Interior design and styling, homewares, furniture, home appliances and the personalities behind them
The Designer Rugs’ up to 50% off Autumn sale is now on.
Discounted stock includes hand tufted and hand knotted rugs from the Bella Vista, Pavement, Textures and Antique Wash collections. Stock varies between the Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane showrooms. [Read more...]
I’m excited to share an exclusive first behind the scenes look at the photoshoot for kaftan queen Camilla Franks’ collection for Designer Rugs, not available until May.
Of course, being by Camilla, they’re full of colour and plenty of floral. The rugs are handmade and inspired by Camilla’s archive and current fashion collections.
The shoot for the new collection took place at a stunning private residence in Sydney’s Vaucluse yesterday. [Read more...]
It’s no secret I’m a huge fan of Dinosaur Designs’ resin homewares and jewellery (let’s not talk about my bangle problem) and I’m equally enamoured with their latest rug collection.
Glow by Dinosaur Designs for Designer Rugs
The Studio Collection comprises six designs which, although quintessentially Dinosaur Designs, offer a fresh take on the previous two collections. With bold and punchy colour-blocked designs, the collection plays with rhythms in line, shape, colour and tone.
Moon by Dinosaur Designs
“We wanted to play with big planes of colour with this series and work from a really warm palette to a very cool blue palette,” says Louise Olsen of Dinosaur Designs. [Read more...]
Known for its collaborations with high profile fashion designers like Akira Isogowa, interior designers like Greg Natale and brands like Dinosaur Designs, the grass roots creative force behind Designer Rugs is very much behind the scenes.
Lia (left) and Christine, senior designers at Designer Rugs
The company’s senior designers, Christine McDonald and Lia Pielli, have both been at Designer Rugs for more than a decade, give or take some short breaks to recharge their batteries, like all good artists. It is Christine and Lia who work with the often glamorous collaborators to bring their ideas to life and make sure, however beautiful they are, that they are actually likely to sell.
Around 80 percent of the company’s rugs are custom made and every design is available in different sizes and colour ways, meaning you really can create the perfect piece for your home or commercial space. “We have to feed off the industry,” says Lia. “We work with so many interior designers, we have a good nose for what’s coming up or what’s going to be popular.” Christine adds that people have really started to embrace colour again and she’s happy to see the back of a more safe pallete. “We’re always looking to fashion and overseas for inspiration too,” she adds.
One of Akira Isogowa’s designs
While interior trends don’t move as fast as fashion, the internet has certainly sped up the creative process.
One of the biggest challenges when collaborating, is persuading designers to design off the rugs, so that the pattern ‘falls off’ the edges so to speak. Many see the rug as a piece of paper or a canvas and try to create a pattern within it, which never works in the context of a rug.
Christine and Lia take it in turns working with the guest designers and the process can be very different, depending on their brand. “We generally let them come to us with what they want to do and then we translate it into a design that works for a rug and that we think will sell. We might change the scale or colour. Some designs translate really easily, others don’t,” says Christine. “And some designers want more input than others.” The whole process of bringing a new collection to market takes between a year and two years.
Christine’s New York design
The next collaboration is with fashion designer Camilla Franks and is due out early this year. The majority of the time, people approach Designer Rugs and ask to work with them, rather than the other way around. “For us the designs need to work as rugs. Some are beautiful but more appropriate for walls or fabric,” says Lia. [Read more...]
Lidcombe Design graduates from TAFE NSW – South Western Sydney Institute (SWSi) have made their debut into the industry at Designing Your Future, a graduate exhibition at Sydney Olympic Park’s Armory Gallery.
Barry du Bois, teacher Catherine Whitting, Robyn Holt and student Therese Tarlinton
Now in its second year, Designing Your Future is an educational design collaboration between Sydney Olympic Park and SWSi’s Lidcombe Design students. It celebrates cutting edge design work across the creative disciplines of furniture design, product design, interior design, interior decoration and design fundamentals.
It was opened last week by Robyn Holt, former Vogue Living editor and presenter on The Renovators. Her advice to students was to listen, be motivated and have respect. [Read more...]
Decorate your home before Christmas with huge savings on selected Designer Rugs handmade floor stock, saving up to 50% off the retail price.
Stock includes new rug designs from the popular Bella Vista and Pavement collections to beautifully classic Antique Wash and Handknot designs made from wool and pure silk. The sale starts on Friday 14 December. [Read more...]
Victoria Cybulski of Hare + Klein was this week announced as the winner of Designer Rugs’ international design competition, Evolve. As well as having her rug made, she receives return flights to Milan and accommodation during next year’s Salon de Mobile and a trophy crafted by Dinosaur Designs.
More than 100 industry guests and media joined the celebrations at McLemoi Gallery in Chippendale to view the six finalists’ rugs and hear the announcement. It was such a close call between Victoria’s ‘Wattle Blooms at Dusk’ and Bradhly Le’s ‘Escape’, that the judges decided to announce Bradhly as first runner-up. He will also receive his own rug. [Read more...]
Another month, another stunning fashion-meets-homewares collaboration from Designer Rugs, this time with Easton Pearson. I was so sad I wasn’t able to make it along to the launch of this collection earlier in the week but wanted to share the beautiful rugs with you.
The beautiful Fontina is one of my favourite designs in this collection
Pamela Easton and Lydia Pearson’s Australian fashion label has gone from strength to strength with its unique and eclectic use of colour and patterns. The pair have drawn on a variety of influences, referencing their travels and the rich histories and culture of India, Africa and Europe, however it is their focus on fabrics and textile techniques that continues to inspire the design process.
This, their second collaboration with Designer Rugs, called Coromandel, sees Easton Pearson build on its highly successful first range, elaborating more boldly on themes presented in the debut collection. “We have continued our exploration of the intricate hand drawn details of chintz textiles. Our designs take chintz back to its original purpose as sophisticated floor coverings, but the macro focus on tiny fragments gives traditional design a new modern viewpoint,” says Pamela.
Passion Flower design
They’re handmade from either 100% New Zealand wool or wool and silk blends, featuring vibrant floral designs, reminiscent of traditional chintz tapestries, with a modern twist. [Read more...]
Last week I was super busy and I neglected to write my usual Sunday best of post. I hoped nobody would notice but Greg Natale (of all people!) did, so I thought I’d better up my game this weekend, busy or not (busy, if you’re asking, but what’s new?).
On Tuesday I went to the launch of fashion designer Akira Isogawa’s third collection for Designer Rugs at Simmer on the Bay in Sydney. It was packed. More than 200 people! I didnt have the pleasure of meeting Akira one on one but he gave a lovely speech and seemed like such a genuine, humble and artistic soul, who charmed the crowd. The rugs are stunning, of course. I was so happy to finally meet Shaynna Blaze, my long time online friend, in real life for the first time too!
Thursday I went to the VIP launch of Ikea’s latest PS range where it was great to catch up with fellow bloggers Viv from Ish & Chi and Rebecca from Wee Birdy, and stylists Mr Jason Grant, Glen Proebstel and Erin Michael. The range was displayed at a pop-up gallery in Oxford Street, which was was then open to the public until today. I really loved a few of the pieces, including a cool bamboo dining table. [Read more...]
Recent Comments