i+D - September/October 2019 - 46

In Support of Wellness - By Michele Keith

Among the color palettes in
Sherwin-Williams' 2020 forecast
is Mantra, which is comprised
of nine softly muted neutral
interior paint colors influenced
by "Minimalism, Serenity,
Scandinese, and Spa."
(Image: The Sherwin-Williams Company)

Products that Help
People Feel Better
Mohawk Group's Jackie Dettmar, vice president of design
and product development, says, "Coming across such stats
as Americans spending $300 billion every year to combat
stress-induced illnesses is mind-boggling! We at Mohawk
believe that if we can do anything to help create environments
that could potentially give people relief, we must do it."
Entrenched in a "believe in better" philosophy, the commercial
flooring company is not new to the idea of creating a sense
of wellbeing. For nearly 20 years, Mohawk has been putting as
much into research as aesthetics-and making products that
are free of toxins, regenerative to nature, and likely
to contribute to quality of life.

Fractals, which are patterns in
nature that have been found to help
reduce stress, are at the visual core
of Mohawk Group's Relaxing Floors
modular carpet system.
(Image: Mohawk Group)

Noting that interior designers are leaders in the cause, having always
endeavored to create more tranquil and healthy environments, as well as
more beautiful ones, Dettmar explains that Mohawk's latest response to
this need is its Relaxing Floors modular carpet system, which was launched
in September. Two years of research were conducted in conjunction with
Austrian product design firm 13&9 and Richard Taylor, NASA advisor; physics,
psychology, and art professor at the University of Oregon; and founder
of Fractals Research Inc. According to Dettmar, the research focused on
fractals (the infinitely complex patterns found in nature, such as trees, rivers,
and seashells), which Dettmar says have "been scientifically proven to
reduce stress levels up to 60 percent" when placed within a person's visual
environment. Their collaboration included the development of software to
create and measure fractal patterns of varying complexities. These concepts
were then translated into patterns for the carpeting.
The carpets also look good. Derived from nature, the colors include
warm-cool combinations in shades of gray, tan, terra cotta, and gold. All in
all, this floor covering is the "culmination of art, science, and human-centered
design," says Dettmar. "Plus, they are well-priced, so are available to the
widest group of people possible.
"When we first got into this," she adds, "we were thinking only of a
product for the workplace, it so often being a major cause of stress. But,
as we dug deeper, we realized that there are many other applications
that can help people feel better. We see it as an opportunity for our sales
team to reach out to hospitals, schools, hotels, and airports-anywhere
people feel anxious."
Eventually wanting everything Mohawk makes to reflect these discoveries,
the company will do follow-up later on, working with Taylor on virtual reality
programs and, then, with installations in public spaces and surveying people's
reactions. "Manufacturers definitely have a role to play in creating products
that improve our lives," concludes Dettmar. "There's something special
about the flooring industry. It's leading the way in sustainable development
using research, such as ours. It's simply a question of stepping up and doing
the right thing."

"We're all in tune with the idea of mindful
living, that we must take a break from the
craziness of life and do something for
ourselves. A home reﬂecting this idea helps
to accomplish this."
-SUE WADDEN, THE SHERWIN-WILLIAMS COMPANY

46

i+D - September/October 2019
i+D - September/October 2019

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