Heuga Carpet Tiles for the Home DVD

See below for a link to our new short film promoting the benefits of Heuga carpet tiles for the home and a quick introduction to the company. The film includes beautiful images of Heuga products, along with reasons for choosing them - design, practicality, versatility etc.

English version:
Heuga carpet tiles DVD

Dutch version
Heuga tapijttegels DVD

Amusing ads from the past for Heuga carpet tiles

I have stumbled across a couple of amusing old TV adverts for Heuga carpet tiles on YouTube - one from Australia (1984) and another older one from the original homeland of carpet tiles - the Netherlands. Whilst the latter is in Dutch the message is clear - chilly hard floor is made warm and comfortable with Heuga carpet tiles.

The colours and designs of FLOR by heuga carpet tiles have come a long way since the older ads, but the messages still stand - warm, comfortable, practical and flexible flooring! Also included a link to a more recent advert showing the design flexibility of carpet tiles.

Australian Heuga advert - 80's

Dutch Heuga keukenette advert - 70's

More recent Heuga TV advert - 2008

SoftSenses - carpet for bedrooms and bathrooms

Latest addition to the bedroom and bathroom collection, Soft Senses brings the soft and comfortable feeling of walking on the beach to your home.

SoftSenses carpet tiles in colours Fog and Dusk are featured in the main image. To view the full range on florbyheuga.com - click here.

The name says it all, Soft Senses carpet tiles are ideal for bedrooms and bathrooms where your bare feet deserve a warm and gentle surface.

The colours are inspired by coastal and landscape scenes. Reflecting the beauty and serenity of the beach, the shades are intended to bring a sense of calm and relaxation to bedrooms and bathrooms in your home.

Refined neutral shades of cream, beige, yellow and grey reflect the shoreline features of sand dunes and driftwood while darker shades such as ‘sunset’ and inky ‘midnight’ black evoke the intensity of open coastal skies.

The colours are complementary so you can combine them to create a unique floor design or you can use one colour to create a complete wall-to-wall appearance.

The image on the right features the colour Sea Urchin used throughout the room which is a fabulous shade of rich purple.

How to clean red wine from your carpet (and other carpet maintenance tips)

We all know the scenario - you're chilling out on the couch with a glass of red wine and accidentally spill it on your brand new carpet!

When dealing with any stain on a carpet, the key is to act immediately. The longer you take to react, the more time the stain has to set into the carpet. Many stains can be removed with just water if you respond quickly enough.

There are many myths about dealing with stains on carpets but we have found a website that we trust for giving advice and tips on treating carpets.

This website provides a list of stains and issues for carpets and provides solutions for each individual problem such as:

"How do I clean red wine from my carpet?"

"How do I remove a coffee stain on the carpet?"

"What do I use to clean make up off the carpet?"

"How do I remove candle wax from my carpet?"

Go to the following page to see a list of common issues or enter your own particular stain in the "stain search engine"

http://www.james.eu/en/stain-solutions.htm

This site provides genuine and clear advice on how to look after your carpet. See the website James.eu to see full details on carpet cleaning and maintenance.

Avoid boring flooring

A consumer recently asked for some advice in creating an interesting floor design using FLOR by heuga tiles for her home. She currently has a floor of our high pile range LazyLounge in one colour - Dark Chocolate.

I thought it could be useful to share the details here in case there are other people out there wanting to get creative.

At FLOR by heuga we always try to encourage the use of different colours and textures to create a unique and interesting floor design as this is the true benefit of carpet tiles and you will see that our catalogue and website is full of photos showing different floor design ideas.

Here are some of the options I suggested:

Combination Ideas - add a few feature tiles to create interest eg a stripe, border or just single tiles

1. Same colour, different texture

See the image for a combination of CountryClassic and Country Contemporary - an example of a combination of different textures in the same colour.

A similar effect is possible using LazyLounge - Dark Chocolate and PuzzlePieces colour Dark Chocolate. This would be an excellent combination product for a subtle variation on the floor. These two products could be used in a variety of patterns.

2. Combine Dark Chocolate with a bright vibrant shade - such as green, orange or red

See the image where LazyLounge Dark Chocolate is combined with colours in our PuzzlePieces range (Carrot Juice and Crimson Pink). This certainly creates impact on the floor.

