Interview With Designer Dorothé Kessels

BRICOFLOR takes you behind the scenes of the creation of the already cult range Forbo Allura! We visited its factory in Coevorden in the Netherlands, specifically dedicated to the manufacture of vinyl flooring (roll and tiles); Here we previewed the latest designs from Dorothé Kessels, Forbo’s talented designer.

All You Need To Know About The Forbo Manufacturer

You've probably heard of Forbo, renowned for its expertise in the linoleum market. Credited with Forbo Marmoleum Click innovation, the linoleum that offers a style accessible to individuals and contemporary designs to associate at will. However, the breadth of Forbo expertise does not stop there; the manufacturer has also forged a place of choice in the design of LVT flooring and flocked textile (launching at BRICOFLOR soon) thus offering today a varied assortment of floor coverings, suitable for all types of flooring.

The big goals of the brand? To offer you a floor covering:

o High quality and more and more innovative - Forbo has chosen to set up its manufacturing sites in Europe, in order to perfectly control the manufacture of its products, from the beginning of their design to their packaging.

o Always at the forefront of modernity - it is essential for the brand to create designs in perfect harmony with the latest trends and meeting the expectations of the general public.

o Respectful of the environment - sustainable development is a major challenge for the manufacturer; recycling, use of renewable materials and reduction of resource consumption are truly at the heart of Forbo floor design.

Interview With Dorothé Kessels, Forbo’s Chief Designer

The long-awaited moment has arrived: we meet Dorothé Kessels, chief designer at Forbo for vinyl floor collections, especially for the Forbo Allura range. We find her also smiling in full preparation of the 2020 collection.

Dorothé Kessels has a real place in the world of interior design: carpet tile colourist, wallpaper designer ... she is now at the forefront of Forbo vinyl floor design internationally! She agreed to answer our questions:

What are your main sources of inspiration?

"I find my main source of inspiration in nature: it fascinates me! I travel a lot too, especially in Asia. It is important for me to be inspired by other cultures: their idea of ​​design, colour, even colour combinations is really different from ours, and I find it fascinating! And of course, I always have an eye on the media (internet, books ...) and I visit many museums and exhibitions, including the International Furniture Fair in Milan."

How much are you influenced by other sectors (fashion, furniture, wallpaper ...)?

"Fashion is very interesting in terms of colour combination, it always has a head start: a trend usually starts with fashion, and the interior design follows. Today, fashion is very colourful, furniture too: so we say that the design of the floor must remain sober otherwise it will do too much! This is why we must find a balance with the rest of the decoration, including the walls, and study all its facets. "

 

 

You must plan the new collections: how long do you prepare yourself in advance?

"The tastes and trends of the market are changing very quickly: you have to know how to find a happy medium, not too soon, not too late! We often plan our designs too early ... Once we had this idea with rather abstract forms: at the time, everyone found this idea interesting but the design was not sold ... Today, we find it everywhere! We were ahead of our time! [to laugh] "

Designer for the international range: how do you do to please everyone?

"Allura is an international collection so we must take into account each opinion, the tastes of all and make compromises to please the greatest number. We travel around the world and we constantly evaluate the market to stay closer to expectations. For wood effects, it's quite simple: we already know what pleases! For mineral effects like concrete, it's more complicated. For example, the German market expects traditional designs, even rustic ones, both in terms of colours and patterns. The French market, on the other hand, is much more contrasted, at the same time very elegant, and stands out more and more from the classic decorations. "

And your interior, how will you describe it?

"The important thing for me is to adapt my interior design to its outdoor environment. So it depends on the location, the atmosphere, the style and the history of the house, whether it is modern or old ... I have a very small house in the Netherlands, in the middle of the woods: I reserve him a simple and natural style, mixing wood and concrete. But I also have a very big house in France: each piece is different, it is more colourful and bright and I have the opportunity to experiment. My style is more visible and I think everyone could recognise that it's my home! It is always more difficult to create a design for oneself than for others!"

Overview Of The Forbo Allura 2020 Collection

What stands out from the style of Dorothé Kessels is mainly a Scandinavian and Asian influenced design, especially Japanese. There are many natural floors, with a real identity, but they will not overshadow the rest of the interior and will harmonise with any type of decoration.

Wood And Parquet Effects

We find on the ground a catalogue presenting the next collection, some still uncertain. Among them, a real profusion of wood imitations. For this classic flooring, Forbo designers rely primarily on natural woods and purified Scandinavian look, especially imitating oak and raw parquet. But we can also find more original woods, grey, white and even black.

"The rough woods are in fashion: we find everywhere this unfinished look. The herringbone parquet style is also very popular right now; it offers a lot more freedom at the design level. "

The Forbo Allura 2020 click, self-adhesive or self-adhesive LVT tile is therefore based on very realistic wood decors, with many colour variations on the same plank. The trend is also to planks and tiles becoming larger and longer (the average size of a plank is here 1.20 x 0.20 m). Last innovation Forbo? To offer the decorations an authentic synchronised surface: "Where it seems to have a hollow, there is one!"

More daring decorations such as raw sawing, fire crackled wood or artisanal are also on the program and will delight all those looking for an innovative floor!

Mineral And Original Effects

"This year, there are two major types of mineral designs: marble and terrazzo. We really see them everywhere! It was a challenge to do something new without removing their authentic character. "

We were expecting it and we are delighted to see the very modern touch that Forbo has infused into these traditional sets. However, we discover the Lombardy, a kind of terrazzo less colourful and more natural aesthetics. Dorothé Kessels also teaches us that the imitation seagrass, still unknown to the general public, is more and more fury among designers, and should soon conquer our interiors.

Slate, concrete and stone effects will also be present in the new Forbo Allura collection, alongside more artistic designs: stripes in shades of grey, geometric origami spirit with gilding, stylised ovals ...

"For concrete effects, compared to our previous designs, we really wanted to create something different! This time, we have developed an embossing on the surface of the ground: it is a unique transformation that brings a real plus to the design!"