Bowled Over by Bolon

When did I visit Milan again? Oh yeah, April 2014.  Time flies.  You see the thing is, when you go to these sensory overloading mind boggling trade shows you bring it all home with you in the form of dvds, thumb drives, brochures, samples etc. The problem is when you get home it’s so busy all these bits end up sitting in a "some day" drawer.  Well guess what? Today’s the day.Back to Milan. I was there as a member of the Blanco Design Council (a fact that I am most proud of and grateful for) to attend the Salone di Mobile, the premiere European interior design and furniture trade show.  Fast forward to today when I decided to fire up a thumb drive called Bolon.  Let me tell you about it.Bolon is a Swedish flooring manufacturer but there is so much more to it!  The concept of fashion has a way of elevating even the most mundane of objects.  That’s what’s so intriguing about Bolon, started in Stockholm in 1949 by Nils-Erik Eklund.  He became a pioneer of the “green” movement when he decided he would make woven rag rug flooring  from the waste product of other flooring manufacturers.    The business succeeded, was passed on and has been run by his granddaughters Annica and Marie Eklund since 2003. That’s when fashion entered the picture.  The term “floored by fashion” was coined and fashion icon  Giorgio Armani decided he loved the product enough to use it in his shops, his home and on his yacht.  Savvy marketing by this latest generation of Eklands seals the deal.  You must admit this video, introducing their Silence line,  is intriguing enough to make you want to know what this product is all about!It’s an original type of flooring that I would describe as woven vinyl with a backing.  It can look natural or not, doesn’t seem particularly comfy on the bare foot but does appear to be bullet-proof, a definite plus for commercial spaces which is the main application.Today the focus is on global expansion and achieving a totally green product. Bolon’s list of clients includes not only Armani but also Google, Mercedes, Adidas, Reebok and Sheraton as well as leading architects and designers.  All design and production happens in Ulricehamn, Sweden. Today the focus is on global expansion and achieving a totally green product. Bolon’s list of clients includes not only Armani but also Google, Mercedes, Adidas, Reebok and Sheraton as well as leading architects and designers.  All design and production happens in Ulricehamn, Sweden.Bolon is available in rolls or tiles.  You can vacuum it or for deep cleaning it can be scrubbed with a brush and an all purpose cleaner (there are machines that can do this too).  Lastly vacuum again with a wet vac. If you want to delve into the specifics you can do that here. Interesting diversion, yes? Who knows what I'll unearth next! Stay tuned...