August 1, 2019

Text: Carlene Olsen

4 Questions with … Shannon Cochran of Patcraft

Shannon Cochran, VP of creative and design at Patcraft, shares insights into the company’s Deconstructed Felt collection. Photography courtesy of Patcraft, 

Patcraft, an innovator in the flooring space, introduced its Deconstructed Felt carpet tile collection at NeoCon in June, adding to its award-winning Deconstructed platform. The Deconstructed Felt collection, which evolved from a study on transparency, features an array of earthy patterns, colors, and textures that add depth to any space. To find out more about Patcraft’s latest collection, we sat down with Shannon Cochran, VP of creative and design, to discuss studies of transparency, artisan stitching techniques, and how carpet sketches paved the way for the finished look.

Intricate patterns that evoke a hand-stitched look set apart Patcraft’s latest carpet tile collection. Photography courtesy of Patcraft.

Interior Design: Can you elaborate a bit on the study of transparency, which served as inspiration for the collection? 

Shannon Cochran: The study of transparency was part of the design team’s challenge to think beyond the ordinary and explore the inner-workings of the product’s construction.  This design concept is integral across the entire Deconstructed platform and its three collections: Deconstructed Black (introduced in 2015), Deconstructed Metal (introduced in 2017), and the latest iteration, Deconstructed Felt. 

For this platform and its collections, the design team collaborated with the technical development teams, where they leveraged machinery in different ways to heighten awareness of the product’s engineering.  The design and manufacturing techniques create a distinct aesthetic that evokes greater awareness of the design process.  Revealing the primary backing creates a sophisticated visual while utilizing minimal fiber, resulting in a low-weight yet high performance product. Specifically, with Deconstructed Felt, this process led to a collection where patterns, colors and texture emerge from the product’s construction.

Patcraft’s Deconstructed Felt collection melds vibrant colors with versatile neutrals. Photography courtesy of Patcraft.

ID: How did the design team arrive at the range of patterns in the Deconstructed Felt collection? 

SC: The team spent months studying stitching techniques and how they were used in different textiles to create a unique flooring collection. This research influenced the final design of the three products within the collection—Top Stitch, Binary and Modern Serge—patterns with contrast and a focus on texture with an artisan quality.

ID: What qualities enable felt to stand out as a flooring material? 

SC: The non-woven felted fabric is needled onto a woven primary backing creating a canvas for tufting and a beautiful slub-like textured face that heightens contrast within the collection. This process mimics an embroidered pattern to provide variation within the products. 

Deconstructed felts adds texture and variation to any space, with a pop of color. Photography courtesy of Patcraft. 

ID: What elements distinguish the couture style in the Deconstructed Felt collection? 

SC: A featured style within the Deconstructed Felt collection, Modern Serge, includes graphic styles and unique patterns with artisan character, which are designed to complement the other products within the collection, Top Stitch and Binary. For Modern Serge, the Patcraft design team worked through different stitching patterns that were created on the sample machine.  These ‘carpet sketches’ served as a study of the color, design and pile height that led to the final pattern, which is available in four colorways.  Modern Serge can also be used to create custom rugs with color binding.  These can be used either as loose lay or inset rugs.

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