Wall to Wall by Raw-Edges
Tongue & Groove, Australia’s premium producer of solid European oak flooring, continues to push the boundaries of what timber can be with Co.Lab, an initiative dedicated to reimagining flooring as a platform for design innovation.
Through Co.Lab, globally renowned creatives unite with Tongue & Groove’s own exceptional craftsmanship and engineering capabilities to forge collections that challenge convention and open new creative possibilities. At its crux, Co.Lab represents the brand’s pursuit of innovation and intention to set new standards in timber flooring through experimentation and sophisticated artistry.
For the latest Co.Lab collection, Wall to Wall, Tongue & Groove has partnered with acclaimed British design brand Established & Sons and the inventive London-based studio Raw-Edges. Unique and expressive, Wall to Wall is a collection of colourful herringbone parquetry floors with playful character and endless opportunity for customisation.
Crafted in a specialised workshop in Manzano, northern Italy, the boards are engineered from three layers of solid European oak to ensure exceptional stability and longevity. Each piece is then individually hand-stained from a palette of 22 bespoke colours. The process allows the pigment to penetrate the timber, offering a durable finish that doesn’t obscure the timber’s natural grain. This artisanal approach results in a richly nuanced finish and a modular system that empowers designers to compose site-specific layouts that have a distinct identity and a sense of craftsmanship.
“There was such an instant reaction to the floor when we first showed it,” says Shay Alkalay, who co-founded Raw-Edges with Yael Mer. “You can use it to create a bold statement or more subtle patterns – there are so many possibilities. The floor becomes an art piece, and that’s really exciting.”
The true beauty of the product lies in the way colour and timber coexist. Although the timber surface is richly painted, the natural wood grain remains clearly visible. That all-important texture adds depth and tactility and preserves a strong connection to the timber’s origins. It is this balance between colour and authentic timber character that gives Wall to Wall its distinctive identity.
With such a strong visual presence, designers and architects can explore custom, site-specific configurations that give every project a one-of-a-kind identity. From bold graphic compositions to more tonal configurations, the flooring becomes an active architectural feature, capable of shaping atmosphere, guiding movement and injecting a sense of personality into a space. This adaptability makes the range suitable for a broad spectrum of projects, from expressive private residences to highly functional commercial environments. Particularly in commercial settings and site-specific layouts, the colours can be applied to guide people intuitively through a space, or to help define zones in areas without walls or dividers.
“Co.Lab is about pushing the boundaries of timber flooring,” says Richard Karsay, founder and CEO of Tongue & Groove. “Wall to Wall gives designers complete creative flexibility and has the potential to radically transform how timber flooring is used – it’s a whole new concept. When designers have the freedom to express themselves, that’s when the magic happens.”
Behind the collection are the visionary minds of Raw-Edges’ Alkalay and Mer. A perfect fit, the duo are known for their experimental approach to craft and materiality. Their approach has earned them a permanent place in the MoMA collection, as well as projects with global brands such as Louis Vuitton, Stella McCartney and Swarovski. Their creative sensibilities make them a natural fit for Co.Lab’s ambition to rethink what timber flooring can be.
The Wall to Wall concept was initially conceived in 2009 for Design Miami/Basel before becoming part of the signature collection at Established & Sons. After years of international acclaim, the collection will now be available in Australia for the first time through an exclusive partnership with Tongue & Groove.
“The design scene in Australia is so dynamic and adventurous – and that really aligns with Wall to Wall,” says Pol Mauri, creative lead at Established & Sons. “With this range, the floor becomes a canvas and that opens up a kind of playfulness that’s hard to achieve with other products. It’s what sets Wall to Wall apart from other flooring – it’s only limited by your skill and imagination.”
Tongue & Groove’s innovative Co.Lab collections stand as a new benchmark in contemporary flooring, inviting designers to think differently, approach materiality with curiosity, and use the floor not as a backdrop but as a defining feature that shapes the spatial experience.
