Pictured from left: Athena Abrol; Natalie Jones, Mannington vp commercial brand development and creative product; Laurel Harrison; and Tom Davis, Mannington's ceo.


Mannington Commercial has named the two grand prize winners in the second year of its tx:style design challenge: Athena Abrol of WWCOT and Laurel Harrison of AECOM. Abrol and Harrison each win $7,500 in total prize money and, over the course of the coming year, will work with Mannington to create a full collection around their winning pattern -- one in hard surface, and one in carpet.

“It has been wonderful to work with the seven talented young finalists over the past few months, as they have developed their concepts into patterns for the big vote,” said Natalie Jones, Mannington's vp commercial brand development and creative product. “We are so proud of the creativity and clarity of design vision that each one brought to the table.”

Online voting opened mid-May, and closed yesterday at noon, so the winners could be announced at 2:00 p.m., in Mannington’s NeoCon showroom. Around 125 designers and members of the press came to the announcement.  

“We are delighted with both patterns, and will now begin the process with the designers and our in-house team of determining which will be developed as a hard surface and which as a carpet,” said Jones. “Both collections will be launched into the market in time for NeoCon next year.”