#dctuk

So it’s lockdown 2.0 and the urge to rearrange and declutter your house has crept back up since the previous lockdown - it certainly has for me anyway.

We’re no interior design experts at DCTUK but we do love it and love to share some great advice with you all, so here’s 5 tips on how to make a small space appear bigger.

Open plan layouts

When it comes to modest sized living or work spaces, open plan layouts are the number one, the numero uno, the must-do method to trick the eye into seeing more space than there really is.

Doing away with partition walls, unnecessary doors and anything which cuts the area more times than a supersize pizza on a Saturday night is the perfect way to open out and widen the space to create a more breathable interior.

Open plan is super popular so don't be afraid to merge to your dining area with your living room, or your office breakout area with the shared kitchen.

Clear the clutter and get creative with your storage

Okay so we're all guilty of a little hoarding here and there. If you want to turn your teeny tiny interior into a treasure trove of space however, you're going to have to kiss goodbye to the clutter.

The first port of call is a trip to the local tip to get rid of anything that is unnecessarily collecting dust but if you really can't bear to part with your paraphernalia, it's time to get creative with your storage.

Shelves, bookshelves, boxes, coving and mounted storage spaces are a great way to keep stuff from getting under your feet and making the place seem smaller. Think beds with storage space, desks with drawers, stylish shelves and footstools that double up as storage.

I got a bit creative with my bedroom storage and took the doors off the pre-existing cabinets and replaced them with IKEA boxes. So now my bedroom looks like an IKEA showroom and I absolutely LOVE it.

Mirror, mirror on the wall.

Mirrors are a tried and tested technique for making a space seem bigger than it is. Large mirrors trick the eye into thinking the room goes on for miles and miles, even when you're dealing with the same square meterage as a Polly Pocket pony stable.

Simple, angular mirrors mounted on walls are the best way to master this illusion, as opposed to lots of little stand alone mirrors in the shape of a cactus or heaven knows what else. Think vast but minimal.

Keep bold patterns and vivid colours at bay

I respect and appreciate the maximalist designers in the world but it’s just not me - it’s beautiful and chaotic but it makes me feel claustrophobic. And when it comes to small spaces, minimalism is the way to go. Light, neutral colours are your best option because dark shades will shrink the area and rob you of those all important centimetres. Get your creative fix with more subtle statement pieces like mix and match cushions, a feature rug or some decorative frames pinned up on the wall.

Okay so you’ve browsed through our vast selection of fabulous carpet tiles from some of the best in the business and now you’re wondering, do I need underlay too? What exactly is underlay? What does it do? Well you’ve come to the right place because we’re here to spill the tea on underlay.

What is Underlay?

Underlay for carpet tiles is designed to sit underneath your chosen carpet or flooring design so it won't be visible to interfere with your décor vision or chosen design aesthetic and rather serves its purpose as a support for your carefully chosen, insta-worthy carpet tiles.

What are the benefits of using underlay?

Using underlay for carpet tiles can minimise impact noise, so when you’re dancing around your living room to Beyonce into the early hours of Sunday morning, you won’t get as many noise complaints.

They can provide added underfoot comfort, so there will be a literal spring in your step when you wake up in the morning.

Where can you buy underlay?

Right here at DCTUK! We have two fantastic options available for carpet tiles, let’s take a look at what they are.

First up we have Interface’s Interlay Underlay carpet tiles. Expertly cut to the exact same size as all of the carpet tiles we stock (50cm x 50cm), these insulating tiles are easy to install and provide a polished and professional finish without the premium price tag.

The second option is InstaLay Underlay is the perfect partner for carpet tile flooring. When it comes to InstaLay, stability and versatility is a given as it can be applied under most flooring solutions, while a unique peel & stick system reduces installation time by more than 50%. As if that wasn’t enough, InstaLay also provides anti-allergy and antimicrobial qualities and is made using recycled tyre rubber so you can reduce your carbon footprint without having to lift a finger. Let us introduce you to Shaun from Instafloor, he’ll explain all you need to know about Instalay Underlay.

Interface is the world's largest designer and manufacturer of carpet tile for commercial and residential customers, it is the golden arch of the fast food industry, the Ben and Jerry's of the ice cream world, the cream of the crop. If you're apart of the interior industry you will have definitely heard of Interface, if not, all you need to know is that they make and design sustainable, inspiring flooring and they're really, really good at it. Sit back, grab a cuppa, and read all about the latest exciting creations from Interface.

You may have some preconceptions that Interface are way out of your budget. If you think Human Nature is an amazing carpet plank but you just can't stretch your budget to afford it, Interface have designed an affordable range to complete your design led - flooring needs. Fluid, Balance and Freestyle have joined Dash, Geometry, Hype and Flow in the Works collection to complete their perfect, affordable coordinated package.

Works Fluid carpet planks

Like waves rippling across the shore, Fluid integrates seamlessly with all the products within the collection. The colour pallet of blues greys and earthy tones reinforce a subtle connection with water and compliments the other palettes in The Works Family. By changing how you lay these Fluid carpet planks, you create a completely different look and feel to the floor. Fluid will most definitely add some character to a space, whether that's in an office or hospitality environment.

Design tip: Teal is a big colour trend this year

Works Balance carpet planks Linear, strong and architectural - this is Balance. Plain, stripey carpet planks are a thing of the past in Interface's world, they've designed something that is inspired by the architectural perspectives of tall city sky scrapers. This brush stroke effect carpet plank can either create a contemporary sleek interior or a shabby chic feel depending on what you desire. The eight colourways support the urban theme with variations of greys, dark blues and teal, so you can really go to town mixing and matching to your heart's content.

