As a global company based in Sweden, Bolon has been at the pinnacle of design and manufacture of woven flooring for some 70 years. After all, it was the founder of Bolon, Nils-Erik Eklund, who invented the process back in 1949. This new decade marks a time for even more ground breaking initiatives from the company and reinforces Bolon as a market leader producing products that are practical, functional and of course beautiful.

Today, Eklund’s grand daughters, sisters Annica and Marie, are driving the business forward and together they and their staff are forging ahead with even more creative plans and sustainable actions. The brand is ever evolving and in the last few years there has been a change of leadership. Annica, once Managing Director has transitioned to Creative Director, while Marie has taken over the MD role. How fortuitous for siblings that work together to find their niche within the business, concurrently understanding and appreciating the others expertise and talents. This is a true success story.

2020 is also a red-letter year for Australia and its relationship with the brand as the opening of the first flagship Bolon showroom in Oxford Street, Sydney occurred in March.

The sisters together with The Andrews Group, sole distributors for Bolon in Australia and South East Asia, gathered with the cre?me of Sydney’s design community to celebrate the auspicious occasion. With clients now able to visually experience the multitude of patterns and colours that comprise the Bolon floor covering collections this store is certain to be a favourite among architects and designers.

Coinciding with the opening is an adventurous and creative marketing campaign that is set to inspire and educate architects, designers and end users. Named The Art of Performance, Bolon products are presented in images that are inventive and playful but also push the boundaries of stylisation and photographic process. As a photographer of note, Annica has been responsible for this enterprise and has fully explored her creative talent to present imaginative product display through a glorious artistic approach.

Of course beautiful images are one thing and Bolon can afford to be a little fanciful, especially with sustainability credentials that lead the market. When Bolon was invented all those years ago the product was produced using vinyl off-cuts to weave rag rugs. The driving force then and now has been to ensure that sustainability is integral within the business. With this in mind there have been some new members join the Bolon Management team. Firstly, Ha?kan Nordin has taken the role of Sustainability Director. Nordin was previously a Board Member of Greenpeace Sweden and Policy Advisor for Greenpeace International. Another new appointment is Marit Bo?rjesson the Operations Director whose last position was as Global Operations Manager at Caterpillar Propulsion Production AB. Both Nordin and Bo?rjesson bring their own particular experience and a new perspective to Bolon and will help support the sisters as they plan for the future.

As with every business one of the most important areas is research and development and again Bolon does it just that little bit differently. In house there is the traditional facility that designs and makes, test and re-tests however for practical day-to-day wear and tear there is nothing like trialing new products in situ and where better than a charming boutique Hotel in Italy called Villa La Madonna. This grand home was once owned by the family, sold and subsequently repurchased and re-purposed as a hotel. It is in this special place that new products are installed, practically assessed and further ideas developed for day-to-day living. For example, wall coverings Bolon’s latest product, has been trialed over time at the Hotel to assess durability, practicality and functionality. All has gone according to plan and this new product line will come to market later in the year.

Companies such as Bolon who make the trends and influence the market is looking ahead and planning for the coming years. With sustainability key, superior products on offer and the inimitable Marie and Annica in charge, the company is entering a new and exciting chapter of its life and one that will successfully define it for the future.