Condensed Consolidating Balance Sheet (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	Sep. 30, 2012	Jan. 01, 2012	Oct. 02, 2011	Jan. 03, 2011
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	$ 91,651	$ 50,624	$ 44,386	$ 69,236
Accounts receivable	128,441	140,800
Inventories	147,762	140,485
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS	409,468	422,813
Property and equipment less accumulated depreciation	172,867	177,925
GOODWILL	73,794	74,557
OTHER ASSETS	53,381	49,687
TOTAL ASSETS	761,409	772,272
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities	151,418	151,188
SENIOR NOTES	283,090	283,030
DEFERRED INCOME TAXES	8,872	8,391
OTHER	35,879	37,147
TOTAL LIABILITIES	479,259	491,233
Common Stock	6,594	6,548
Additional Paid-In Capital	365,038	361,400
Retained Earnings (Deficit)	(22,612)	(16,764)
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(29,334)	(33,883)
Pension liability	(37,536)	(36,262)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	761,409	772,272
GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARIES
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	2,529	1,101
Accounts receivable	53,733
Inventories	69,258
Prepaids and deferred income taxes	5,272
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS	130,792
Property and equipment less accumulated depreciation	72,076
Investment in subsidiaries	361,233
GOODWILL	6,542
OTHER ASSETS	1,585
TOTAL ASSETS	572,228
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities	53,943
SENIOR NOTES	0
DEFERRED INCOME TAXES	0
OTHER	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	53,943
Common Stock	81,844
Additional Paid-In Capital	191,411
Retained Earnings (Deficit)	246,979
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(1,949)
Pension liability	0
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	572,228
NON-GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARIES
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	38,250	35,863
Accounts receivable	74,122
Inventories	78,504
Prepaids and deferred income taxes	27,002
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS	217,878
Property and equipment less accumulated depreciation	97,388
Investment in subsidiaries	195,361
GOODWILL	67,252
OTHER ASSETS	10,846
TOTAL ASSETS	588,725
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities	79,966
SENIOR NOTES	0
DEFERRED INCOME TAXES	11,655
OTHER	8,199
TOTAL LIABILITIES	99,820
Common Stock	102,199
Additional Paid-In Capital	12,525
Retained Earnings (Deficit)	429,549
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(20,331)
Pension liability	(35,037)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	588,725
INTERFACE, INC (PARENT CORPORATION)
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	50,872	13,660
Accounts receivable	586
Inventories	0
Prepaids and deferred income taxes	9,340
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS	60,798
Property and equipment less accumulated depreciation	3,403
Investment in subsidiaries	(18,453)
GOODWILL	0
OTHER ASSETS	92,849
TOTAL ASSETS	138,597
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities	17,509
SENIOR NOTES	283,090
DEFERRED INCOME TAXES	(2,783)
OTHER	27,680
TOTAL LIABILITIES	325,496
Common Stock	6,594
Additional Paid-In Capital	365,038
Retained Earnings (Deficit)	(548,978)
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(7,054)
Pension liability	(2,499)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	138,597
CONSOLIDATION AND ELIMINATION ENTRIES
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	0	0
Accounts receivable	0
Inventories	0
Prepaids and deferred income taxes	0
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS	0
Property and equipment less accumulated depreciation	0
Investment in subsidiaries	(538,141)
GOODWILL	0
OTHER ASSETS	0
TOTAL ASSETS	(538,141)
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities	0
SENIOR NOTES	0
DEFERRED INCOME TAXES	0
OTHER	0
TOTAL LIABILITIES	0
Common Stock	(184,043)
Additional Paid-In Capital	(203,936)
Retained Earnings (Deficit)	(150,162)
Foreign currency translation adjustment	0
Pension liability	0
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	(538,141)
CONSOLIDATED TOTALS
CURRENT ASSETS:
Cash and Cash Equivalents	91,651	50,624
Accounts receivable	128,441
Inventories	147,762
Prepaids and deferred income taxes	41,614
TOTAL CURRENT ASSETS	409,468
Property and equipment less accumulated depreciation	172,867
Investment in subsidiaries	0
GOODWILL	73,794
OTHER ASSETS	105,280
TOTAL ASSETS	761,409
LIABILITIES AND SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Current liabilities	151,418
SENIOR NOTES	283,090
DEFERRED INCOME TAXES	8,872
OTHER	35,879
TOTAL LIABILITIES	479,259
Common Stock	6,594
Additional Paid-In Capital	365,038
Retained Earnings (Deficit)	(22,612)
Foreign currency translation adjustment	(29,334)
Pension liability	(37,536)
Total liabilities and shareholders' equity	$ 761,409