At the upcoming DOMOTEX, running from January 10-13, 2020 in Hannover, Germany, the keynote theme is—ATMYSPHERE” – an expression of everything that floors and floor coverings can and do contribute to well-being in indoor and outdoor spaces, including environmentally-friendly and health-promoting features as well as aesthetic and acoustic properties.

Preparations for the show are already well underway, with many exhibitors busy developing new products for launch at DOMOTEX and sharping their showcases to resonate with the keynote theme. DOMOTEX exhibitors and their innovative products are well represented in reference projects all around the world. Renowned architects and planners use laminates, handmade carpets and natural timber floorboards, many of them first launched at DOMOTEX, to create trend-setting interior designs that promote a sense of well-being.

“288 Pacific” is a sleek, new residential development surrounded by historic buildings in Jackson Square, one of San Francisco’s oldest neighbourhoods. The lobby of the apartment building with its marble and timber-clad interior was designed by Handel Architects to harmonise with the building’s immediate surroundings. By contrast, the lobby’s modern interior furnishings in vivid colours are a nod to modernity. For the seating area in front of the fireplace the interior designers chose a specially made hand-tufted rug from Creative Matters. The rug’s striking design is reminiscent of intricate graffiti-style artwork and features a total of 35 colour gradations. It was inspired by the abstract expressionist paintings of Cy Twombly. The high-quality rug’s sound absorbing properties promote acoustic wellbeing and round off the lobby’s exclusive atmosphere.

At its plant in Żary, Poland, SWISS KRONO has transformed its staff cafeteria into a stylish restaurant dubbed “5 DÉCO”. The restaurant is still used by the company’s local employees, but now also gets used for customer events. Its Art Decostyle interior design provides a unique atmosphere that accentuates the beauty and elegance of the SWISS KRONO products used. For the cafeteria’s floor, walls and furnishings, interior designer Maja Palczewska selected SWISS KRONO laminates and decors that perfectly match the iconic design style that typified the Art Deco period. The re-design was developed in consultation with Polish Art Deco experts. The restaurant’s floors consist of black and vanilla HPL laminate that transitions into ash timber laminate. The grain of the high-quality wood-look laminate decors used is visually and haptically barely distinguishable from that of real timber. However, unlike real timber, SWISS KRONO’s timber laminate flooring is very tough and hard-wearing. A broad strip of metallic brass laminate marks the transition between the different flooring zones and further accentuates the elegance of the restaurant’s elegant design. In a steakhouse restaurant in the Dutch city of Nijmegen, the solid oak flooring from T&G Wood’s “Cinzento Custom Made” range is a critical part of the interior design scheme. The rustic appearance of the natural materials used in the room’s design, such as wood, leather, straw and wool, and the color palette of warm brown tones are reminiscent of a South American hacienda. The floor was custom made and oxidatively oiled to facilitate intensive use and easy maintenance. Visible flaws, such as knotholes and fissures, have been accentuated with black filler in order to give the floor planks their authentic vintage look – and turn the floor into an eye-catching feature in its own right.

“Zabeel House Mini” is a new boutique hotel located in Dubai’s popular Al Seef quarter, which features a mix of historic and modern architecture. It was designed for the sophisticated young traveler with an interest in culture. Its interior features an eclectic mix of references to traditional Middle Eastern culture, pop art style elements and contemporary art and design. The lobby is a creative roomscape of comfortable upholstered elements of varying sizes interspersed with cushions aplenty. The floors are sumptuously adorned with used-look rugs from Belgian manufacturer Louis de Poortere. Their overlapping arrangement helps to dampen the sound levels in the lobby, which makes for a more relaxing atmosphere for the waiting guests.