Carpet: What Moves You? by Lees is the Cream of the Crop

To say that the folks at The Mohawk Group have been a bit corny lately isn’t a comment on humor—it’s on the manufacturer’s latest innovation. Mohawk brand Lees recently debuted the What Moves You? collection, the first commercial-grade modular carpet, also available as broadloom, to be made from SmartStrand® Contract corn-based fibers.

The NeoCon® Gold–winning SmartStrand Contract incorporates DuPont™ Sorona®, a polymer made from corn-based derivatives (Triexta) that just received Oeko-Tex® Class 1 certification. The result-ing composition boasts 37 percent renewably sourced ingredients, making this a sustainable alternative to the non-biodegradable petroleum-based nylon fibers typically used in commercial carpet. It’s the first new subclass of polyester fiber recognized by the Federal Trade Commission since nylon was certified in 1959.

What Moves You? brings nature to the forefront in more ways than one. Its seven patterns, designed specifically for healthcare settings, are organically-inspired with a hint of motion, such as rustling leaves or rain. “The sense of movement is achieved by contrasting pattern density,” says Karen Hamrick, senior designer at Mohawk. The designs come in 11 colorways, ranging from a rich brown to a soothing blue.

High-performance attributes that make this a particularly good healthcare product are durability, built-in stain and fade protection, and CRI Green Label Plus certification, which ensures that air quality is improved by low emissions. The line complies with LEED® Credit MR 6.0 for rapidly renewable materials, and can also be recycled through Mohawk’s ReCover program.  —Stacy Straczynski