Great design should tell a story and American Carpet One's new hard surface flooring line, Moku Collection, created by designer Jalene Kanani, does just that. For Kanani, the home is an aesthetic space with a multitude of opportunities to communicate taste, style, history and culture. From Hawaiian quilted throw pillows on the couch, to European-influenced architecture, to ornate metal gates sporting vibrant tropical sculptures, the choices homeowners make can say a lot about who they are and where they are. In other words: Those choices not only tell a story they tell their story.
Moku Collection tells a story of the Islands. Kanani is no stranger to the art of crafting beautiful pieces that are steeped in meaning and a sense of place. Her own home accent business, Noho Home, also celebrates all that Hawaii has to offer, both from a cultural and natural resource perspective. Its designs add a touch of effortless elegance to a space: Think luxurious sateen quilts with vibrant patterns inspired by old Hawaiian bamboo stamp patterns, and linen tablecloths emblazoned with the eye-catching interspersed fronds of the loulou palm.
Kanani brings that same selective taste and thoughtful storytelling to the Moku Collection of flooring at American Carpet One, carefully exhibiting materials and design elements that resonate with the Hawaii community, while maintaining a high standard of quality. The collection's products are not only 100% waterproof and commercial grade, they come with a 50-year warranty and an easy interlocking system that makes do-it-yourself a breeze.
Here are some of the beautiful stories you'll find in the Moku Collection. What story will your home tell?
In the Moonlight Mango line, Kanani wanted to celebrate the local way of connecting through exchange. "The mango tree has always been an Island staple. We all grew up around one, and there is this beautiful community around mango season where you share (the fruits)," she explains. Similarly, she points out, with stories. "We wanted to give people the opportunity to talk about the products in their home, to share the stories, and to connect about them."
And, what is the story of Hawaii without a mention of the ocean? "Bayside View is really a driftwood visual, connecting to the driftwood theme, the ocean aesthetic," Kanani explains.
In the Sunset Koa line, it's all about paying homage to a nostalgic yesteryear. "Koa has its story itself," muses Kanani. "It has such a rich history in our interiors in the past. Homes were literally (koa) wall panels and flooring and built in cabinetry. So, if you go back three or four generations, this is what people connected to in their grandparents" home. Wanting to have that ability to connect to that visual in your home is fantastic.
Finally, the standout element of the collection is the gorgeous and unique 'akahi print, an organic, geometric pattern designed after the bamboo stamp art found on native Hawaiian bark cloth. The 'akahi panels are meant to be married with Sunset Koa, interspersed throughout a space organically, as borders or even as paths throughout the home, as the designer's needs dictate. "Infusing pattern into flooring is revolutionary in the marketplace," points out Kanani. "There is really nothing else like it. We were really excited to bring pattern into that marketplace because I think that's really the wave of the future but also, for us, we were really able to infuse something that resonated from a Hawaiian standpoint [and] to be very authentic in our design focus so that people can connect to that on a much deeper level and be able to be proud of bringing things that represent our culture and our island into the home."
