The Rug Company

‘Tube’ designed by Tom Dixon for The Rug Company has won Best Domestic Design at the Wallpaper* Design Awards 2010. Wallpaper*, the international design, fashion and lifestyle magazine, has published the winners in its February issue, which is dedicated to celebrating the best designs of the year.

Inspired by the TV test card, ‘Tube’ depicts large interlocking circles in varying shades and intensities of green, to create a three dimensional illusion.

In keeping with The Rug Company’s philosophy, the collaboration marries exceptional quality and traditional craftsmanship with the best contemporary design.

Christopher Sharp, CEO of The Rug Company enthuses, ‘Wallpaper* is respected internationally as the authority on all things design, so it’s a huge honour for us that ‘Tube’ has won the award. As Tom Dixon is a designer normally renowned for his work in the three dimensional, it has been a fantastic and interesting experience working with Tom and developing his graphical and colourful ideas into two dimensional pieces.’

Dixon says of the experience, ‘Working as we often do on the computer screen, it’s impossible to predict the effect of light and shade on the pile of a carpet! The fact that wool is a natural material and ‘softens’ the design is likewise very difficult to anticipate – the great thing about it is the joy and surprise of unrolling the samples for the first time and seeing your idea, which you have previously seen in a 15 inch pixellated screen format transformed into a massive, luminous, soft plane of colour.'