Shaw Contract Advances Flooring Through Innovation and Care

Design has always been the foundation of Shaw Contract’s identity. Established in Georgia, the company has shaped commercial interiors with broadloom, carpet tile, resilient planks, and rugs—each product grounded in intention and innovation. With the recent launch of Tile and Stone, Shaw Contract expands its material palette offering designers even more ways to define space. Transparency has always been part of the process: early sketches, mill tours, and in-progress samples have long invited the design community into the heart of how collections are made. It’s a legacy of openness that continues to guide the brand’s approach today.

Design Grounded in People 

Shaw Contract’s approach extends beyond materials into the culture of the profession itself. The company invests in the people who shape interiors, building platforms that support education, well-being, and storytelling. One of these efforts is designEd, which began as an educational program for new designers and has since evolved into an expansive opportunity for the A&D community to gather and learn together. To address wellness in practice, the company developed Creative Wellness, a continuing education program that helps designers navigate burnout and cultivate healthier professional habits. And to foster dialogue, Shaw Contract launched The Listening Room in 2020, a digital platform for storytelling that has become a hub for diverse perspectives and collaborative exchange.

That same focus carries into specification with StudioOne, a resource that offers curated palettes, material pairings, and trend-forward narratives to help designers translate inspiration into form. StudioOne operates as a partner in the design process, supporting projects from concept to completion across sectors. “These programs ensure that our design process is grounded in empathy, education, and collaboration,” says the Shaw Contract team.

Digital Tools for Today

Shaw Contract’s innovation continues in the digital realm, where new technology tools are transforming how products are specified. These platforms are thoughtfully developed as extensions of the design process, empowering specifiers to visualize, explore, and interact with ideas before they’re brought into the built environment. The work continues in digital space, where new tools reshape specification. For Shaw Contract, these platforms are designed as extensions of the design process, giving specifiers ways to see, hear, and test ideas before they enter a space.

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Sound Advisor demonstrates acoustic performance in real time. Inspiration Curator translates images into product palettes through AI, while View In My Space applies augmented reality to visualize flooring within actual environments. Together, these platforms reduce uncertainty, accelerate decision-making, and bring designers closer to the material experience even before a product sample is in hand. 

Commitment to Circular Design 

Sustainability has long shaped the trajectory of Shaw Contract, beginning with the launch of EcoWorx®, the industry’s first PVC-free, fully recyclable carpet tile platform. This groundbreaking innovation set a new benchmark for circular flooring and laid the foundation for a portfolio of next generation backing systems.

Building on that legacy, EcoWorx® M introduces enhanced performance with moisture resistance, acoustic support, and recycled content. EcoWorx® Bio takes the commitment further by incorporating rapidly renewable materials, while EcoWorx® Resilient brings the same circular design principles to the resilient category, offering a PVC-free solution that supports both performance and environmental goals. At the end of a product’s life, the [Re]Turn® program ensures materials are reclaimed and responsibly recycled, operating as one of the industry’s most comprehensive take-back systems.

These innovations are part of a broader vision that connects material sustainability with human-centered design. Research initiatives like the Aging Eyes Study and the development of sensory room environments reflect Shaw Contract’s belief that sustainable design should also enhance well-being and inclusivity. Together, these efforts reflect the company’s enduring promise: People Together, Planet Forever—a commitment that continues to guide both product development and cultural innovation.

Looking Ahead 

Shaw Contract’s evolution is rooted in design leadership across materials, platforms, and people. From pioneering sustainable product systems to developing digital tools that enhance the design process, the company continues to lead with purpose. Its commitment to mentorship and emerging voices, expressed through initiatives like designEd and the Shaw Contract Design Awards, reflects a belief that the future of interiors is shaped through collaboration. With more than four decades of experience, Shaw Contract moves forward with a clear vision: to create products and experiences that support the spaces where we live, work, and connect.