Supplemental Guarantor Condensed Consolidating Financial Statements - Condensed Consolidating Comprehensive Income (Detail) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
Dec. 30, 2012	Jan. 01, 2012	Jan. 02, 2011
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income	$ 5,943	$ 38,721	$ 9,334
Currency Translation Adjustment	8,539	(7,614)	(1,754)
Pension Liability Adjustment	(771)	5,066	(1,990)
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest	0	0	(1,509)
Comprehensive income	15,253	26,041	9,570
GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARIES [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income	3,136	19,409	17,058
Currency Translation Adjustment	(244)	(250)	31
Pension Liability Adjustment	0	0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest			0
Comprehensive income	2,892	19,159	17,809
NON-GUARANTOR SUBSIDIARIES [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income	5,631	25,796	27,331
Currency Translation Adjustment	8,438	(6,782)	(2,257)
Pension Liability Adjustment	1,779	(5,735)	2,442
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest			(1,509)
Comprehensive income	15,848	13,279	26,007
INTERFACE, INC. (PARENT CORPORATION) [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income	5,943	38,721	8,283
Currency Translation Adjustment	345	(582)	472
Pension Liability Adjustment	(1,008)	669	(452)
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest			0
Comprehensive income	5,280	38,808	8,303
CONSOLIDATION AND ELIMINATION ENTRIES [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income	(8,767)	(45,205)	(43,338)
Currency Translation Adjustment	0	0	0
Pension Liability Adjustment	0	0	0
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest			0
Comprehensive income	(8,767)	(45,205)	(43,338)
CONSOLIDATED TOTALS [Member]
Condensed Financial Statements, Captions [Line Items]
Net income	5,943	38,721	9,334
Currency Translation Adjustment	8,539	(7,614)	(1,754)
Pension Liability Adjustment	771	(5,066)	1,990
Comprehensive income attributable to noncontrolling interest			(1,509)
Comprehensive income	$ 15,253	$ 26,041	$ 8,061

The change in equity [net assets] of a business enterprise during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources which are attributable to noncontrolling interests. It includes all changes in equity during a period except those resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners, which are directly or indirectly attributable to that ownership interest in subsidiary equity which is not attributable to the parent.

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The change in equity [net assets] of a business enterprise during a period from transactions and other events and circumstances from non-owner sources which are attributable to the economic entity, including both controlling (parent) and noncontrolling interests. It includes all changes in equity during a period except those resulting from investments by owners and distributions to owners, including any and all transactions which are directly or indirectly attributable to that ownership interest in subsidiary equity which is not attributable to the parent.

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- Definition

Net of tax and reclassification adjustments of the change in the balance sheet adjustment that results from the process of translating subsidiary financial statements and foreign equity investments into the reporting currency of the reporting entity. Also includes the following: gain (loss) on foreign currency forward exchange contracts; foreign currency transactions designated as hedges of net investment in a foreign entity and intercompany foreign currency transactions that are of a long-term nature, when the entities to the transaction are consolidated, combined, or accounted for by the equity method in the reporting enterprise's financial statements; and gain (loss) on a derivative instrument or nonderivative financial instrument that may give rise to a foreign currency transaction gain (loss) that has been designated and qualified as a hedging instrument for hedging of the foreign currency exposure of a net investment in a foreign operation.

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- Definition

The consolidated profit or loss for the period, net of income taxes, including the portion attributable to the noncontrolling interest.

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Reference 1: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher AICPA

-Name Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB)

-Number 51

-Paragraph A1, A4, A5

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 2: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 810

-SubTopic 10

-Section 45

-Paragraph 19

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=7656940&loc=SL4569616-111683

Reference 3: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher AICPA

-Name Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB)

-Number 51

-Paragraph 29

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 4: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher AICPA

-Name Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB)

-Number 51

-Paragraph 5

-Subparagraph b

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 5: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 810

-SubTopic 10

-Section 55

-Paragraph 4K

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=18733213&loc=SL4591552-111686

Reference 6: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 810

-SubTopic 10

-Section 50

-Paragraph 1A

-Subparagraph (a),(c)

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=18733093&loc=SL4573702-111684

Reference 7: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher AICPA

-Name Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB)

-Number 51

-Paragraph 38

-Subparagraph c(1)

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 8: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher AICPA

-Name Accounting Research Bulletin (ARB)

-Number 51

-Paragraph 38

-Subparagraph a

-LegacyDoc This reference is SUPERSEDED by the Accounting Standards Codification effective for interim and annual periods ending after September 15, 2009. This reference is included to help users transition from the previous accounting hierarchy and will be removed from future versions of this taxonomy.

Reference 9: http://www.xbrl.org/2003/role/presentationRef

-Publisher FASB

-Name Accounting Standards Codification

-Topic 810

-SubTopic 10

-Section 55

-Paragraph 4J

-URI http://asc.fasb.org/extlink&oid=18733213&loc=SL4591551-111686

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