The Northern Ireland-based manufacturer was again voted as the Best Carpet Supplier in the Big Furniture Awards for the second time in three years and is continuing to look ahead with confidence.
One of the reasons the company’s carpets remain so popular is Ulster’s constant evolution and innovation, as demonstrated by a recent expansion and the impending additions to their already impressive line-up of colours and designs.
With colour trends finally moving away from grey, the focus of Ulster’s Residential Designers Clare Jenkinson and Calvin Pope has been adding warmer neutrals, earth tones and greens to Ulster’s palette.
This will be reflected in the forthcoming additions to the popular Grange Wilton and Open Spaces ranges as well as planned new launches in Ulster’s Axminster offering.
Calvin commented, “Greens and blues have become warmer, mint greens are being replaced with moss greens, and greyish blue are being replaced by soft blues. Rather than a fad, we see these colours as being here to stay!”
Clare added, “The beauty of these colours is that you can pair them with stronger reds, plums, greens and blues or use them to support traditional styles such as country house looks with chintz, plaids and stripes. For lighter, modern schemes, these colours can easily be based around natural textures and materials.”
When it comes to creating these beautiful carpets, Ulster are in full control of every step. This includes sourcing and processing the wool into yarn through to the weaving of the carpet.
A recently-completed multi-million-pound investment at Ulster’s County Armagh headquarters has taken this to a new level, with an impressive expansion of their High Speed Weaving Building to create the highest Axminster capacity in the company’s history.
During a challenging time for the carpet sector when other manufacturers were consolidating, Ulster Carpets were the exception to the rule by focusing on investment and expansion over the last 18 months.
Jeremy Wilson, Residential Sales Director, explained, “These investments are clear evidence of the confidence we have in our products. Our initial expansion proved so successful that we made the quick decision to double the size of our High Speed Weaving Building and coupled with our focus on improved IT systems, these are welcome improvements.”
In addition to working within the residential sector in the UK and Ireland, Ulster Carpets also works across the world in the hospitality industry, manufacturing custom-designed carpets and rugs for the world’s leading hotels, casinos and cruise ships.
This all points to continuing success for a family-owned company that has been in business for over 85 years.