3. Beige/Brown combination

A subtle complementary combination - Dark Chocolate and Biscotti are a popular pairing. In the picture this shows a main floor in PuzzlePieces in colour Biscotti, combined with LazyLounge in colour Biscotti and PuzzlePieces in colour Dark Chocolate.

With a main floor in Dark Chocolate you could combine with colour Biscotti in LazyLounge and/or PuzzlePieces.

Our online design tool is great for trying out different combinations. This is an easy to use online design tool which has a number of pre-designed simple floor layouts where you can try out different colour combinations.

Please click on the following link to have a go yourself:
Online Floor Designer

Click to view the FLOR by heuga product catalogue

Create My Carpet - Navigram Online Room Planner

FLOR by heuga has teamed up with design software experts Navigram to develop a sophisticated 3D room designer that allows you to design interior spaces and recreate rooms in your own home.

Each project starts with setting the dimensions for the room then selecting furniture and fittings as well as choosing FLOR by heuga collections to decorate the room. The Create My Carpet Planner features the FLOR by heuga Rugs collection as well as a range of products for wall-to-wall installation.

Please click on the link below and get creative:

Navigram Room Planner

For info, you need a PC with Windows and Internet Explorer. Also some
systems have security settings that prevent installing ActiveX components.

Good Housekeeping features FLOR by heuga carpet tiles

Good Housekeeping features a stunning picture of FLOR by heuga carpet tiles in this month's magazine. Different colours of the PuzzlePieces collection have been laid out on a formal lawn to show the beauty of carpet tiles.

The caption states "Not a rug, but carpet tiles! And this bright mix of colours demonstrates just how versatile they can be."

It is great to see good coverage in good quality titles like Good Housekeeping and it is refreshing to see a magazine do something innovative for a carpet feature.

The Good Housekeeping magazine website is a great source for issues like how to declutter your home and for decoration inspiration - see the link below:
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/

Combine the comfort of carpet and the look of wood

WoodWork is a very stylish wood-inspired carpet design meaning you can combine the look of wood with the warmth and comfort of carpet.

Many people like the look of wood but for anyone that has experienced the reality of wood or laminate flooring in their home (including myself) they will be familiar with the cold, hard, noisy, dust-collecting problems that come with it!

Personally I like my home to be cosy and warm, which means carpet is the only option for me. Most people seem to lack inspiration and go for plain beige broadloom carpet throughout, but there are plenty of interesting options around. Within the FLOR by heuga range there are various styles, textures and colours, all of which can be used alone or combined to create a unique floor design in your home. This WoodWork range from FLOR by heuga is stylish and modern yet cosy and practical too.

Purple Carpets and Purple Rug Ideas

Deep purple is a popular colour in interior design at the moment and what beats a luxurious shag pile purple carpet for a contemporary swish theme.

Purple rugs can be a decadent addition to a living room or bedroom, especially in a soft feel.

FunkyFeet is a shag pile range of carpet tiles from FLOR by heuga and this shot shows a strong purple shade - colour Amethyst. The tiles are installed as a rug on a hard floor but this works equally well as a broadloom or wall to wall carpet for a truly indulgent flooring experience.

Purple carpets and rugs are quite difficult to find and often the colour is not a strong shade of rich purple. However there are several deep purple carpet options within the FLOR by heuga collection. There is a rich purple cut pile tile (colour Rich Plum in PuzzlePieces). There is also a complementary Rich Plum in LazyLounge (our decadent and sumptuous long cut pile carpet tile range shown in the photo). For the same shade in a purple loop pile product there is Rich Plum in our Basic Beauty range. Other options are Le Bistro Lavender and Tender Touch Heather.

Depending on the tone, purple can be rich, vibrant and strong or it can be feminine, soft and relaxing. The current trend is for strong rich shades of purple as seen in many of today's collections of bedding, accessories and soft furnishings.

Interiors Birmingham 2010

FLOR by heuga are currently exhibiting at Interiors Birmingham at the NEC (24th-27th Jan).

A major trade event for the interiors sector, thousands of retailers, designers and contract specifiers will be attending the show to see what's new for 2010.

Visitors to the show will be the first to see our new range SoftSenses (due for launch in March) along with new wool products CountryContemporary and CountryClassic and our fabulous award winning Rugs collection. There will also be a brand new design tool showing how to plan a room and furnish with the Rugs collection.

