Design leadership through flooring: Milliken

Milliken-Ontera has more than 20 years’ experience in the design and manufacture of unique carpet tile systems. The company is part of the Milliken family, and has been manufacturing in Northmead, Sydney, servicing Australian and New Zealand markets. Bringing both creativity and a pioneering spirit to flooring design, it has been at the forefront of a growing demand for carpet tiles as a flexible flooring solution that can positively impact everything from design vision right through to user wellbeing.

Project: Woolworths Head Office Collection: Naturally Drawn Design | Colourway: Watercolour Lessen | Pencil Grey Photographer: Anthony Fretwell Architect: Siren Design Builder: Hunter Mason

In the 21st century, innovation and rapid shifts in consumer demand often define new directions in design. Milliken brings all these influences and opportunities into play, using its fully customisable carpet design manufacturing system to produce bespoke solutions that address complex project requirements and changing user needs. The system empowers both designer and supplier to collaboratively achieve sophisticated and truly personalised carpet tile solutions for world-class projects.

Project: Wellington Airport, New Zealand Collection | Design: Custom Design  Photographer: Kevin Hawkins Photography Architect: Warren and Mahoney Architects

Supporting this is Milliken’s suite of leading-edge technologies – all housed in its Sydney headquarters. From a unique dye injection system which enables precisionist colour selections, to its easy-to-use visualiser technology; each tool has been developed to enable designers to holistically engage in the flooring design process.

Recognising that the design of an interior environment vitally impacts users’ emotional, physical and psychological wellbeing, Milliken’s flooring solutions place extra emphasis on health and wellness. Its WellBAC™ range of carpet tile backing products, for example, can improve indoor air quality, decrease muscle strain, and lower ambient noise levels.

Collection: Water Yuludarla Design | Colourways: Mayala (Moving) in Fern and Charcoal
Photographer: Jan Kuczerawy | Jan The Photographer  Location: Carriageworks

Milliken is also closely aligned with local and global industry-leading bodies such as the Well Living Lab. As an international founding member of the Well Living Lab, the Milliken design process is deeply informed by its health and environment standards. The result is ‘clean green’ environmentally sustainable carpet tiles, with all design ingredients PVC-free and harmless to the environment. More broadly speaking, its flooring solutions also empower us to re-think what the floor can be and can accomplish within the broader landscape of health and wellness.

Project: The Treasury, New Zealand Collections | Designs: Karona 3, Eclipse in Solar and Rogue | Naturally Drawn in custom yellow colourway  Photographer: Chris Burks Photography  Architect: Workspace Architects

Milliken’s ethos of integrity goes much deeper than just product design. Led by a culture of ‘doing good’, the company has made a strong and lasting commitment to social responsibility. As Shaneel Deo, Managing Director of Milliken, says: “It’s about doing good for our employees, our customers and the communities we live in. It’s also about ensuring the products we produce can do good for their final purpose, providing a positive impact within interior spaces, with environmental and sustainable benefits.”

Collection: Water Yuludarla Design | Colourway: Bindarray (River) in Blush
Photographer: Jan Kuczerawy | Jan The Photographer  Location: Carriageworks

Milliken recently became a proud national corporate donor of the Property Industry Foundation (PIF) to target youth homelessness. Other key involvements include actively supporting Aboriginal communities through its Indigenous Engagement Program. This has already seen exciting results with a recent collaboration with Saltwater Freshwater Arts Alliance and the National Aboriginal Design Agency seeding the ‘Water Yuludarla’ commercial carpet collection.

Collection: Water Yuludarla Design | Colourway: Water Yuludarla in Warm Colourway | 8 × 12 TL (96 tiles) Photographer: Jan Kuczerawy | Jan The Photographer
Location: Carriageworks

Custom and innovative design solutions, cost-effective processes, realistic lead times, and a philosophy and commitment to environmental sustainability, wellness and doing good in the community – these are the principles that have inspired Milliken to the position it is in today. Whether your next project requires a subdued flooring that inspires relaxation, or a loud splash of colour to create excitement in a space – with Milliken, you’re covered.