The dictionary defines ‘icon’ as something which is worshipped or idolized. It can also refer to something that symbolizes a person or an object. This second meaning suits our Design Director, Esti Barnes, better since our designs often feature her signature styles and techniques. So here are a few of them that have marked our course over the past 22 years and which we feel best represent our style, favourite techniques and creative imagination. Some have won prizes and all of them remain popular with clients old and new and within the design industry.
ESQUIRE
Inspiration for this rug with its’ random carved surface shapes came from several discarded and scrunched up pieces of paper littering our studio floor. Explaining the 3D effect we were after to our weavers was a challenge but nowhere near as hard as the sampling process itself. Interestingly, along the way, and due to a misinterpretation by the weavers, we ended up with an unplanned design which we later dubbed EVEREST.
Fate had it that we were then commissioned to make rugs for the high profile owner of a luxury property developer. When his interior designer saw our ESQUIRE samples, she said “That’s the design, let’s do it! ”.
Then ESQUIRE went on to be awarded British Product of the Year by ELLE Décor in the UK and Best of Year by INTERIOR DESIGN Magazine in the US. The design has evolved over the years from its initial monochrome form to a colour graded version, appropriately named ESQUIRE EVOLUTION.
ESQUIRE
ETHEREAL
This design came about as our nod to the classical floral patterns so popular in rug and carpet design over the years. Our twist was to place random areas of high and low carved floral detail and cut-outs at strategic points within and around the design. The resulting effect was slightly gothic but it worked particularly well since the positioning of the carved detailing could be changed to fit the interior scheme.
ETHEREAL
EMMENTHAL
Who could ever forget the name of this design with its tell-tale cut outs inspired by its’ namesake Swiss cheese? Like ESQUIRE, we added colour gradation to give even more dimensionality and like ESQUIRE, this design picked up another Best of Year from INTERIOR DESIGN magazine.
EMMENTHAL
ENVELOPE
As we were developing our carved and sculpted designs like ESQUIRE and ETHEREAL, we were exploring an altogether quieter and more subtle rug style using colour shading. Esti was not fond of the shading in some woven textiles at the time because the tonal changes were in bands. She knew she could do better by pushing the boundaries which she did, to achieve colour changes which were as smooth as a watercolour wash. ENVELOPE was the finished result.
ENVELOPE
These are just a few examples of our work from the past 22 years. Each one is unique and had a different starting point in terms of its original inspiration or creative idea. We hope that they capture some of our personality and reflect the elements of fun and novelty that we always aim for in our design process. We hope that you will like them and the ones to follow.
CREDITS:
Kevin Reiner Design; Interieurs Design Studio; Gregory Phillips Architects; Rebecca James Studio; TP Bennett