The FLOR by heuga team are situated in Hall 1, Stand A36.

Click here to register for free entry to the show or go to the Interiors website to find out more about the show.

Domotex 2010

With around 40,000 visitors and 1,400 exhibitors, Domotex, Hannover is one of the key events in the flooring industry and a truly global event with exhibitors and visitors from all over the world.

I visited the show last week and saw that there were some innovative and inspiring products to admire (mainly in the Rugs area) and there were some very stylish stand designs. However I did feel that there was more innovation last year and this year was a little disappointing, probably reflecting reduced budgets.

The highlight for me was hearing from suppliers that they are hopeful and optimistic about the year ahead with a notable increase in orders and new product development plans for 2010.

Floor Designer

We have recently updated and improved our "Virtual Room Tool" floor designer making it more flexible and easier to use. Click here to go directly to our online floor designer tool.

We have added a bunch of new rooms to try out different floors and now you can combine up to 3 products in a room to see how different carpet combinations work together. All of our products are included so it's a great way to play around with different colours and textures to help create something special on the floor.

House Beautiful Gold Award for Best Flooring

The FLOR by heuga team was delighted to be presented with the Gold Award for Best Flooring at the the House Beautiful Awards 2009! The Awards ceremony took place on 26th November 2009 and FLOR by heuga's Tonal Trends Rugs collection was selected as the winner.

The judging panel was made up of various experts and celebrities from the world of design. Tonal Trends was selected for the top honours in the flooring category because, “It’s creative and easy to use. When tiles wear out or get stained, they are easy to replace. A great choice for a busy family home.”

We all feel that these Rugs packages are a fabulous new concept for the FLOR by heuga brand but it's really great to have the backing and recognition from design experts outside the business.

All our Rug collections are available to browse and buy online at florbyheuga.com and we are launching another 3 new designs in January. Click here to go to the FLOR by heuga Rugs Collections.

The Tonal Trends Rugs collection is made up of carpet tiles combining different colours and textures from our PuzzlePieces and LazyLounge ranges which have been developed with an expert colourist so you can create a stunning accent on your floor.

Stunning Luxurious Rug

Here's a sneak preview of our latest edition to the FLOR by heuga Rugs collection - this is a luxurious purple shag pile rug designed with carpet tiles:

FunkyFeet/2 carpet tiles in colour Amethyst is the basis of this package. Most of our pre-designed area rugs combine two or more different colours and textures but the new deep purple Amethyst colour of shagpile carpet tiles looks fabulous on its own. This new Rug will soon be available in the FLOR by heuga Rugs packages but you can order FunkyFeet/2 in colour Amethyst from our retailer network (see Store Locator) or order direct on our website FunkyFeet2 collection - simply choose how many square metres you require.

Alternatively you could create a bright red rug in the recently added dazzling Red Garnet in the FunkyFeet2 collection. Creating a rug area in this vibrant colour would certainly add a strong focal point to a room.

Luxurious wool carpet tiles

With a fabulous luxury look and feel, CountryContemporary is the latest addition to the FLOR by heuga carpet tiles collection.

Available in 8 attractive homey colours this collection of carpet tiles is an 80/20 wool mix and looks stunning. The deep cut pile draws you in to touch and feel the sumptuous texture.

The colours have been selected for compatibility so that you can mix and match to create your own floor design.

CountryContemporary carpet tiles are ideal for creating a unique rug design or a wall to wall installation.

View the full range of CountryContemporary carpet tiles online at florbyheuga.com

Sustainable flooring for your home

FLOR by heuga is comitted to Mission Zero - our company sustainability policy.

In line with our sustainability commitment CountryContemporary is 'climate neutral' which means FLOR by heuga compensates any negative impact this flooring may have on the environment.

FLOR by heuga only use green electricity in manufacturing, and are constantly working to reduce any greenhouse gas emissions associated with production.

Any further emissions are balanced through pre-paid carbon offset verified by a leading environmental organisation. This means that CountryContemporary is a truly responsible flooring collection.

You can read more about Mission Zero at http://www.florbyheuga.com/.

LFC carpet tiles design

Here's a great illustration of how carpet tiles can be used to personalise a space in your home.

