Tarkett expands Johnsonite wall base portfolio

Solon, Ohio—Tarkett expanded its Johnsonite wall base portfolio with the addition of six of its most popular Millwork Wall Base profiles in the company’s non-PVC Baseworks thermoset rubber formulation.

The new Baseworks Millwork collection delivers the architectural appearance of Millwork Wall Base while providing a Cradle to Cradle Certified Silver solution.

“For customers who prefer non-PVC solutions, Baseworks Millwork Wall Base achieves the look of finely milled wood, while preserving forestry and conserving installation and maintenance costs over the life of the product,” said Michael Mathews, senior vice president of commercial strategy for Tarkett.

Baseworks Millwork installs easily and requires no touchups or repainting. Johnsonite’s thermoset rubber material flexes for standard, curved and column installations while resisting fading, cracking and shrinking.

The collection includes six profiles—Reveal, Stance, Inflection, Mandalay, Monument and Equinox—in heights from 4 inches to 5.25 inches. Each profile comes in 10 Johnsonite colors manufactured without dye lots, including: Black, Burnt Umber, Charcoal, Pebble, Moon Rock, Grey, Silver Grey, White, Brown and Fawn.

Tarkett said the collection expands Johnsonite’s portfolio with additional colors, profiles and non-PVC options.

Like all Johnsonite products, Baseworks Millwork is made in America, FloorScore Certified and part of Tarkett’s ReStart take-back and recycling program.

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Mohawk Industries releases 17th annual Impact Report

Calhoun, Ga.—Mohawk Industries published its 17th annual impact report. Titled “Designed for Impact,” the 2025 report highlights Mohawk’s accelerated progress toward its key goals while highlighting the stories of how the company’s people, processes and products are making a difference in all areas of sustainability.

“Each year, we share our impact report as both a candid appraisal of where we stand on our sustainability journey and as a means of acknowledging the important work of more than 40,000 associates around the globe who are helping us meet or exceed our goals,” said Malisa Maynard, Mohawk’s chief sustainability officer. “This year, our team reflected on feedback we received about past reports and streamlined the content to create a more reader-friendly document without sacrificing transparency or data. In many instances, we used links to content housed on our sustainability hub so that readers can focus their time on their areas of interest.”

Mohawk is the world’s largest flooring manufacturer with leading market positions on four continents. The company aligns its business and sustainability strategies to deliver innovative building product solutions grounded in product circularity while lowering costs by effectively managing its supply chain, reducing its consumption of natural resources, delivering ongoing productivity gain and investing in advanced technologies, including renewable energy.

“Because we offer an expansive product portfolio that varies between regions, we use our annual impact report to detail local product innovation and process improvements while assessing our sustainability progress through enterprise-wide goals,” Maynard said.

The report also spotlights product-level circularity gains:

• For the year, the company reclaimed more than 49 million pounds of end-of-life products.
• In the U.S., over 99% of Daltile’s manufactured tile collections contain recycled or reclaimed materials, with more than 300 million pounds of material recovered and reused each year.
• Mohawk’s popular PureTech waterproof resilient flooring features an 80% organic, renewable polymer core and PVC-free construction. PureTech is composed of 70% recycled materials overall.
• Across regions, the company’s laminated wood flooring collections minimize harvesting of trees by processing recycled or reclaimed wood, which keeps stored carbon sequestered by extending the useful life of the material.
• The company’s U.S. ReCover carpet recycling program grew material recovery by 133% year-over-year through an expanded retailer pilot. ReCover is expanding to include additional flooring categories.
• Unilin Panels’ patented new Osiris technology recovers and reintegrates wood fiber from waste
• MDF/HDF and laminate boards, which has made the company the first to recycle this material into new products.

Mohawk celebrated exceeding its sustainability goals in 2025. The company cut its Scope 1 and 2 emissions intensity by 31% against its original baseline, surpassing the 25% target, and set a new 20% reduction goal in absolute Scope 1 and 2 greenhouse gas emissions by 2030 from a 2021 baseline.

Mohawk also cut its manufacturing waste-to-landfill intensity by 55% against its baseline, outpacing its 30% target and set a new goal of repurposing 85% of manufacturing waste into productive value streams by 2035.

Water withdrawal intensity fell 50%, also beating the 30% reduction target, and Mohawk continues to prioritize responsible water stewardship across its global operations. Mohawk’s wood sourcing for flooring, boards and panels reached a 99.5% responsible-sourcing verification rate in 2025, keeping the company on track toward its 2030 goal of 100% verification.

Mohawk partnered with its global workforce to improve safety year over year as the 2025 global recordable injury rate (RIR) dropped to 1.17, down 37%, as the company continues working toward its 2030 goal of a world-class rate below 1.0.

