On 19 May 2026, Milliken received the prestigious Design Guild Award for its Pattern Play collection. Andrew Tanner, Head of Design at Habitat presented the award to the collection’s designer, Helen Lloyd, during a prestigious ceremony.
Pattern Play was also awarded the Jonanthan Hindle Prize for Interior Elements by Jonathan Hindle himself. Alex Crofts, Design Guild Mark Chairman said: “The panel of experts thought that this was an extremely refreshing and well-developed collection which took the traditional carpet tile forward from an evolutionary aspect with real potential to be introduced to far wider markets.”
This vibrant floor tile collection launched at Clerkenwell Design Week 2025. It is the result of collaboration between Helen Lloyd and Milliken UK’s design team based in Wigan. Pattern Play celebrates the spirit of the New London Fabulous Movement, championing joy, diversity, and creativity.
Helen Lloyd, Senior Creative Designer at Milliken Floors commented:
"I am extremely proud to have received a Design Guild Mark Award for the Pattern Play Collection. It was a genuinely rewarding collection to develop, and this recognition means a great deal to everyone at Milliken. Bringing the collection to market was a real team effort, and it wouldn’t have been possible without the creativity, expertise and support of the wider team who helped make it such a success. Being both designed and manufactured in Great Britain makes the award even more meaningful, reflecting our ongoing commitment to delivering high‑quality products for our customers. We are also honoured to be recognised alongside the outstanding standards represented by the Design Guild Mark, which celebrates the very best in British design.”
Beyond Aesthetics
Thanks to a combination of striking motifs, patterns, colours, and textures, Pattern Play allows Milliken to showcase what it does best: creating a design statement, blending artistry with technology. It can be customised to reflect community, culture & brand and can be made to order – enabled by the UK manufacture.
By allowing the designer to customise colours and create their own shapes, this collection invites them to play, create, and transform spaces. Pattern Play’s appeal isn’t just aesthetic, it also offers a range of performance benefits within commercial interior settings. It is made from 61% recycled content by weight and it’s cushion backing is made from 95% recycled content.
The Design Guild Mark is awarded by The Furniture Makers’ Company, the City of London livery company and charity for the furnishing industry, to drive excellence and raise the profile of British design and innovation. The award is open to designers working in Britain or British designers working abroad. Each distinct category has its own jury of renowned design experts who assess the submissions against a series of criteria, including: Are the materials appropriate? Are they from sustainable sources? Does the piece/collection show new thinking? Does it solve a problem?
Learn more about the winning collection here:
