Category Archives: Company News

Adam Carpets Ups the Quality on Wool Sourcing

Posted on June 13, 2017 by chris

Adam Carpets have once again raised the bar in terms of the wool we are putting into our carpets. We are pleased to say that we are one of only two companies in the UK that are specifying the breeds of sheep that we are willing to take our wool from. This is important as we can offer our customers confidence that we are not diluting our quality in any way with inferior wools.

Further more we are also now specifying which coast we wish to take the wool from those breeds from. 2015/2016 had a very wet Winter on the west coast, which has meant that many of the sheep fleeces were still full of moisture during the shearing season. This caused a lot of the wool to be more ‘yellow’ on the fleece.

Therefore, we have been buying wool from the east coast to ensure that our colours will be not be affected by the yellow coming out of the wool when the weather becomes better in the Summer/Autumn of this year, lessening the chance for the colour to fade.

This is the level of detail that we are prepared to go to at Adam Carpets to make sure that you continue to receive the quality and colour that you and your customers expect from us.

Adam Carpets only use the finest raw materials in our carpets

Charity Golf Day Exceeds Expectations

Posted on June 13, 2017 by chris

Adam Carpets took part in the FITBA Golf Day held at Kidderminster Golf Club recently. The day raises money for three local charities as well as MacMillan Nurses. As at the end of the first day, the money raised was in excess of £17,000.

Adam Carpets Left to Right
Tony Cook, Tony Quinn, Eamonn Prescott and Alan Couch (Cameron Lee Carpets)

Kasbah Stripe the Choice for Martells

Posted on June 13, 2017 by chris

When Martells, a department store in East Grinstead, moved premises earlier this year, the staircases in their new store needed replacing. After some deliberation, they chose our Kasbah Stripe range and we were delighted that they did.

The carpet looked stunning in situ, as we found when we visited a couple of weeks ago. More staircases are due to be refurbished later this year with some more Kasbah Stripe.

Kasbah Stripe fitted onto the main staircase at Martells, East Grinstead

Window of the Month

Posted on June 13, 2017 by chris

Our thanks to Emily, Sam and Byron at Hart Carpets for this stunning window display. You will note that not all of the carpets are ours, but Emily’s inspirational idea has caught the attention of many a passer by. We love the idea of mixing pattern, plain and texture and drawing on the Great British weather for a theme. After all Summer is just around the corner!

Hart Carpets of Hartley Wintney

Wool Floor Show London 2017 Review

Posted on April 10, 2017 by chris

Adam Carpets exhibited at the Wool Floor Show London last month. The show took place at Stanford Bridge, the home of Chelsea Football Club. All of the UK’s major wool manufacturers were present, creating around 26 stands. Our stand came in for particular praise due to its use of room sets, rather than the conventional wall units and tombola displays.

“We were very pleased with how our stand turned out” said Eamonn Prescott, Sales Director at Adam Carpets. “By using room sets, we were able to highlight our recent relationship with The Little Greene Paint Company. I thought the use of their paint and our carpet was a real talking point at the show.”

New A5 postcard coordination charts were also on display for the first time. These postcard size guides feature a room set on the front, with six Castlemead Twist colours on the back along with three paint colours for each carpet colour courtesy of Little Greene.

The stand itself was split into two room sets, both using new Castlemead Twist colours and paint supplied and coordinated by Little Greene. The two carpets used were also highlighting the Platinum certification that has been awarded to Castlemead Twist by British Wool.

“The Platinum certificate is very important to us” continued Eamonn. “It is highlighting that we are using the very best British Wool in our carpets to ensure that we continue to achieve the high standards of quality associated with an Adam Carpet.”

Adam Carpets are Winners at the International Carpet and Rug Awards 2017

Posted on April 10, 2017 by chris

Adam Carpets had a highly successful evening at the International Carpet and Rug Awards 2017.

The awards were held at Stamford Bridge in the evening of the first day of the Wool Floor Show London. The awards were introduced by Bridgette Kelly from the Campaign for Wool.

Adam Carpets were awarded Best Tufted Commercial Installation for our Avant Bespoke range which was fitted to Bloxwich Golf Club.

Commercial Manager Tony Cook received the award on behalf of the company. “We were delighted to receive this award” said Tony. “The Avant range continues to offer woven style designs at more competitive tufted prices. The fact that we have our own design studio and dyehouse on site enables us to react quickly and efficiently to all enquiries.”

There were a number of special awards during the evening and Adam Carpets were finalists in two other categories: British Wool Carpet Award for Castlemead Twist Platinum and Best Creative Marketing Award for Little Greene collaboration.

Commercial Manager Tony Cook accepts Award

Winning Installation

New Improved Wall Units Ready and Available

Posted on April 10, 2017 by chris

Our wall units have recently gone through a design upgrade. We have taken out hanging samples and replaced them with user friendly pattern books.

The units now also have a shelf which will carry information about the company and British Wool to give the customer a better understanding of Adam Carpets and British Wool. The units now are available in singles allowing more flexibility for our customers. They also come pre-assembled, so no assembly from our team is needed on site meaning less disruption for our customers in store.

The graphics and sample boards have been refreshed with updated colours and messages.

For more information on these new units, please contact your Sales Representative.

Guest Blog – Tips to Getting Crayon and Other Nasty Stains out of Carpet

Posted on March 21, 2017 by chris

Our Guest Blog has been written by Tom Masters from California who specialises in cleaning carpets.

Wool is a tricky fabric to get stains removed from but with the right cleaning solutions, you can ensure that those tricky stains do not stay. Wool carpet is formed from a delicate type of fabric, so using the proper cleaning methods is essential when spills and accidents happen. Some products can break down the fibres in the carpet, which is what you’ll want to stay away from when trying to remove stains.

Wet Stain Tips

Wet stains may be easier to remove than dry ones. Use lukewarm water blotted up with a soft rag. If this does not work, a wool stain remover may do the trick. It is important to read the labels on the bottle prior to putting this on wool to ensure that it is made for wool stains and clean up.

If it is a deep red, such as wine or other deep colour then you’ll want to try to lift the stain away as soon as possible. These deep colours can soak into the fibres of the wool, causing the stain to stay with time. Once spilled, quickly do the above method to lift any of the stain as quickly as you can. This will give you the best chance of lifting the stain from the carpet and helping to ensure that the natural beauty of your carpet will stay intact.

Dry Stain Tips

Mix one teaspoon of wool detergent and one teaspoon of white vinegar into a litre of warm water and mix thoroughly. Let this soak in the spot and then blot with a clean, soft rag.

Chilling the area with ice cubes in a bag before adding the mixture above can help increase the chances of lifting the stain from the carpet.

For stains from crayons, you need to move quickly to ensure the stain will be removed. First, place ice in a bag and gently press it to the area stained. This will help freeze the waxy residue so it won’t melt and make matters worse. Next, gently cover the area with a white cloth and grab your clothing iron. Set the iron to a warm, but not extremely hot temperature as hot temperatures can damage wool carpet, and gently apply pressure to the cloth covering the crayon. Wait a few seconds and lift the cloth to remove the wax. This may need to be done several times to get all the crayon out of the carpet. Once you can see no more wax, use a dry solvent to clean the area once more.

If using any type of detergent, always choose a clear detergent to go with or one like Dawn which has a good reputation for removing grease stains. Anything with dye or colour in it can further stain wool carpets. You want to remove the stains and not add to them when using a detergent mixture.

However, keep in mind that nothing is as effective as using a professional carpet cleaning company. If after exhausting all your options, you may find that not only is the stain still there but you’re unsure of what else to do next. You may want to contact a professional carpet cleaner to guarantee that these stains will be lifted safely. Visit https://www.contractorstoday.com/carpet-cleaners-near-me/ for more information.

Having a clean carpet in the home makes everyone happy. One of the best ways to reduce the amount of stains found on the carpet is to try and prevent them. Trying many solutions can help to reduce the stains that are harder to lift from wool carpets. Always use wool-safe detergents or natural methods to remove stains and prevent further damage to the wool fibres in the carpet.

Adam Carpets Join In Wool Week Celebrations at Wool BnB

Posted on October 12, 2016 by chris

Adam Carpets were delighted to be part of the centrepiece of this years Campaign for Wool ‘Wool Week’ celebrations. A house in the De Beauvoir area of London has been chosen to host a Wool Bed and Breakfast. The whole house has been transformed by renowned designer, Karina Garrick.

Here is the official press release by the Campaign for Wool:

To mark the #WoolWeek celebrations, The Campaign for Wool will be opening the doors to the first ever ‘Wool BnB’, where everything inside, from carpets to cardigans will be made of wool.

The BnB, located in Islington, London, will be welcoming guests to a cosy living room and snug entirely decorated with wool products.

A double bedroom will be fully equipped with luxury wool filled mattresses, pillows, duvets, cosy blankets and nightwear, bringing to the forefront the benefits of wool in aiding a good night’s sleep.