As part of its efforts to highlight the importance of sustainability across the industry, from July 15 – 17, Mohawk will sponsor and participate in the third annual Flooring Sustainability Summit in Washington, D.C., which convenes sustainability experts representing the manufacturing, architecture, interior design and green building community. This unique event facilitates productive and insightful discussion of sustainability and green building practices and is hosted by the nation’s leading flooring trade associations across all product categories.

“As our impact report will attest, Mohawk’s associates, customers and suppliers work together to pursue lasting, positive impact for people, for business and for the planet,” Maynard said. “Events like the Flooring Sustainability Summit foster collaboration across the industry as we share what we have learned and build on one another’s progress to benefit our customers and consumers.”

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In-demand designs that elevate resilient flooring

Resilient manufacturers continued to raise the bar in 2026, pairing performance with designs that reflect today’s home trends. Warmer, more natural visuals, expanding WPC and loose lay offerings and enhanced pet protection technologies are taking center stage. The result is a category that continues to offer up products that speak to evolving consumer preferences while giving retailers more compelling solutions across a variety of price points and application.

Warmth

Warm, inviting color palettes dominate in 2026 as consumers continue to move away from cool grays in favor of richer browns, caramel tones. The shift reflects a broader desire for comfortable, livable interiors that 1. promote comfortability and well-being.

Mohawk’s Augusta Acres, part of its SolidTech Select lineup, puts warmth at the forefront. This collection features a raw, organic look that highlights soft blonds, warm ambers, rich browns and taupe gray to offer an array of trending colors. The line achieves this look by blending oak, elm and hickory species into one design.

WPC

WPC continues to gain momentum as retailers and consumers seek premium rigid core products that deliver greater comfort, quieter performance and enhanced durability. As the category evolves, manufacturers are expanding WPC offerings with updated visuals, improved technologies and broader style selections, positioning the construction as a compelling step-up option within rigid core.

Titan’s Swanky is a 7 x 60, 10mm, 28-mil WPC. It features EIR texture and a highdefinition wood grain

Loose lay

Loose lay flooring continues to gain traction, driven by its installation flexibility, durability and ability to perform over a variety of subfloors. As manufacturers expand collections and refine designs, the construction is emerging as an increasingly attractive option for retailers seeking differentiated resilient solutions.

Cali’s entry into loose lay, Hang Loose combines commercial-grade performance with a coastal-inspired design. The line features a 5mm thickness and a 22-mil wear layer. Embossed-inregister texture creates a wood grain look that matches the surface pattern. The collection also uses multipattern plank designs to reduce repetition across large spaces.

Pet protection

Pet-friendly performance continues to be a major focus within resilient flooring as more homeowners seek products that can withstand the realities of everyday life. Enhanced scratch resistance, waterproof construction and easier-to-clean surfaces are becoming standard features, allowing suppliers to better meet the needs of households with pets while providing retailers with a compelling consumer story.

Shaw Floors expanded its Pet Perfect collection into hard surface earlier this year, and unveiled Pet Perfect Luxury Vinyl. Briard features PawDefense Technology, a coating engineered to deliver 50% more scratch resistance than traditional luxury vinyl.

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Moving beyond extremes to lasting authenticity

You finally landed on it. Weeks of mood boards, three rounds of paint samples and a few late-night texts with your client later, you decided on a hunter green for her kitchen cabinets. The reveal goes up, the client is thrilled and then the comments start: “Didn’t the designer hear? Hunter green is so over. Forest green is the only green worth painting cabinets now.”

Just as soon as you get to enjoy a project, poof. It’s already dated. Modern Minimalism, too cold. Traditional Maximalism, too busy. For years, trends have felt like a race to predict what comes next, each cycle shorter and more fleeting than the last. How does anyone in this industry keep up? Sit with the question long enough, and the answer becomes clear: you don’t. Clients who once saw their house as a trend-forward, resale vessel are now asking a different question: How do I make this feel like me? This is the year we stop chasing rapid extremes and start creating homes that are intentional, authentic, lasting expressions of ourselves.

Fewer homeowners are moving or designing for resale right now, and it shows in how people decorate. Higher rates, remote work and more time spent at home have all pushed in the same direction: people want spaces that support who they are, not who might buy the house next. Comfort, identity and a sense of place now outrank flip-friendly neutrals.

That honesty shows up everywhere. Warm minimalism is replacing cold minimalism; whites are creamier and neutrals are more complex, with light oak, mushroom and mineral tones that feel lived-in rather than staged. Heritage and craft matter again: checkerboards, stone visuals, terracotta, aged surfaces and handmade effects feel familiar because they are. Texture is doing real work too. Subtle dimension and light-catching relief create the depth people are craving, felt with their hands as much as seen with their eyes. Pattern is returning with purpose: a decorative backsplash, a patterned powder room, a textured fireplace wall; small, contained moments where people feel permission to be expressive. I call these confidence zones, and they are where 2026’s real design story is happening.

