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Shared Passion for Style & Design

Monday, April 29, 2024

Karndean Designflooring partners with HGTV star Ty Pennington

[Export, Pa.] Ty Pennington has been renovating homes for almost 25 years. The two-time Primetime Emmy Award winner for “Extreme Makeover: Home Edition” on ABC and current host of “Rock the Block” on HGTV, has teamed up with Karndean Designflooring — “a company that has stood the test of time,” Pennington remarked. The well-known carpenter and designer became a brand ambassador for Karndean because, he said, he admired the company’s passion for its product design.

Artist From Early On

From early childhood, Pennington knew he was a creative and would eventually enter a career in the field.

“I started drawing and creating in my family’s house at a young age to the point where they said, ‘Hey, you may need to take that outside’,” he said. “I’ve always been a visual person. The only time I would calm down was when I was drawing something, so I put myself through art school and became a designer.”

Pennington won some awards in Atlanta, but soon realized when working with a design team, he’d be sitting behind a desk from nine to five, which was not a route he was willing to take. This, ultimately, is what turned him to freelancing.

“I realized that I wanted to do more in the creative industry. What paved my way to go through art school was doing construction and building homes and eventually, high-end furniture. But that’s when I decided to audition for the show that ended up being ‘Trading Spaces’.” On the reality series, he said, not only was he building furniture, but building about six pieces in one day, in just one house with a budget of about $50. “I had to become really resourceful,” he noted. “This really happened overnight. I had all the skills they were looking for.”

Carpenter and HGTV host, Ty Pennington

From the Basement to the Big Screen

Pennington’s transition to television was a dream come true, he shared. “Next thing you know, you’re doing a show like ‘Extreme Makeover: Home Edition’ where your ideas are changing the lives of the people you’re helping,” he said adding, “It’s mind-blowing to be honest with you because I don’t know if there’s anything more an artist wants in the world than to know whatever they create really affects somebody in such a positive way. I’ve been lucky to have some amazing shows under my belt.”

Pennington got emotional as he reflected on the most rewarding part of his television career — his ability to change the trajectory of children’s lives, many of whom were battling diseases, is the most gratifying aspect of it all, he said.

“The expression on the face when somebody knows you went above and beyond to make their dream come true is really the highest moment for me. The reaction makes you want to continue doing those great things,” he said.

On his current television shows, Pennington helps designers push their in design and renovation. “I see that spark in them and I love that. That’s why I continue to mentor people, because everyone can still be better and outdo the last project they did.”

Developing the Design Duo

As for the inspiration behind the partnership with Karndean, Pennington noted both parties appreciate beauty, artistry and quality of the product.

“I came to learn more about the passion and craftmanship that goes into designing their products. If you’ve looked at Karndean’s flooring, you see the realism and details that look so much like French Oak, [for example]. You realize that this will last so much longer yet look exactly like that.” Knowing that Karndean is so passionate about making such high-quality product is what drew Pennington in from the start.

He also pointed out that Karndean is a smaller, family-owned company that can truly hone in on its flooring. “This is going to be a great partnership because we share a passion for designing beautiful spaces. Installing new flooring can be a daunting task for homeowners but I think together we can use our expertise and give [consumers] not only ideas, but the products they need to make the process easier. I love the opportunity to help people create spaces, but I really love, at the end of it, the look on their faces when they realize it turned out even better than they thought it would.”

Simplifying the Flooring Scene

Karndean offers numerous installation options, from glue down to loose lay and floating floor, which makes it easier for consumers to have the right choices in front of them depending on what area of the home they’re working on.

Pennington noted that when helping consumers choose the right floor, it’s crucial to first identify what space they are renovating and then, gather their mood board to decide on patterns and colors. “One thing for sure, is that there is going to be the right product for that particular room,” he said.

He added that flooring is often used as the base and neutral in many spaces that sets the tone for the whole room. “And what I love too is that it’s not just a wood tone anymore. Now there are so many options like checkerboard and herringbone, [for example] that elevate your space. When you start putting that together, you begin to realize everything goes off that — [the floor] is the grounding choice that is going to determine what everything else you put into that space is going to be.”
Then, he explained, it’s choosing the installation format – either gluedown, looselay or rigid core.

“Glue down is amazing because it can be cut into any pattern. Loose lay is great because it has the features of glue down and rigid core, but it stays in place with a special friction grip backing and requires minimal subfloor prep. Rigid core is fast and easy because it can be installed over really hard subfloors. It also reduces noise transfer between the floors with its built-in sound insulation,” he advised.

Pennington’s Personal Style

In the early years, Pennington said he was much more drawn to minimal design like clean, white walls, but now he sees much more variety.

“I live in Savannah now, so I’m seeing a lot of this cozy cottage core, Victorian vibe that is coming back into design. I love being able to use Karndean’s products in these kinds of projects where you can do your herringbone and visualize interesting details.”

Trends will continue to be used in creative ways and the small details are showing up in borders and when tying different patterns into each other, according to Pennington. Seeing unique ideas on television shows like his has prompted consumers to take on more creative choices in flooring and home design, said Pennington.

“I think it’s great that there is a company like Karndean that not only has super high quality, but livable and high-end product that’s waterproof, easy to clean and durable that looks incredible once it’s installed.”

He added, “There is nothing better than seeing a space transform with beautiful flooring. And then from that, you can add the rest of your pieces. As you can tell, I’m very passionate about it, but so is Karndean and that’s why we make a great team.”