Financial Times - Floored by Artistic Rug Designs
A host of creative luminaries are producing contemporary masterpieces in wool and silk, says Nicole Swengley
The last few years have marked a renaissance for hand-woven rugs, especially modern British designs. Owners of increasingly popular open-plan living spaces use them to anchor rooms, while those with polished wood or stone floors use them to mop up sound. People who entertain buy them to serves as conversation pieces, and, with minimalist neutral décor fading into interiors history, reformed modernists rely on them for warmth, comfort and colour.
….In 1997 a young video editor, Christopher Sharp, and his interior designer wife, Suzanne, who caught the rugs bug while living in Saudi Arabia, started selling antique and traditional oriental rugs on their return to Britain. Faced with lacklustre sales, they decided to invite 10 interior designers to work on a contemporary collection and its launch, in 2000, was an instant success.
Since then The Rug Company has embraced creative luminaries including fashion designers Sir Paul Smith, Lulu Guinness and Diane von Furstenberg, and interior designer William Yeoward, Michael Reeves, Nina Campbell and Emily Todhunter. Consuelo Castiglione of the fashion label, Marni, came on board as did the well-respected design all-rounder Allegra Hicks. Vivienne Westwood, Ron Arad and Eley Kishimoto will join their ranks this spring.
“We’ve taken risks with some bold designs and experimented with different types of wools, silks, mohair and goatskin,” says Sharp. “But we’ve let the rugs, rather than commercial success, lead the way. When Paul Smith showed us his Swirl design I thought it was too busy and would never sell. Today it’s our bestseller.”
Sharp injects a note of caution. “In 40 or 50 years we may consider this period a golden age for rugs,” he explains. “There’s a huge choice of good design at relatively affordable prices. But I can imagine a time when there won’t be any weavers left in India or China because they’ll all be working IT or call centres.”