The woolly Study will immerse guests in a wealth of wool knowledge through a floor to ceiling World Wool Map whilst the craft room will give guests a first-hand experience in the joy of making with real sheep’s wool through workshops where you can learn how to knit, weave and create items for the home using this versatile fibre. Not forgetting a sheep’s natural environment, the Wool BnB’s very own Shepherds’ Hut – located in the garden where guests can sit and enjoy getting back to nature.

The Campaign for Wool brand partners will kit out the whole house including a wool-kin wardrobe showcasing iconic wool pieces from prestigious brands across luxury, fashion, interiors and craft. Under one roof, The Campaign for Wool will demonstrate how living with wool can be beneficial from head to toe, ceiling to floor and everything in between.

The ‘Wool BnB: Living with wool’, will launch officially for ‘Wool Week’, during which media and public are invited to visit the BnB to learn more about wool as a fibre and take part in workshop evenings, interactive talks, film screenings and a wool styling session by Karina Garrick who has directed, curated and styled the project. Woolly overnight stays will be available exclusively following Wool Week and we’ll be offering a once in a lifetime opportunity to experience living with wool first hand.

Here are some of the images we took on the preview evening on the 11th October.

Wool BnB

Our Pure Brit! carpet, part of the master bedroom

More Pure Brit on the lower stairs

and ewe too xx

Fine Worcester Twist – The New Millennium Years

Posted on June 20, 2016 by chris

Tony Hardwick (former Sales Director) and Hilary Terry (former Designer) were very much involved in the expansion of Fine Worcester Twist during the years 2000-2008. Tony had joined Adam Carpets in 1995 from Georgian Carpets. He was due to take over from long standing Sales Director, Jim Bennett, who would take up a consultant style role in 1997. Hilary Terry started with Adam Carpets in 1983, following Jim Bennett from Quayles. They both remained with the company until their retirements in 2010 and 2014 respectively.

Q. Tony, you arrived at Adam Carpets in 1995, what were your initial thoughts of Fine Worcester Twist and when did you decide that the range needed more colours?

TH: I knew the reputation that Fine Worcester had developed for its quality. I came from Georgian where we had an awful lot of colours that we made to order. Given that Adam Carpets also had their own dye house, Jim and I felt that more colours was the obvious way to go. We introduced four in 1997 and it snowballed from there.

Q. By 1998, the range had double in size to 40. How much pressure did that put on stocks?

TH: I remember David Adam and I discussing the stock situation and at that time when we launched the new colours we kept 5m wide carpet in stock and made the 4m as orders came in. That doesn’t sound ideal, but the fact was we could turn the stock around very quickly.

Q. The new millennium came and another 12 colours were introduced. By now the range was at 47, was there an optimum number of colours you were working to?

TH: No, not really. We were actually being slowed down by the sizes of the tombola drums available! Initially Fine Worcester was on a single drum, every time we introduced new colours, new drums had to go with them. When we hit 50 colours, that was when we introduced the side stickers with the numbers.

Q. The range finally finished at 65 in 2002. That meant 45 colours had been added in just six years. What made the range stop at 65?

TH: That’s back to the drums again. The drum size was now so big, it was impractical for it to go any bigger. By now though the colourbank was so good, it really didn’t need any more additions in terms of numbers.

Q. The range grew so quickly, how were the new colours decided upon?

Hilary: Initially it would be Jim and I, latterly Tony also played a major role. I remember samples, trials, colours right across the showroom. We rejected far more than we ever put in.

Q. Some of the colours from the early 2000’s were very bright or stark. This was at a time when naturals were popular. What was the thinking behind these colours?

Hilary: Fine Worcester and Adam Carpets have never followed others. We always developed our own colours based on our research. We knew some of the colours such as Aubergine, would be short-term. We also thought that they would ‘liven up’ the range. That always worked as those were the colours retailers talked about.

Q. Could you sum up your thoughts about Fine Worcester Twist and its 25 years?

TH: I think its strength, other than colour, is that it doesn’t look like a twist. The yarn is so fine it has an almost velvet finish. That alone stands it out from the crowd.

Hilary: Fine Worcester was so easy to colour because of the quality of the yarn. It just takes any colour so well. It’s brilliant that it has been around for 25 years. It will go on for a lot longer yet.

Our thanks to Tony and Hilary for their time and insight into Fine Worcester. Next month we will have part 1 of a two part interview with current Sales Director, Eamonn Prescott, and current Designer, Kelly Butler and the research behind the latest ten colours and the hugely successful ‘Hugo & Ella’ marketing campaign.

Hilary Terry, the designer behind the most famous colourbank in the carpet industry. Pictured here with Tony Hardwick and Jim Bennett, both former Sales Directors at Jim’s retirement dinner.