FFI 116 May 2021

Page 41

Special

Problems with colouring the wood?

A WIDE RANGE OF SHADES THE INDIVIDUALISATION OF THE FLOOR MEANS ‘FULL SPEED AHEAD’ Marie-Claude Conversy (Tover - I) Tover, an Italian company, is a reference in the field of colour development, among others. For years, the company has been committed to sustainable work, respect for the environment and the safety of both user and end consumer. Renowned for its investment in R&D, Tover has often pioneered the development of new products, such as the launch of an isocyanate-free twocomponent lacquer. Export manager Marie-Claude Conversy: "A good illustration is how we generate 80% of our own energy through a system of photovoltaic cells on the roof of our company. It shows how we look beyond things like renewable raw materials and how we work inclusively. That's why we apply strict sustainability codes and environmental regulations and only work with certified suppliers who respect all European standards. We like to find those suppliers as close to us as possible, preferably in Europe. In addition, we focus on the safety of the user, only supplying water or oil-based products.” "If you look at our range of colours, then I must immediately highlight that this is more than just a range, but real colour systems. We don't talk about products, but about systems, and that's how we achieve excellent results. A number of things are always central to these systems: ease of use, speed of use and security.” "For colouring wood on site, we offer four systems. The first is called l'Olio 100% and is, as the name suggests, entirely based on natural, vegetal oils and hard waxes, available in 30 standard shades. Then there is Tintoretto D., a coloured oil base which can be overcoated with a two-component water-based lacquer to guarantee high durable protection to the floor. The third system is totally different and is composed of Belle Epoque, a water-based stain in some fifteen colours to be applied as first layer and overcoatable with an oil for a two-tone finishing. Finally, we offer Uniqua Paint, a coloured water-based lacquer with a matt effect, that totally covers the grain of the wood and is available in white, black and many grey shades." "The huge success of colouring illustrates what we are noticing during this pandemic. We have all re-discovered the importance and the pleasure of our home and colours represent that desire of a new life. The time of uniformity, with pre-made products, is completely over! Now it's about creating an inviting, unique environment, in which our colour systems fit in extremely well. Finally, I would like to emphasise our constant involving of all our partners in the whole company strategy, it is no coincidence our slogan goes as follows: 'Be part of it'. We offer them more than just good products and prices, but also a close relationship with the 'own' Tover people."

In the testimonial by Tover in the frame piece with this article, one element in particular just cries out for attention: Colouring floors is particularly trendy just now. People have been paying much more attention to the interior and therefore also the floor, certainly during the pandemic. Whilst sitting at home, we’ve noticed that this trend, which was already clearly in evidence, is gaining even more speed. In addition to that, we’ve noted that more and more consumers are abandoning floorboards which are prefinished in the factory and they’re falling in masses for colouring their wooden floors.

Personalisation is the magic word This colouring trend is certainly no coincidence, but is part of a wider social framework. People want to stand out and, as time goes by, mainstream gets more and more sidelined. At the moment, it’s all about maximum individualisation of everything, and therefore also

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the interior. This individualisation trend should not be separated from the technological advances of recent years. These include the advance of digitalisation and the countless affordable solutions which it has yielded. Think here, for instance, of a floor covering like carpet. Whilst in the past you had to order at least hundreds of metres of the same item because otherwise it was not viable to run the machines, nowadays a separate run is possible for literally a small part of an impressive living room, something that project developers have capitalised on eagerly for elements such as personalisation in the hotel industry. Here’s a completely fictional example: the floor with carpet decorated solely with the head of your four-footed friend Max. It’s all possible and, moreover, you no longer have to spend a fortune on it.

Welcome colour We’re also seeing a number of trends in floors which are of interest to us. The first one is that a world of colour is opening up where nothing is too insane. In particular, we notice a shift in demand for a number

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