At the heart of this Victorian villa belonging to lighting artist Adam Barker-Mill lies a vast atrium that soars from the basement to the top of the house, capped by a glass roof with shards of colour that change at the touch of a button.
We crafted a one-off hand-knotted carpet to run the length of the dramatic central stairs, which was designed by Barber Osgerby with shards of colour splicing the rugs to reflect the unique function of the changing roof.
Christopher and Suzanne Sharp recount their rug tale to Maltese lifestyle magazine Sunday Circle, revealing why they are going back to the island where it all began…
This weekend, The Sunday Times Style magazine heralded the arrival of Giles Deacon’s beautiful new rug collection with an exclusive feature and photoshoot in our Holland Park showroom.
As lovers of design and fashion gravitate to London this week for LDF and LFW, we thought we’d kickstart the festivities with an exclusive interview with maverick of design Tom Dixon.
Ever wondered how our unique collaborations come about? Here, Sir Paul Smith recounts how he began working with us…
“I met the owners of The Rug Company at Westbourne House, my Notting Hill shop. We started to talk and they asked if I would be interested in designing a collection of rugs. I very much enjoyed talking to them and having had the opportunity to visit them in their shop, I knew immediately that we could work together.
My designs have been a progression of my clothes, shirts and knitwear. My rugs are strong in pattern and form. They fit into today’s interiors adding fun and colour.” Sir Paul Smith
We love this photo from our archive of Paul peering underneath his Aubusson One rug. He gives the delicate tonal detailing of this vey classic style of Aubusson rug an unexpected, eccentrically playful twist with hot pink and acid yellow highlights.
Below is a recent addition to Paul Smith’s collection, the Carnival rug, which takes inspiration from film transparencies and colours from the Signature Swirl.
This strikingly contemporary rug can tranform a room with its vibrant colour palette and festive design; it will sit well in a host of design schemes, from the ultra-contemporary to the beautifully classic, as seen below.
Artist Rob Ryan charms us with his intricate papercuts that create a world of romance and enchantment.
Here he talks about his incredible tapestry wallhanging, We Had Everything.
“Because the majority of my work originates from being cut with scalpels from single sheets of paper, I never considered at all the possibility of trying to get that 3-dimensional quality of my work across in the tapestry, but when I met with Suzanne and Chris at The Rug Company to discuss this project, I realized that the limitations of working in this medium were not going to be as rigid as I had supposed.
The design was cut first in paper at the same size as the wall hanging, it was then photographed with the lighting adjusted to show just enough shadow to give the image a sense of depth. The Trompe L’oeil effect created by the artisans who wove it is just enough to make the viewer think ‘Hold on, what’s happening here?’ and then proceed to look again and examine closer.
Because my work sometimes has an overtly decorative quality, I like to balance this by keeping the colour simple and bold, and I like to keep the feeling simple too. Uplifting and inspiring. A complex and intricate ode to simplicity.”
“Always at the forefront of cultural trends, Vivienne Westwood is considered by many to be one of the most original and influential designers of our time. Gentle parody of Establishment, a playful mix of British fabrics, sheer eccentricity and a keen curiosity is where Westwood delights and excels. Even the most hardened of Anglophiles went weak in the knees when Westwood and The Rug Company joined forces. Renowned for unique, handmade rugs and collaborating with great designers, the marriage of unconformity and Union Jack waving Englishness continues to enrapture legions of fans.
Together The Rug Company and Westwood have jointly created brilliant oversize magnolia blooms and the now infamous tarnished Union Jack in rich Aubusson wool. Westwood’s tattered flag is unconventional “patriotism” at its best. Westwood once said of her designs, “My aim is to make the poor look rich and the rich look poor.” According to such logic, the Vievenne Westwood rugs look fabulously poor in every sense of the word.”
Ronda Carman, founder of All The Best Blog, commenting on Vivienne Westwood.
