The Optimist Blog


At the heart of Shaw Contract, we create products and solutions that positively impact people and the planet. We are Design Optimists.

Explore The Optimist Blog to learn more about design inspiration, industry innovations and initiatives shaping the future of commercial interiors. 

Custom palette

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Hospitality

Designing for How Guests Want to Feel: Hospitality Design Trends Evolving in 2026

From artisan craft to quiet luxury, wellness and place‑led design, these 2026 hospitality trends reveal how designers are creating spaces guests remember long after they leave.

Government space with historic interior designs with white LVT tile with black dots

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 Government 

A Circular Design Approach to Carpet Tile Recycling in a Historic Government Renovation

Sound Transit’s Union Station headquarters renovation shows how a historic government workplace can be modernized for return-to-office while cutting landfill waste through circular design.

Classroom space with green, blue, wood visual LVT flooring

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K-12 Education

From De‑Escalation to Reintegration: Inside a Sensory Room Designed for Elementary Students

At Homestead Elementary, a four-stage sensory-informed environment uses calming materials to support student regulation, de-escalation and successful reintegration into learning.

exterior shot of harvard treehouse

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Higher Education

EcoWorx® PVC-Free Carpet Tile for Sustainable Buildings: Inside Harvard’s David Rubenstein Treehouse

Designed by Studio Gang, Harvard’s David Rubenstein Treehouse pairs mass timber beauty with rigorous sustainability goals—featuring Shaw Contract Beyond EcoWorx® PVC-free carpet tile supporting LBC targets.

Modern hospitality lobby space with tropical pattern rug, light brown LVT tile, and plant

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Hospitality

What Hospitality Designers Are Specifying Now: Porcelain and Ceramic Trends for 2026

Designer insights reveal how tile, stone, porcelain and ceramic shape today’s hospitality interiors. Texture, scale and material intention across lobbies, bathrooms and social spaces elevate guest experience.

Modern education facility with heavy commercial LVT tile flooring

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Commercial Interior Design

Technical Resources for Confident Commercial Flooring Specification

Research-backed guidance, technical documentation and flooring specification insight all in one place. Explore the Shaw Contract Technical Resource Page to support smarter commercial flooring decisions.