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. 

birds eye view of a rug, couch, and armchair

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The Listening Room

Mike Ford + Shaw Contract Scholarship Awarded

Hip Hop Architecture Scholarship awarded to rising designer during Neocon 2025.

lobby in student housing space with resilient flooring

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Higher Education

The Roommate You Didn’t Expect: How Acoustics Shape Dorm Life

Understanding how acoustics impact comfort, focus and mental health in student housing. Discover tools that build a positive soundscape in dorms and other living environments.

birds eye view of a room with colorful carpet tiles

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K12 Education

Flooring as an Active Participant in Sensory Processing

Take a moment to imagine a classroom. Do you hear the students chattering as they enter, smell the disinfectant recently used on the desks, squint your eyes to the overhead fluorescent lighting and feel the coolness of the room?

Public area in a senior living community

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Senior Living

Historic School Transformed into Boston’s first LGBTQ-Affirming Affordable Senior Housing Community

The Pryde Hyde Park affordable senior housing community fosters dignity, connection and authenticity for residents ages 62 and older. The Pryde transformed a historic school into 74 mixed-income apartments that celebrate individuality and community.

Open concept breakroom with an island and granite countertop

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Workplace

Sapient Capital Renovation Transformed with PVC-Free Carpet Tile and Hard Surface

Tenant improvement renovation transforms existing ground-floor space into an elevated, approachable professional services office.

Community area with high table and stool seating

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Workplace

Grounded Spaces: High-Performance, Affordable Carpet Tile for Commercial Interiors

Introducing Grounded Spaces, a collection of carpet tiles grounded in affordability, performance, sustainability, quick delivery and design. This collection encourages connection—balancing and grounding your space and those who inhabit it.