b'advertising feature words: Sue Reidythe natural neutralsSue Reidy reports on the latest colourrange from Norman Ellison Carpets.Its a fundamental requirement for any carpet manufacturerhave the time to walk barefoot on a sandy beach or along to get its colours right. A high-quality carpet is a majorthe shingle bank of a river. The colours and textures of investment for most people, so we want a carpet thatcarpet allow you to bring something of the outdoors into willwearwellformanyyears.And,wedideallylikeyour indoor space. The colours weve chosen for Norman ittobemadefrompurewool,becausewoolhasaEllison reflect that back-to-nature feel. natural elasticity and it stands up well to everyday wearShe holds up some of the swatches from the old ranges andtear.Therefore,costandqualityarekeyfactorsand then pulls out the latest colours.Megan Harrison-Turnerinfluencing purchasing decisions, but, at the end of the day, consumers make an emotive decision, one which isTheresjustnocomparison,shesays,pointingout usually based on colour.examples of her greyed-off colours and contrasting them with the less subtle choices that were previously available.Choosing the right carpet colour is important, because floors act as anchors, bringing the overall colour schemeHer antennae are always on alert, looking for ideas for ofahousetogether,claimscolourstylistMegancolours that will enhance the Norman Ellison range now Harrison-Turner.and in the future. ShewascommissionedtwoyearsagobyWarrenI collect bits and pieces togetherclippings, tearsheets, Drinkwater, managing director of Norman Ellison Carpets,swatchesandstrandsofwool.Ithensorttheminto to radically update their colour range as part of an overallcategories and consult with the Norman Ellison carpet repositioning of the company in the market. dyers, subtly adjusting the colours until weve achieved Weve gradually brought the colours more up to datethe tones and hues that are in tune with what the market by introducing deeper, darker tones such as charcoals,is looking for.chocolatesandaubergines,greyed-offcoloursandNorman Ellison Carpets is a New Zealand-owned com-more muted neutrals into the Norman Ellison ranges.pany, where the owners work hands-on in the business. Neutral colours are a big trend at present, says MeganFor more than 30 years, it has specialised in the produc-Harrison-Turner.tion of tufted wool and wool-rich carpets. Our homes are our havensthey shelter us from theThe company uses New Zealand wool, spun in its own hurly-burlyoflife.Surroundingourselveswithrichlymills, and offers 15 ranges of carpet in total, nine of textured and neutral-coloured carpets can enhance ourwhich form its Lifestyle collection of 100 per cent pure feeling of comfort and well-being, she adds. Peoplewoolcarpets.TheremainderfitintoitsCarpetcraft may be living busier lives, but at home they are seekingrange, which includes pure wool carpets as well as wool-a feeling of balance and harmony. They may not alwayssynthetic blends.84 |'