard-wearing durability
of a resilient floor covering, while delivering the comfort of a textile finish
– all the while boasting exceptional printing abilities.
What’s
more, Forbo’s new digital printer combined with Flotex’s ultimate printing
surface of over 70 million fibres per m2
achieves vibrant, intricate designs. Specifiers have the option to choose from
over 500 existing designs and colourways available or have their own bespoke
designs printed on orders of 60m2 or
over.
Ashley
continued: “My ‘Specimen Marble’ design was inspired by old terrazzo floors in
Venice, which have large pieces of stone within them, and table tops that
consist of different shapes and sizes of marble. The artwork was created by
using various pictures of real marble, which I have taken over the years in
museums, and adding a shadow that was carefully angled to look like daylight
from the windows. The result was a compendium of charming oval stepping stones,
across a dark background.
“Forbo’s
digital printing skills has really brought my design to life – it looks
fantastic and certainly adds an intriguing aesthetic to my studio, while being
comfortable for my baby son to crawl on!”
Holding the prestigious Allergy UK Seal of Approval, allergens are trapped within Flotex’s densely packed flocked pile,
thereby reducing the number of allergens in the atmosphere. It is also
phthalate free, contributing to a better indoor environment to live, work,
learn and play in.