Works Freestyle carpet planks

The casual, laid back one of the bunch. Inspired by the layered textures of roughly painted wood, Freestyle lends itself perfectly to Interface's Skinny Planks format.

What are Skinny Planks I hear you ask? They're basically just carpet tiles but in plank form like all the others on our website but Interface wanted to be different and call them skinny planks. The Works Collection features seven coordinated designs, created to solve a wide range of flooring challenges - at an affordable price.

Freestyle brings a relaxing informality to any interior whether that be hospitality, hotels or offices, enhanced by eight calming colourways exploring greys and neutrals.

You don't have to be all hippy dippy to appreciate the rise of the 'Biophilia' design trend.

What is it?

I know you're thinking the word 'biophilia' is made up but I promise you it's not, it actually means the love of nature, it focuses on our innate attraction to nature and natural processes. With urbanisation taking over, we've become disconnected to the natural world. Biophilic Design uses the idea that biophilia is important to our health and well being.

Why is it so popular?

According to a survey conducted by Forth in 2018, 85% of us Brits are experiencing stress regularly, with work and health being the most common causes of stress. We spend the majority of our lives in work (depressing to think about I know), which is why companies have started to think about how they can reduce stress in the workplace. By incorporating elements of nature into a work environment, research has proven to lower stress, blood pressure levels and heart rates whilst boosting creativity and productivity.

How do businesses benefit from it?

Businesses are starting to invest heavily in Biophilic Design elements because it improves employee’s concentration and engagement. Not only that, having an aesthetically pleasing work environment that's beneficial to our health can attract employees when scouting new talent and your current staff won't pull as many sickys. It also improves air quality and reduces build up of dust and mould. Corporate giants like Apple, Google and Amazon are big fans of nature elements.

How to implement it into your space

1. Use natural materials

Wood and concrete are the most popular materials to use in offices, hospitality and retail. You can implement these materials through the furniture, walls and flooring. If you love the look of a concrete floor but don't think it's suitable for a reception or waiting area, we have a fantastic range of concrete inspired carpet tiles and planks that will fit perfectly into a biophilic interior. Milliken's Comfortable Concrete 2.0 and Interface's Human Naturecollection are perfect if you're not keen on turning your office into a green house but you want to bring elements of nature into your space.

Remember to check out Desso Harvest, Interface Urban Retreat and Modulyss DSGN Cloud for other concrete inspired carpet tiles, and our LG collection if you're after a wood effect flooring.

2.Hanging plants

Commercial spaces are often quite spacious so it's hard to make the room feel welcoming and comfortable. One way to make the space feel fuller and more alive is hanging greenery. Use different types of hanging plants to create the Hanging Gardens of Babylon or place them more sparsely to create points of visual interest. Just make sure they’re placed high enough, so the office giants don't feel like they’re wading their way through a jungle.

3.Find creative ways to implement greenery

Showcase greenery in a unique way to be the focal point of a room can be a conversation starter for guests and clients. This is an ideal concept when there is little direct natural light to stop your office feeling like a dingy dungeon.

If someone told me 3 weeks ago I would no longer be a sales assistant in a retail store because i’d be writing blogs about carpet tiles, I’d think you were mad. I’d say, “whose arsed about carpet tiles? You just stick them on the floor and you’re good to go”.

Well, after a week of working at DCT, guess who’s now fascinated with carpet tiles? This girl. I feel like I’ve fell down a magical carpet tile rabbit hole but Nouveau Cosy Toes softened my fall.

*Take a shot every time I say the word carpet tile*

I’m Naomi and i’m here to explain in layman terms all the technological sh*t about carpet tiles that I didn’t understand 2 weeks ago.

Now, I knew what a carpet tile was because it’s pretty self explanatory, but I didn’t know the benefits of laying carpet tiles instead of broadloom (a big roll of carpet). I didn’t know the carpet tile market is booming, which is a little embarrassing since I went to university and studied marketing and growing market sectors, but hey ho at least I know now. The second thing I didn’t know was how pricey carpets can actually be, so you need to be money savvy and choose carpet tiles. There’s less wastage so it doesn’t feel like you’re throwing your money away and they’re easy to fit from what I’ve seen.

Some of the popular industry terms that I heard going around the office left me thinking I was stupid for not understanding this whole other foreign language. I’m going to explain some of the terms I’ve learned over the past couple of weeks so you too don’t feel like Joey from Friends.

Heavy contract use

This basically means the carpet tile is perfect for high traffic areas such as entrances or offices.

Pile composition

A fancy way of saying what the tile is made out of.

Commercial application

Another fancy way of saying the carpet tiles are being fitted in a office or public space.

Colourways

Basically colour choices of each carpet range. Why say colour choice when you can sound all professional and say colourways?

ECONYL

If you see this word floating about the carpet tile corner of the internet, it’s a good thing. The material that makes up an ECONYL based carpet tile was once polluting our oceans but Aquafil Group found a way to fish some of the plastic sh*te out of it and make use of it. Read more about the process here.

Cut pile

Carpet is most commonly made up of lots of little loops that all come together to create flooring magic. A cut pile construction comes about when there loops are cut to create tall tufts that stand upright.

Tufted loop pile

Tufted loop pile tiles are those which haven’t gone through the cutting process described above, so the loops are still…well, looped. These tiles are extremely wear-resistant and easy to clean.

Polypropylene

Polypropylene is a tough substance that manufacturers often use to offer durability, anti-germ qualities and handy moisture-repelling properties.

Well, that’s enough of carpet tile lingo for now, if you want to reach out to me and have a chat, you can find me on Linkedin, Twitter or email me at [email protected].