It’s a fair point that staying on trend keeps a home valuable. But our meaning of value has shifted along with our meaning of home. Today, value is as much sentimental as it is monetary. Those green cabinets aren’t green because Instagram said so; they’re green because it’s your client’s favorite color, and it reminds them of the forest behind their childhood home. The tile backsplash echoes the artisan tile they fell in love with on their honeymoon. The nail holes on the wall are covered by art a friend brought them during the World Cup. A home never goes out of style because it’s authentically theirs.

Every year, industry leaders get asked, “What’s next in flooring?” Too often we answer with a color, a texture or a pattern we haven’t seen in a few cycles. This year, I’d challenge us to think of a trend as a mirror instead, one that reflects the people living with it. The brands that win won’t be the ones chasing every trend. They’ll be the ones that understand the human need behind it, and build products that feel current, usable, beautiful and lasting. This is the year we stop chasing rapid extremes and start creating homes that are intentional, authentic, lasting expressions of ourselves. Moving beyond extremes to lasting authenticity.

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Tressa Samdal is the senior director of marketing and product management at PanariaGroup USA, parent company of Florida tile. Samdal spearheads marketing strategy, product innovation and brand growth across North America.

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How FCNews’ Fantasy Football for a Cause makes a difference

Twelve years ago FCNews launched its Fantasy Football for a Cause Charity league with the idea of inviting 12 to 14 companies to have some fun while at the same time doing some good. We have had companies that have participated every year from the outset. We’ve had retailers, distributors and manufacturers compete. The chosen causes range from large national organizations—cancer, Alzheimer’s, autism, etc.—to local high schools and food banks to upstart assistance programs. (Shameless plug: For information on having a team for the 2026 season, please reach out to me. The slots are limited and fill up in August.)

Anyhow…for the first time since we launched the league, FCNews captured top honors in 2025. While Dustin and I collaborated on drafting our team, I can’t take any credit for our victory as he expertly managed the squad week in and week out.

Over the years we have played for a variety of causes, but last year we played for a small non-profit called The Parsons Drama Club, a 501(c)(3) founded by the mother/daughter duo of Adriana and Stella Parsons. It is dedicated to supporting young actors by providing access to top-tier training from coaches, schools and organizations. The club gathers information and connects young actors (typically ages 8 and up) with the most appropriate programs. Instead of direct funding, the nonprofit partners directly with acting schools to provide scholarships for young actors.

The organization collaborates with industry veterans, such as acclaimed acting coach John D’Aquino, to offer episodic prep and on-camera acting intensives. D’Aquino, a veteran actor and acting coach, is known for his work on “Hannah Montana,” “Cory in the House,” “Seinfeld,” “NCIS” and “CSI”.

Rather than play for a national cause where, let’s face it, our contribution is not going to cure any terminal disease, we chose The Parsons Drama Club for a couple of reasons. First, I’ve personally known Adriana for more than five years. She and her daughter, already an accomplished performer in her own right, have done some work for us, particularly at Surfaces. Her resume on the tech side is impressive, but her desire to make a difference is admirable.

I met D’Aquino this past January when we presented Parsons Drama Club with a $17,500 check—the proceeds from our victory. I learned a little about what he does and the entertainment industry in general. For most, acting is a closed industry. You don’t get a few roles in your high school play and then become ready for prime time. “Making it” requires hours of extensive training and coaching—almost always at a significant expense. To put it bluntly, those who do not have the wherewithal are probably not going to make it to the big screen, TV or Broadway.

That’s where The Parsons Drama Club comes in. Adriana and Stella work with schools like D’Aquino’s to provide scholarships to those talented kids in need of a break. This year three kids were given scholarships to D’Aquino’s film camp, a two-week program called Camp Hollywood. The program consists of both virtual and hands-on training followed by the opportunities for the kids to appear in a short film written by D’Aquino and his team. Actors are prepared for everything from the audition to the shoot. Those films will not win an Oscar, but it serves as something more important: a demo reel to send to casting directors for potential roles.

When I met D’Aquino in January, he told me I needed to attend Camp Hollywood for a few days. No, not to embark on a new career (I have a face for radio) but to observe the kids in action as they shoot their movie. He wanted me to see the fruits of our donation.

I met a bunch of these kids. Their personalities are bigger than the hair of an ’80s rock band. Their enthusiasm was more contagious than COVID-19 in 2020. Their energy was greater than a tornado rattling through the Midwest. They already ooze stardom. They have “it.” You can’t help but root for them. Admittedly, most are well bred and have parents who wrote the check. The Parsons Drama Club provides entrée to this world for similar kids whose parents may just not have the pen.

