Shaw Contract’s newest hospitality collection Awaken took home two Best of NeoCon 2024 Gold Awards in Flooring. The first Gold was for their Awaken Area Rugs and the second was for their Awaken Broadloom Carpet.

Awaken’s design features beautiful ombre gradients and color blending with softer ethereal elements. Rose golds and rusty reds pair with emerald jewel tones and patina greens like that of the Statue of Liberty. The design is based loosely on large abstract florals. You can almost see the painterly brushstrokes on the magnolia-hued petals.

Even though this carpet is as eye-catching as it is alluring, it still introduces itself as a neutral. Awaken will add a sense of artistry to any space without overpowering it. The area rugs themselves have unique organic cuts to soften their appeal while staying true to Awaken’s innermost character.

Lauryn Pierce, Shaw Contract Designer Manager, says the Awaken collection is a testament to how the creative process is evolving with the help of technology. “As artists, we start with pen and paper, or other physical elements, but how do we use technology to create even more original and unique designs?”

Originally, she began to envision Awaken’s earliest drafts right on paper. She used watercolors and acrylic paints, playing with style and form. “Then, we looked at how we could layer in technology to create more ethereal visuals and texture. I took the paintings and blended them using AI technology, then digitally painted more layers of pattern and texture on top. This layering of different processes pushed the designs to a place that felt new and unexpected.”

Awaken is designed with Shaw Contract’s brand-new tufted technology. This now allows Shaw the ability to create cut and loop carpet with multiple pile heights and the option of including up to 16 colors in one style. This tufted high-tech is what allows for more depth and dimension in addition to the beautiful ombres and painterly colors, turning Awaken from carpet into a bonafide work of art.

The Awaken collection will be available to order in Summer 2024.

Shaw also flexed their illustrator muscles in Arctic Escape, another new carpet collection they featured at NeoCon 2024.