Wood manufacturer mafi’s message is simple: they’ve been making 100-percent natural, organic, sustainable products for over a century. They were the first wood manufacturers to produce uncompromised, lacquer-free, natural-oiled flooring and they want the architecture and design industry to understand why this is so significant. mafi, an Austrian company founded…
A hardy, heavy-duty material praised for its powerhouse performance, nylon is produced in great abundance around the globe on an annual basis—approximately eight billion pounds per year to be precise—yet a detrimentally disproportionate amount is subsequently recycled. Moreover, virgin nylon is destructively generated from oil, which depletes natural resources. Seeking…
Allbirds Material Innovators Claudia Richardson and Romesh Patel joined Material ConneXion’s Dr. Dent for a discussion on March 17. The webinar offers insights into product development and material selection as well as the unique challenges that arise when searching for super-natural performance in biosynthetic materials. The conversation is part of…
Glass is synonymous with illumination, transparency, spaciousness, and versatility. It can be used to make windows, of course, but also mirrors, tiles, mosaics, space dividers, and even flooring and stairs. Glass clearly has an important role to play in healthy building (no pun intended). There are a lot of factors…
On February 24, Material ConneXion‘s EVP of Research, Dr. Andrew Dent, hosted a discussion with Giulio Bonazzi, Chairman and CEO of Aquafil Group, the brand responsible for ECONYL® Yarn: regenerated nylon made from ocean plastics. The webinar explored issues around about sustainability, the logistics and impact of using waste materials, and more. The event is part…
Human societies have been making tile for thousands of years—baking slabs of clay, glazing them, decorating them with geometric patterns, plants, and animals, and using them in homes, businesses, and places of worship. They’re beautiful, durable, and versatile, which is perhaps why they’re still so popular today. In the United…
Photography Courtesy of Delta Faucet Company From dark and dramatic to traditional and timeless, the finish of a faucet offers a distinguishing design element that can transform the feel of any interior. Combining careful craftsmanship with pioneering innovation, Delta Faucet Company’s Brizo and Delta brands carry a comprehensive catalogue of…
With richly patterned metal panels and elegant embossments, tin ceilings are an eye-catching feature that can add an authentic vintage look overhead. Originating in the 1880s, tin panels provide an enduring embellishment that continues to infuse contemporary interiors with texture and style. American Tin Ceilings is a modern manufacturer of…
Photography Courtesy of Cambria Cambria—an American-made, family-owned producer of natural quartz surfaces—delivers innovation and inspiration with its latest bookmatching introduction. Setting two mirror-image slabs side-by-side on the same surface, bookmatching boasts precise pattern placement for a continuous current of veining and movement that elevates and enlivens interior environments. “Regardless of…
Coupling aesthetic appeal with connectivity to surrounding spaces, Sensitile Systems pushes past the prevailing ideas of what it means to interact with the material world by offering resin, terrazzo, and glass products that integrate and exploit light in innovative ways. A comprehensive collection of configurable materials and solutions serves to…
Photography Courtesy of Designtex. Designtex designs and manufacturers applied materials for the built environment, primarily textiles and wallcoverings. When the company was founded in 1961 in New York City, it was targeted towards interior designers and architects working in commercial spaces. Today, still based in Manhattan, Designtex products are also…
Photography Courtesy of Haworth With a rich history that can be traced back to ancient Egypt, knitting is an enduring craft that has undergone a modern evolution in recent years. Advancements to the age-old practice have catapulted the craft onto the contemporary scene, transforming the technique of fabric making into…
Photography Courtesy of Richlite Richlite, a material made from resin-infused, pressed paper, was originally used by the aerospace industry to make molds and mock airplane noses. That was back in 1943 when the company was first established in Tacoma, Washington. It’s still based in Tacoma, but today Richlite is used…
Photography Courtesy of Lapitec. Blending sophistication and aesthetic dimension with sustainability and innovative production processes, Lapitec sintered stone offers a natural alternative to marble, granite, limestone, ceramics, and engineered quartz that is adaptable to changing architectural and interior design requirements. Founded in Italy in 1989, the international company’s high standards…
Photography Courtesy of Interface Proving that the pursuit of great design and sustainability are inseparable, Interface has unveiled the Embodied Beauty collection. In keeping with the company’s longstanding commitment to lowering the carbon footprint of its comprehensive catalogue of products, Embodied Beauty goes beyond carbon neutrality as it aims to…
Photography Courtesy of Kingspan Insulated Panels The Kingspan Group was founded in 1965 in Ireland, and now operates in 159 sites in over 70 countries. It expanded into the North American market in 2008, and today the majority of its construction product manufacturing (around 66%) is dedicated to insulation and…
The most urgent challenges for our planet and for human society require far-reaching systemic changes. To make these kinds of changes, no single company, industry, or country can tackle it alone. Instead, the most effective progress can be made by coming together and leveraging collective resources, expertise, and technology. The…
Photography Courtesy of 3form Amid apprehensions surrounding safety during the ongoing pandemic, partition products and space division systems provide a means of moderating anxieties within interior spaces. Featuring formable resin panels that afford infinite opportunities to combine color, texture, and light, 3form’s versatile Varia systems showcase an illustrious solution for…
Photography Courtesy of Formica Debuting a diverse and durable selection of surfacing lines, the 2021 Specialty Collection by Formica Corporation offers innovative and distinguished design solutions for many spaces across the commercial spectrum—from healthcare and hospitality to workplace, retail, and educational settings. The collection comprises a trio of thoughtfully conceived…
Photography Courtesy of Kirei Meticulously sculpting sound in interior spaces while softening lines with pure shapes, rich color palettes, and scalable systems, Kirei’s extensive EchoPanel lineup encompasses acoustically absorbent panels, tiles, and wall and ceiling systems that feature a felt-like finish. With decorative elements that can be grouped in random…
Photography Courtesy of CRAFT Artisan Wood Floors With an uncompromising commitment to creating hardwood flooring that that exudes an authentic and organic feel, CRAFT Artisan Wood Floors builds on principles of biophilic design to foster a connection with the natural world in the built environment. Showcasing products that use only…
Color has the ability to alter the feel of any environment. Reflecting an ever-increasing need to find comfort and serenity in the interior environments that we inhabit, Sherwin-Williams has selected Urbane Bronze SW 7048 as its 2021 Color of the Year. A rich and refined shade with gray undertones, the color…
Photography Courtesy of Wolf-Gordon Offering an ode to organically inspired design that extends across structure and style, Wolf-Gordon has debuted the CLAIR® collection of PVC-free wallcoverings. “With CLAIR, we are offering a dramatically new Type II wallcovering that is bleach-cleanable, PVC-free, and beautifully designed for diverse commercial interiors,” says Marybeth…
Building on a shared passion for inspiring and innovative design, West Elm and Designtex have debuted a collaborative collection of woven textiles that combines commercial performance with a residential feel. As the fourth iteration of their concerted efforts, the Designtex + West Elm 4.0 Collection integrates the combined expertise of…
Photography Courtesy of United Fabrics Known for providing advanced upholstery material solutions since 1946, United Fabrics has partnered with the pioneers of premium faux leather at Nassimi to introduce an innovative and hardworking fabric. Supreen combines cutting-edge woven and coated technology to create a truly transcendent textile that boasts a…
