A Heritage in Flooring Design
A Legacy in Layers — The Story of Relative.
For over two decades, Relative has stood at the intersection of innovation, artistry, material innovation, and sustainability, shaping spaces from the ground up with thoughtful intent. With an uncompromising eye for beauty and an unwavering commitment to craft, we offer more than flooring. We offer a foundation upon which exceptional spaces are built.
As members of the National Wood Flooring Association and other esteemed industry groups, we remain on the pulse of global design conversations. Our sales team undergoes continuous training to ensure our knowledge of environmentally responsible solutions remains both relevant and rigorous, from local to international markets.
Collaboration is the cornerstone of our work. We are proud to partner with some of the most respected names in architecture and interior design, including SHoP, DS+R, Gensler, BIG, Norman Foster, DesignAgency, +tongtong, Moriyama Teshima, and KPMB, among many others: each bringing their own lens to our shared pursuit of excellence.
The story of Relative is grounded in legacy, vision, and an enduring dedication to the art of flooring. What began as a modest family endeavour in Toronto in the 1970s has evolved into a design-forward brand with global reach and a deep commitment to craftsmanship, sustainability, and innovation.
Howard and Idie founded H&I Carpets, bringing to life a shared vision rooted in craftsmanship, integrity, and a deep respect for materials. The company laid the groundwork for what would become a multi-generational legacy.
Under the guidance of the second generation, H&I Carpets evolved into Floorworks. From its first retail space on Bedford Road to its iconic showroom on Dupont Street, the brand gained recognition for its curated selection of area rugs and its forward-thinking approach to floor design.
A new era began with the launch of Relative Space, now led by the third generation of the founding family. With a heightened focus on sustainability, innovation, and contemporary design, the company expanded its presence across North America and established flagship showrooms in Toronto’s King East Design District and New York City’s SoHo.
Opening of the new Tycos showroom, further expanding the brand’s physical footprint and client experience.
Relative Floors + Walls marks a new chapter for the brand, introducing an evolved identity, a broader offering, and a renewed commitment to high-quality, sustainable, and contemporary surface solutions. Alongside this launch is a new e-commerce platform: designed to deliver a more intuitive, streamlined, and inspiring purchasing experience.
Our Process
Every surface we create is born from a precise balance of material, craftsmanship, and design vision.
DNA
Relative’s DNA is not written—it's felt. It pulses through wood and ceramic, turning raw matter into living surfaces. Design becomes a language of essence, space, and transformation.
Relative is echo.
An echo of simplicity, materiality, and time. At the heart of its work are wood and ceramic: the organic warmth of grain, the silent strength of mineral surfaces, and their natural power to move.It doesn’t alter them: it listens, interprets, and elevates. Through design, it resonates with what nature has already written, with essential elegance.
Relative is the skin of your space.
An echo of simplicity, materiality, and time. At the heart of its work are wood and ceramic: the organic warmth of grain, the silent strength of mineral surfaces, and their natural power to move.It doesn’t alter them: it listens, interprets, and elevates. Through design, it resonates with what nature has already written, with essential elegance.
Relative is convergence.
It doesn’t create simple coverings: it designs surfaces that breathe, live, and tell stories. Floors and walls become the sensitive skin of architecture: they absorb light, amplify atmosphere, and define a space’s character. Each collection is conceived to blend into the environment - and transform it - through authentic materials, vibrant textures, and radical attention to detail.
Relative is collective.
Convergence as creative connection: a meeting point between innovation, material experimentation, and sustainability. It doesn’t seek ornament, but embraces a raw and essential beauty, born from the radical simplicity of wood and ceramic.
Relative is relationship.
Its most valuable raw material? People. The contract division brings together over a hundred years of experience and know-how: artisans, technicians, and visionaries. Together, they create surfaces that are resilient, intelligent, and sustainable.
Relative is global horizon.
It doesn’t deliver surfaces — it shapes spaces that speak of those who live in them. Each floor, each wall is a unique project, built around the client’s vision. Whether it’s a private residence or a commercial space, Relative follows every step with care, expertise, and attentive listening. Because every surface it creates is more than a covering. It’s a statement of identity.
Relative is collaboration.
It designs spaces across continents, shaping bespoke residences, visionary architecture, and commercial and institutional projects that challenge convention. Its language is universal, yet every project speaks with a unique accent.
Relative is conscious precision.
It believes in creative cross-pollination. It collaborates with international studios such as SHoP, DS+R, Gensler, BIG, Foster + Partners, and many more. Each project is a dialogue. Each partnership, an act of mutual trust.
Relative is transformative.
It actively contributes to leading industry organizations. Its team is constantly learning, exploring the most advanced technologies. Because there is no beauty without knowledge, and no design without responsibility.
Relative. Never the same.
It doesn’t offer a product, it offers a process. A continuous evolution, a conversation that adapts, reinvents itself, and moves with the project. From the ground up, toward new visions.
No matter what design or style you are seeking to achieve in your home, we offer options to suit every space.
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