Wooden flooring is currently hugely popular with many of us stripping back haggard carpets for the rustic and natural look of floorboards. It’s one of the reasons we fell in love with our previous rented Tooting flat. One of the biggest reasons it appeals to us, as we’re sure it is for many, is how it opens up a world of possibilities for dressing the floor with bold and beautiful rugs. However, who says that rugs have to be bound to the floor?
Let’s take a look at rugs that are making a mark from the floor, up…
You may remember our recent post looking at that wonderful natural fibre, wool. Well, if you had a read then you would of spotted a fantastic rug by designer Sally Spinks. From Spinks’ collection ‘Home Sick Home’, the ‘Mum’ rug was styled by Karina Garrick for the Wool BnB and is the perfect example of using a rug as art.
A brilliant way to make an unusual statement to any wall, Spinks’ work includes tattoo inspired designs as well as brain scans showing different mental states.
Leaping straight from the pages of a magazine, luxury rug brand, Henzel Studio created a limited edition rug collection for Art Paris in 2015. Founded by artist Calle Henzel, Henzel partnered with leading creative figures including Helmut Lang, Juergen Teller, Tom of Finland, Richard Phillips and Scott Campbell to create rugs that speak a thousand words.
Mixing fashion-forward photography and art, the collection includes hand-knotted wool to digitally printed canvas and photo montage techniques making Henzel Studio’s work look as though it should be displayed in a gallery.
For something less obscure but with all the innovative technique, Front Rugs designer, Michaela Schleypen has created Woodheart. Inspired by a the cross-section of a 100-year old oak tree, this hand tufted woodland design would look fantastic in a Scandi themed room.
Rug design has come along way from just pure wool designs and trendy Berbers. Its the labour intensive work, unusual materials and innovative techniques that make these rugs so much more worthy then stepping on.
Spanish based, GAN produce incredible floorcoverings. The Canevas Flowers rug by designer Charlotte Lancelot is handmade by craftsman in India. Using a cross stitch technique, the soft felt base rug is interwoven with wool thread depicting a beautiful floral design. We’ve been obsessed with embroidery recently and Lancelot is another contemporary designer using a classic technique in a contemporary way to create stories through textiles.
Yet it’s Azerbaijani artist, Faig Ahmed who has really caught our eye. Taking traditional Azerbaijani rugs, Ahmed manipulates, distorts and reimagines the designs, creating remarkable and intricate pieces. With collections titled Liquid, Insider, Recycle and Pixel, Ahmed reconstructs the rugs, un-weaving and reweaving creating contemporary art using the classic forms. These new shapes and patterns become new meanings, taking on beautiful characters.
Today we’re surrounded by graffiti, the internet and virtual reality and you can see within Ahmed’s designs how these rugs are more than just something to walk all over. Instead they’re desired for their history but admired for their contemporary cultural references.
All wall-worthy, if you ask us! Which, if any, would you have adorning your walls? Drop us a comment and let us know or join the conversation on Twitter.
That’s wall for now,
David & Mark x
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