Here a Liverpool Football Club fan has created their own floor design using FLOR by heuga carpet tiles. The design shows the flexibility of carpet tiles meaning you can be as creative as you like on the floor. The floor design incorporates our shag pile range Funky Feet along with the Puzzle Pieces cut pile range. The tiles have been cut to size and fit together which works really well.

Thanks to Richard and Jez Attwater at The Tile Centre, Chesterfield who supplied this photo.

FLOR by heuga at the National Floor Show

Here's a couple of photos from the National Floor Show in Harrogate yesterday.

The FLOR by heuga sales team were certainly kept busy all day talking to retailers and other visitors and hopefully today and tomorrow they will be similarly busy.

Many people commented that the FLOR by heuga stand was an excellent display and people were delighted to see that we are one of the few flooring companies doing something different and really developing as a company.

Over the last few months we have launched many new products and an entirely new designer rugs package along with the FLOR by heuga Studio, which is a new way to display our products instore. We genuinely are an innovative and inspirational brand and we are pleased to show off our fabulous range of carpet tiles for the home which can all be seen on the FLOR by heuga website.

National Floor Show, Harrogate

Next week we will be exhibiting at the National Floor Show, the UK's largest trade flooring event. We will be meeting with retailers, flooring buyers and contractors as well as showing off some brand new products including a really special new wool product that we will be launching in October.

For anyone involved in the flooring industry this is an event not to be missed and you can register by clicking here.

National Floor Show 2009 will be held on the 8-10 September 2009 in the heart of Harrogate at Harrogate International Centre.

Arrows Design Kitchen Carpet Tiles

Here's a funky modern floor design using New Nature carpet tiles from FLOR by heuga to create an arrow floor design in a kitchen. These carpet tiles feature a woven texture and are suitable for a range of demanding areas such as kitchens, dining rooms and hallways.

These carpet tiles are treated to be stain resistant and have an antimicrobial treatment to inhibit the growth of bacteria so they are good looking and practical.

While the design looks quite complicated, it is all possible with a metal straight edge and a sharp carpet knife. When installing a design of carpet tiles it's often easiest to place them loosely to play around and rearrange them then once happy cut the design into place and use the cut tiles as a template and fit them into the main floor of carpet tiles.

Most people don't think of the floor as a design area but with carpet tiles the design flexibility is limited only by your own imagination so you can be really flexible and create a carpet to get noticed.

How to install carpet tiles

How do I install carpet tiles?

FLOR by heuga would normally recommend that you get a professional fitter to install your carpet tiles especially if you wish to create a special floor design. However if you are comfortable with DIY then it is possible to install tiles yourself and all the instructions are included in your box of carpet tiles.

Firstly I include the 'straightforward carpet tile installation instructions' as used by me then below I include the similar but slightly more complex version that is preferred by more technical DIY people. Maybe a combination of them both is best.

Straighforward carpet tile installation instructions:

1. Sub-floor

FLOR by heuga carpet tiles can be laid over any smooth, hard floor like parquet, laminate and stone. Ensure the surface is clean, level and dry.

2. Preparation

FLOR by heuga recommends that all carpet tiles are removed from the box and allowed to acclimatise for 24 hours to room temperature.

You will need:
A Stanley knife fitted with a new heavy duty blades
A metal straight edge, cutting board and tape measure
Double sided tape, carpet tape or spray adhesive (if a big area)
A marker pen

It makes sense to do some preparation in advance and place some tiles in position to check how it will look. This is especially important if you are combining different products and creating your own floor design. Also this will show if you have a thin strip of tiles at one end - if this is the case, work from the centre of the room to ensure equal sized tiles at each edge.

You may use double sided tape or a spray adhesive (if a very large room like an office) to attach tiles to the floor. If using a spray adhesive refer to the instructions on the container.

The arrows on the back of each carpet tile indicate the direction of the pile. When laying your carpet tiles you will need to refer to the catalogue or the packaging to ascertain the installation methods available for each product (monolithic, quarterturn, brick, ashlar and non directional - see catalogue for reference). If more than one method is available, select the installation method you want - try them out to see the different effects and then lay the tiles according to the arrows on the back of the tiles.

