Built for lobbies, restaurants, hotels, offices, and even residential spaces, Forum helps you portray your space’s true character in the best way possible. A forum is a place to meet, discuss, and exchange ideas. More specifically, it is a place to express oneself. At the core of creative expression are forums that allow people to freely express themselves without any judgement or boundaries. This is the driving force behind Object Carpet’s Forum Collection. We meet at the Object Carpet showroom in Dubai where Iris Seiffer, Managing Director Middle East at Object Carpet, walks us through a brief company profile and the latest Forum Collection.
German brand Object Carpet has been designing and producing exquisite carpets for over 40 years now, without compromising quality and design. They were recently selected among the top 50 German luxury suppliers, putting them among the ranks of brands, such as Porsche, and several luxury watchmakers.
“Besides creating beautiful designs, health and wellbeing is an important part of the company culture, and also embedded in our product development process,” says Iris. “We are the healthiest carpet supplier in the world. We don’t use PVC, BITUMEN or LATEX, or any other harmful ingredients. We even wash our carpets before delivering them.” And is therefore suitable for people suffering from allergies. Our products have the Blue Angel quality seal, meaning that they have been proven to protect health and the environment.
From left: Sakshi Kanar, Project Director FF&E at HBA; Iris Seiffer, Managing Director Middle East, Object Carpet; Alexandra Woop, Executive Director Interior Design, Accor Hotel Group
Building a Forum
“It’s not just about making things pretty, it is about inspiring you as well,” says Iris. Created by design duo Kathrin and Mark Patel, the Forum Collection is a favourite amongst clients, interior designers, and even within Object Carpet. The collection is designed to be unique, inspirational and exquisite. It’s easy to maintain, and has several aesthetic and technical qualities that make it a superior product. The weaving techniques create splendid optics that truly make this collection stand out. And the four qualities that define all eighteen finishes (the structured loop, woven material, and the two types of velours) is what distinguishes Forum from other collections.
“The entire collection is designed to offer a pool of ideas for you to be inspired and create your own space, form unique designs for large rooms, but also adapt to any kind of design theme or lifestyle,” says Iris proudly. “It’s a must-have for everyone and anyone interested in customised flooring. The structured loop that we have perfected is what sets the quality and craftsmanship bar higher. The geometric structural effects, characterised by very small yarn loops, and the billowed and twisted yarn give the flooring dynamics and character.
The unique weaving technique in combination with a fine, shiny yarn creates an original structure that is highly appealing to design purists. The woven material’s easy-care and dirt-resistant properties are due to high-quality, ECONYL® brand fibres that give the flat weave material a highly durable surface.
The hard to miss shimmering silky surface is created by the unique gloss from the fibres used in the carpets. The Radifloor® brand fibres deliver a material that is long lasting and sustainable as well, in addition to creating a comfortable walking surface.
Furthermore, the sound absorption quality is superb. “We designed it keeping in mind hospitality projects, where you have to account for trolleys and a lot of movement around. So the carpet is thick but soft, and it’s sustainable and easy to maintain as well.” All Forum’s qualities and designs are fitted with the WELLTEX® Acoustic Plus, developed by Object Carpet, that has high sustainable qualities. It is PVC, bitumen and latex-free, and also low on emission and odours.
Sakshi: I love it. It empowers the designer to think creatively and pushes us to be innovative. The four qualities and aesthetics are very cool. It’s graceful and not too loud unless needed. There’s a variety to pick from that fits most designs. The design approach is great too, and so is the sustainability and wellness factor. Plus with odour free, emission free, sustainable certifications, it ticks so many boxes. I personally can’t wait to dive into the designs and work them into projects. This collection enables us to further extend the design footprint of our projects.
Alexandra: It’s so trendy, interesting and even inspiring. Just looking through the catalogue and images makes me feel creative. The textures and patterns are so nice. It has a positive vibe to it. It’s innovative too, which is hard to find with carpets. We’re always trying to stay on trend, and it helps to work with products like these. The yarn types and structure loops are really cool, and very interesting to design purists as they say. You can really play with the design. With carpets, you try your best to not show the seams and joins. The designs here really help us do that, much to the delight of clients.
Four Qualities, Eighteen Designs
The eighteen designs in the Forum Collection ensure you’re spoilt for choice. Each design is unique in its own way, with starkly contrasting visual characteristics. Take Shari for instance, a carpet that could be hung on the wall as artwork. The eye-catching bespoke face patterns may not be for all, but they’re certainly a statement piece for those bold enough to use them.
By contrast, you have the Mikk, a more muted, but luxurious-looking design that uses geometric lines and a bit of shine to create a neat and glamorous look. It’s ideal for hotel lobbies and luxury homes where you want something that looks rich but not too opulent.
Of course, you have simpler designs like Kaan, Yoko, and Kimi if you’re not feeling adventurous. For those looking for a mix of both, there’s the Rubina flower collages paired with geometric lines, resulting in an eye-catching floor design. It works well with both classic and contemporary interiors, giving off some neat art-deco vibes.
Final Thoughts
As far as carpets go, the Forum Collection is certainly a bold one. It’s designed for loud expression but can also fit into more subtle themes. With the wide range of designs and the anchor qualities, we’re hard pressed to find fault. This winner from Object Carpet is a toolbox that inspires and encourages designers to put their mark on the furnishings. While it is certainly not your average carpet, and priced so, we would think of this range as floor art as opposed to simply flooring. And good art is priceless.
Sakshi: It might not be the cheapest, but definitely an approachable price point given the range of benefits and aesthetic quality. You can really create an identity from it. Given the acoustic and maintenance qualities, I see it best placed for high traffic areas within hospitality projects. It’s a cool statement piece by itself, like a canvas painting. I think given the commitment to sustainability and high aesthetic standards, this is really a winner for me. I only wish we could use it outdoors as well.
Alexandra: The flexibility and support provided balances out the cost concerns, if any. Anything that is high in quality will certainly cost above average. But the value and the longevity of the product give you great ROI. It can be used in a variety of areas, but I do it see working best in lounges or hotels. You can really get experimental with this, and have fun while doing so! I’d love to see some region inspired designs in the Forum Collection soon.
