Articles

"The end of distressingly high inflation is coming into view,” reports the Wall Street Journal. “Consumer prices gained 6.5% in December, down from June’s 9.1% annual rate, the highest since 1981. There is good reason to think inflation will keep falling, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said earlier this month. Read More

The Floor Covering Institute (FCI) has added Don Finkell as a business strategy consultant. Read More

According to data released by the U.S. Department of Commerce, in the year 2022, the United States imported 202.7 million square meters of ceramic tile for a total value of $2.206 billion. Read More

Mohawk’s net sales for Q4 2022 were $2.7 billion, a 3.6% decline compared to Q4 2021’s $2.8 billion. Read More

We’re barraged with constant bad news about the outlook for the economy — high rates of inflation, rising interest rates, continued problems with the availability of construction materials and labor, weak consumer sentiment scores and so on. Yet, spending on nonresidential buildings picked up momentum toward the end of last year, with gains approaching 10 percent for the year. Read More

Mirroring a steep rise in mortgage rates that began in the early part of 2022 and coupled with ongoing building material supply chain bottlenecks that increased construction costs, housing affordability posted three consecutive quarterly declines in 2022 and now stands at its lowest level since the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) began tracking it on a consistent basis in 2012. However, a recent drop in mortgage rates over the past two months signals that declining affordability conditions may have reached their low point for this cycle. Read More

Despite security concerns, U.S. commerce with China is on the rise, reports the Wall Street Journal. However, flooring imports from the country have been in decline, says analyst Santo Torcivia of Market Insights. Read More

Ceramic tiles offer a myriad of technical properties that make it the ideal cladding material for virtually any surface in both architectural and interior design projects. As the production techniques continuously evolve, Spanish manufactures are crafting new collections with enhanced features to strengthen the durability, ease of installation, resistance to abrasion and hygienic capabilities of each piece. Read More

The Winter 2023 Allen Matkins/UCLA Anderson Forecast California Commercial Real Estate Survey released today shows that commercial real estate developers, owners, and investors have reverted to a less-than-confident outlook on the office sector as rental and occupancy rates continue to weaken. Read More

During the last few years, we’ve discovered that colors can bring us emotional respite in times of trouble. Calming tones helped us get through the darkest days of the pandemic and continue to offer solace in these uncertain times. In 2022, for example, we sought comfort from a variety of earthy tones, along with energy from a few brighter hues. Read More