When a floor is a design object

With the launch of the Aritco HomeLift in 2016, Aritco Lift started to collaborate with the design-oriented flooring company BOLON. The Swedish family business, BOLON exports worldwide, with exports to more than 50 countries.

BOLON is a design company manufacturing woven vinyl flooring for the contract market. Like us at Aritco, BOLON has its production in Sweden. We got to chat with Annica Eklund, one of the owners and BOLON’s creative director, about the company’s local base, with exports to a global market and a focus on design, trends and quality.

– It started more than 70 years ago in Stockholm when an idea sparked into life. Textile waste became rag rugs, and Bolon was born. In many ways, our grandfather Nils-Erik Eklund, the founder of BOLON, was ahead of his time. His ability to see opportunity where others could not is an ongoing inspiration for me and my sister Marie, who is the CEO of BOLON. When we took over the family business from our parents in 2003, we knew that we wanted BOLON to become a design-led innovator producing designer flooring for public areas. We never stand still and have always had a strong drive to stretch boundaries and challenge ourselves to develop both the products and the business.

In 1949 BOLON was founded in Stockholm, Sweden. All production is still performed in Sweden but now in the sisters’ hometown of Ulricehamn, in the south of Sweden. That is something that both Annica and Marie are very proud of. The family company’s high-quality, trendy flooring is available all over the world today. In fact, 95% of sales are exported to more than 50 countries.

As a Swedish brand with business worldwide, where do you find inspiration for trends and designs?
– We are a market-oriented company that finds our “reasons to be” all over, every day in life. The nature that surrounds us always plays a special role and also attracts the architects and brands that we at Bolon can relate to. It’s all premium quality woven vinyl and with our logotype on the backside.

– The most striking thing about Bolon is the combination of our material with our weaving technique and design. Its woven as a textile from our PVC yarns. Then it’s a matter of design and textures to get the intricate look. You should be able to trust that a flooring lasts both in durability and in design.

All our collections also contain recycled material, since sustainability plays a huge part in our product and company. We want to take responsibility and show that sustainability and design go hand in hand.  It’s in our DNA.

– Flooring is as important as a piece of design furniture in an environment – it can totally change a space. We have our flooring in office spaces, hotels, museums, schools and more. Our flooring is perfect as well for the Aritco HomeLift, because our products are in the high-end segment as well and are very easy to clean. We see our product as so much more than just a floor; we think it gives a space a design value just like any other design object.

– Right now, my favorite is our latest collection of Missoni Home, because I’m longing for summer and colors. Besides that one, it’s the Graphic collection.