What does it take to walk home with NeoCon Gold for eleven years in a row? Well, it doesn’t hurt to be the world’s largest carpet manufacturer, as this deeds Shaw Contract with sufficient stability to experiment and innovate, year after year. This year’s singular achievement? Dye Lab, “an exploration of color extracted from nature.”

Dye Lab modular carpet. Manufactured by Shaw Contract.

Shaw Contract Takes Home NeoCon Gold with Dye Lab Modular Carpet

The process that has resulted in the manifold and varied modulations of styles that is Dye Lab begins with a line-up of rather esoteric-sounding natural substances: madder root, indigo and cochineal, each naturally-occurring dyestuffs varying in color, respectively, from scarlet, carmine, and dark violet to smoky grays, rich blues, and deep arboreal greens.

Shaw Contract achieves the signature look by manipulating raw thread—twisting, weaving, bundling, dipping, and ultimately dyeing it in a process that might fairly be described as “distressing.” Though the description provided by John Stevens, Shaw’s VP of Marketing, is more comprehensive: “an innovative dye infusion process that applies color in an irregular and organic fashion… repurposing lost practices with modern technology to create ancient wash and dye techniques.”

With the NeoCon debut Shaw is just scratching the surface of what the Dye Lab process can achieve—each wash is different from the one before, creating a virtually unlimited font from which to draw this eye-catching contract carpeting.

Manufactured with Shaw Contract’s Eco Solution Q Fiber (containing 45% recycled content), Dye Lab carpets are pvc- and voc-free, making them Cradle to Cradle Silver Certified. Further, All tiles feature Shaw Contract’s patented EcoWorx backing, which is 100% recyclable.

About the Manufacturer: A market leader in surface flooring options, Shaw Contract specializes in broadloom and modular carpet, as well as hardwoods. With an excellent reputation for their durable product line and consistent innovation, Shaw Contract has earned the respect and admiration of the industry. A perennial Best of NeoCon winner, the company has won accolades from multiple architecture and design sectors, including Contract and Floor Focus magazines.