While on the set, D’Aquino gave me an opportunity to get in front of the camera as an extra. (Ya gotta start somewhere.) It was a diner-type setting where I was directed to sit in a booth with my make-believe family. “All you do is sit there and repeatedly mouth the word “watermelon” because that word makes you mouth move where it appears you’re in a conversation.” I only caused three re-shoots because I was compelled to hand my “daughter” a salt shaker that made the slightest of unwanted noise. (I wanted to act!) Eventually I was told to hold my hands wide like I was describing a big fish that I caught—obviously a ploy so I wouldn’t touch anything.

It’s rewarding to see the impact of your contributions. But you all already know that. So a couple of takeaways here: 1. For more information on The Parsons Drama Club, or if you have a child interested in high-level acting classes or to make a donation, visit parsonsdramaclub.com. 2. If you want a spot in this year’s charity league, reach out to me at steve@fcnews.net.

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Välinge releases 2025 Sustainability Report

Viken, Sweden—Välinge Innovation has released its 2025 Sustainability Report, outlining the company’s progress, priorities and long-term ambitions across environmental, social and governance initiatives.

The report details how Välinge integrates sustainability into its innovation strategy and daily operations, with an emphasis on the issues it considers most material. It also explains how those priorities support the company’s goal of developing technologies that contribute to more sustainable products, more resource-efficient manufacturing and long-term value creation.

“Sustainability is an integral part of how we innovate and develop new technologies at Välinge,” said Vendela Hall, director of strategic planning and sustainability at Välinge Innovation. “We continuously challenge ourselves to find smarter, more resource-efficient ways of creating value for our customers and the industry. This report highlights both the progress we have made and the opportunities we see moving forward.”

Key focus areas include advancing sustainable innovation, supporting the transition to net-zero emissions by 2040, promoting responsible business practices and maintaining a safe, diverse and engaging workplace.

During the year, Välinge continued developing technologies designed to improve material efficiency, increase circularity and reduce environmental impact. The report also highlights progress within the company’s operations, including efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, strengthen employee engagement, enhance health and safety and reinforce responsible business practices throughout the organization and value chain.=

The Sustainability Report 2025 is available for download here.

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Jennifer Farrell reveals Destination Design Showhome Experience

Los Angeles, Calif.—Acclaimed designer and TV host Jennifer Farrell is revealing a mid-year milestone for her Destination Design Showhome Experience: Interconnected Changeable Environments.

“Interconnected Changeable Environments is a global design journey and experience that I’m incredibly proud of, and I can’t wait to share the final reveal with the world,” Farrell said. “This showhome project will redefine the adaptable home of the future, through an immersive virtual experience leading up to the grand opening in Southwest France—and I could not be more excited.”

Farrell’s design vision of the home of tomorrow and her high-concept multi-media venture creates a marriage of high-end design and an ancient-meets-modern aesthetic—blending three historic stone structures into one modern, changeable compound that adapts over time for living well through all stages of life, with self-sustaining adaptable spaces that evolve through time to become a forever home.

“Part of the story I want to tell with my Design Showhome Experience: Interconnected Changeable Environments is how the global culture of design is also personal and connected,” Farrell added.”Bringing the heritage of this ancient property in the South of France into the future with adaptable, changing environments, and the finest of luxury design as the great connector in that global experience—that’s what I.C.E House is about, and what makes our breathtaking location the perfect place to tell that story.”

Farrell’s choice for this showhome project chose the historic Bordeaux estate with a multi-structure space for Interconnected Changeable Environments, because it embodied the very philosophy at the heart of the project: honoring the past while designing for the future. With centuries-old stone farmhouses, a historic windmill and vineyards stretching beyond the property, the setting offered a rare opportunity to explore how timeless architecture can evolve to support modern living.

“As the vision for Interconnected Changeable Environments came to life, I wanted to create a sustainable, adaptable, changeable, multi-structure space that would evolve over time so that you never had to change your home; your home would instead change with you,” Farrell noted. “I came to envision the spaces as more than interconnected but also changeable, so they could disconnect and reconnect as needed. They would be separate environments that could come together in different configurations and for different phases of life.”

Throughout the project, Jennifer Farrell has collaborated with a roster of luxury design partners including Ferguson Home, Emser Tile, Cosentino, Kalco Lighting, Grohe, Duravit, Signature Hardware, Corston, StyleRow, Litokol, The Tile Doctor and La Cornue.

Expanding the project’s global reach, each of the designed spaces are empowered by StyleRow’s  virtual tour and fully shoppable experience for Interconnected Changeable Environments, allowing designers and consumers worldwide to explore and source the furnishings, fixtures and materials featured throughout the Showhome Experience.

As the project approaches its grand opening in Spring 2027, virtual reveals of select spaces have given audiences around the world a sneak peek into the designs, brands and products featured at I.C.E. House.

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