3. Cutting carpet tiles

Use a sharp carpet knife and a metal straight edge to cut the tiles to the right size. Turn the tile with the backing facing upwards and cut it from the back. Crack the tile from behind and cut through the top fibre from behind.

When cutting tiles to fit at the wall turn the carpet tile upside down and set it flush with the wall and mark at both ends where the carpet tile overlaps the next tile. Then cut the tile using the straight edge.

When cutting tiles, make sure you mark the direction of the pile on the back of the cut tiles that lose the arrows. You could use your knife to draw an arrow on the back of the tile for example or use a marker pen.

4. Installation

Put the floor design together without fixing permanently to make sure you are happy with the design.

Place the tiles on the floor making sure you fit the tiles closely together. If using double sided tape you will only need to stick down occasional tiles and those on the edges to keep these in place.

5. Completion

Vacuum your floor and it’s ready!

You can easily update your floor design by replacing tiles as and when required or when you fancy a change.

More Complex Carpet tile installation instructions

Step 1 - Sub-floor

FLOR by heuga carpet tiles can be laid over stone, ceramic or vinyl floors. Do not lay on a soft sub-floor such as existing carpet, underlay, cushion, vinyl or cork tiles.

Before laying, ensure that the floor is clean, hard, smooth, level and dry.

Step 2 - Tools and preparation
You will need:
A Stanley knife fitted with a new heavy duty blades
A straight edge, cutting board and tape measure
Pencil or chalk marker

FLOR by heuga recommends that all carpet tiles be removed from the box and allowed to acclimatise for 24 hours to room temperature.

The arrows on the back of each carpet tile indicate the direction of the pile. For ranges designed to be laid in a 'monolithic' or 'same direction' style, the tiles should be arranged with the arrows pointing in the same direction. However, other ranges can be installed in a variety of ways to achieve pattern effects (e.g. quarterturn, brick, ashlar or random - refer to catalogue or packaging to be sure). In these cases, you should always follow the instructions printed on the packaging.

Step 3 - Measurement

Plan your floor installation by drawing a straight line approximately 75cm from the main wall and then draw a line at right angles to this. The lines must be straight and at right angles to each other.

If you have an L-shaped room, you will need to subdivide the room into oblongs and for planning purposes, treat each oblong as a separate unit.

Step 4 - Trial run

It is best to carry out a trial run along both lines to ensure that the planning is correct. Lay the first tile into the right angle formed by the crossing lines, and continue to lay tiles along the main line up to the wall.

If you find that this leaves you with a very narrow strip against the wall, you may have to replan the guidelines.

Step 5 - Laying the first carpet tiles

Once you have ensured that your initial laying point is suitable, fit the tiles along the first two lines, creating two crossed lines of tiles. To do this, attach adhesive tape in each corner of the tiles and stick each tile to the floor. Perimeter tiles must be anchored firmly. When laying carpet tiles install closley but be careful not to trap the pile between the edges of the tiles, particularly for shagpile or cut pile carpets.

Step 6 - Laying the main area

Now cut the tiles in to the main wall and continue the tiling by building up a pyramid shape. Continue to expand the pyramid outwards until you are less than one tile width from each wall. Where necessary, adhesive tape to keep the tiles in position. Ensure that each tile is butted tightly against its neighbour.

Step 7 - Cutting the edge tiles 1

You will have to cut the edge tiles to fit the space between the last row of full tiles and the wall. Turn the tile to be cut over, with the backing facing upwards and the arrows going in the opposite direction. Place the upside-down tile against the wall and underneath the last full tile of the installation. If cutting a tile you may need to draw arrows on the remainder of the tile with a marker pen to ensure you can still see the direction of the pile.

Step 8 - Cutting the edge tiles 2

Using the edge of the full tile as a guide, draw a line across the tile to be cut. Remove the tile and score along the line with a Stanley knife and a straight edge. Then crack the tile from behind and cut through the top cloth. When cutting, always use a sharp blade and take precautions to cut safely.

Step 9 - Positioning the edge tiles

Position the cut tile with the cut edge against the wall. Make sure that the arrow on the back is pointing in line with the installation direction instructions.

Step 10 - Pile direction

The arrows on the backs of the tiles indicate the pile direction. They must all point in the same direction to ensure a consistent finish. Please note that special care must be taken with other laying directions.