At Booghe Toys in Birmingham they specialise in some of the most exciting children’s toys on the market. Delivering a durable and colourful flooring solution for their new sales floor was provided by international flooring specialist Gerflor who supplied 550m2 of their hard-working DLW Linoleum to help create a striking and contemporary space which would make a remarkable and breath-taking design statement and help deliver a ‘fun’ environment for children and adults alike.

Booghe Toys began their journey in 2015 and since then have made exponential growth offering a wide choice of exclusive products that can’t be obtained elsewhere. Their inhouse team are experts in this industry, and they always put their customers first. There’s no doubt that Booghe Toys are a fast-growing company and have plans to roll out more stores in the near future.

Commenting on the project Lee Jacovou, Retail Key Account Manager, Gerflor said, “The designer contacted Gerflor looking for a broad colour palette of flooring options to achieve their desired design concept. I was able to make a proposal and suggested the vibrant plain designs from both the DLW linoleum and Mipolam Affinity ranges, these collections both offered a wide range of all-over colourful finishes. Ultimately, various DLW products were specified and installed incorporating nine colours from the Marmorette and Colorette ranges, plus matching Weld Rods for each decor.”

The challenge of designing an interior space that would provide both fun and functionality was undertaken by Birmingham-based ATRIO design. At ATRIO, they deliver exceptional interior design and construction services, tailored to suit commercial and hospitality projects, priding themselves on delivering outstanding solutions that not only meet a client’s functional requirements but also captivate with their visual allure.

Andrii Yeksarov, Co-Founder and Creative Partner at ATRIO said, “Booghe Toys approached us with a vision to create a vibrant and engaging retail space that reflects the playful and imaginative world of toys. They wanted a design that was not only visually appealing to children and parents alike, but also practical and durable for high foot traffic. Our team at ATRIO was excited by the challenge of creating an inviting atmosphere that also supports functionality.”

On specification Andrii Yeksarov commented, “We specified Gerflor DLW flooring because of its high performance, its superior durability and aesthetic versatility. For a toy store, it’s essential to have flooring that can withstand a lot of traffic and potential wear and tear, whilst also contributing to the overall design concept.

Gerflor’s DLW Linoleum flooring ranges offered the perfect balance of quality, resilience, and design, allowing us to seamlessly integrate the flooring into the playful theme of the space.”

The broad kaleidoscope of colours specified from the DLW Linoleum range for this bold new installation included Banana Yellow, Poppy Blue, Cadillac Pink, Oxid Grey, together with Kumquat Orange, Spicy Green, Curacao Petrol and Verona.

Andrii Yeksarov also added, “The DLW flooring has been an excellent fit for this retail interior project. Its’ robustness has held up well to the daily demands of the store, and it still looks as vibrant as it did on day one. The maintenance has also been extremely straightforward, which was an important factor for the client. Gerflor has been a reliable partner throughout this renovation project, and the quality of their products speak for themselves. We would definitely consider specifying Gerflor flooring again in future construction building projects.”

Adding further comment on the project Lee Jacovou said, “Not only did the DLW Lino products deliver on aesthetics with their bold, bright, and vibrant decors but they also have ensured that the retail outlet is future proofed for many years to come with the chosen a long lasting, durable and sustainable floor covering.”

The installation of this vibrant and prestigious project was the responsibility of a well-established Macclesfield flooring company. Sylk Flooring specialise in the installation and supply of all types of commercial flooring from offices, hotels, housing associations, medical areas, and shower/wet rooms. They also supply and install all types of flooring to schools and nursing homes including both carpets and vinyl. Their team of fitters are highly trained and know the importance of providing a quality service second to none.

Matt Hopley, Director, Sylk Flooring commented, “The project came about because Gerflor recommended us to Booghe Toys. We specified Gerflor’s DLW Linoleum as it provides a fantastic range of really bold colours and delivers extremely high levels of durability, which is crucial in a sales floor environment where there is lot of footfall.”

Commenting further Matt Hopley added, “We had two of our highly skilled fitters, Jay and Warren on site for five days to install the new Gerflor DLW Lino floor which went down extremely smoothly and with absolutely no issues.”

Matt Hopley continued, “Gerflor is a very approachable and easy company to deal with. They are totally dependable, and we are always confident that the flooring will be delivered on time. This is crucial when you we have exceptionally tight deadlines.”

In conclusion Matt Hopley ended by saying, “We think the Gerflor DLW Lino flooring installed at Booghe Stores looks exceptional and modern, and we will certainly continue to specify, and install Gerflor products again in the future, as they consistently deliver both high quality and a stunning range of designs and colours. Over the past number of years, we have used different Gerflor products on various other projects across the UK and with great success.”

Made in Germany since 1882 and Cradle to Cradle certified™ Silver (Marmorette, Colorette, Uni Walton, Lino Art), the DLW Linoleum products are made of 98% natural (bio based and mineral) raw materials including linseed oil, wood, limestone, jute, and resin. It’s simply Gerflor’s way of connecting people closer to nature. DLW Linoleum is also made from 76 % rapidly renewable materials with 40 % recycled content and is 100 % recyclable.

Lee Jacovou concluded, “The client and the designer are both extremely pleased with the final result. Collectively we’ve been able to achieve their vision by creating an amazingly bright, colourful, and engaging space. It was an inspirational project to work on and the vibrancy of the colours selected have really made a bold design statement which looks totally eye-catching.”

At Gerflor, they believe that architecture has the power to improve people’s lives, and that nature is the greatest source of inspiration. With the DLW Linoleum offer, Gerflor provide architects, specifiers, and designers with a collection of 159 colours, which are all natural designs, which can enhance the sustainability and the creativity of all interior projects.

Summing up the project Andrii Yeksarov finally said, “Both we and the client are extremely delighted with the outcome. The store has been receiving positive feedback, and the flooring continues to play a key role in creating the welcoming and engaging environment Booghe Toys envisioned. I also want to emphasise that the collaboration between ATRIO, Booghe Toys, and Gerflor has been a smooth and productive one. Projects like this are a true testament to the power of good partnerships in delivering both creative and functional design solutions.”

Months after Booghe Toys opened at Birmingham’s Fort Shopping Centre, the retailer has now become a finalist in the SBID International Design Awards, in the Retail Design – UK category.