Welcome to Halcyon, our most recent collection. We’re excited to show off the new images here along with insights from the design team behind these works of art. The beautiful fair trade rugs themselves are now proudly on display in our new studio. Now that Toronto has reached Stage 3 of the Covid-19 recovery plan, we look forward to setting up private viewing appointments. It is also now possible to view – and order - them in our new online shop.

Named after the bird in Greek mythology that had the power to calm ocean waves, halcyon has come to mean a sense of peace or tranquility and this is what our designers felt as they first handled the samples that arrived from Nepal. Little did we know at that time how troubled our world was about to become and how serenity in our home environments was to assume a new importance.

The rugs in this collection have been named after the children and grandchildren of our staff. We asked Vice President Ana Cunningham what most appealed to her about the Marlowe rug. “The delicate contrast between the watercolour shapes in the field juxtaposed with the pointillistic line work gives Marlowe a gentle energy,” she said. “This rug would be a great way to add a soft texture to a space.”

Like the vast majority of our collection designs, the Halcyon rugs are handknotted in Nepal in Tibetan wool and Chinese silk. Carefully blended with a hushed palette of warm and cool hues, Guadalupe is inspired by forms found deep within the woodlands. “I love how the natural, overlapping shapes bring the calmness of the outdoors in,” said Ana.

Vice President Ali McMurter said, “I enjoy the dramatic but soothing effect that these designs give of seeing soft hues through a drizzly window. Estelle has a beautiful shimmer to it with the cascading lines, while Theodore stands calm and confident.” The initial sketches were created by Leah Phillips, Art Director, at an Art Day about texture. “We were using canvas, burlap, plaster, paint, and various tools to create the textures. And then this design went into Sophie’s very talented hands,” said Leah referring to Designer Sophie Williams. “I was drawn to the soft tones, playfulness of lines and textures. The rhythmic pattern reminded me of musical notes waiting to be rearranged into a song. I enjoyed disrupting the harmony into a new composition,” said Sophie who completed the final designs.

“Balthazar and Ruthie are like cousins, from the same family but with very different personalities,” said President Carol Sebert. “Balthazar - with its big sweep of the grey silk on the white background - has an exuberance that is inviting and enthusiastic. While Ruthie - with its blurred straight lines - is tranquil and very grounded.” Both of these rugs share the same 12 colours in wool and in silk. These are blended to create a sophisticated blur of the pattern with silk in every combination. It may look simple, but it is surprisingly complex.”

“Now that I’ve had some time to absorb the details, I really like the cohesion of this new collection. By using a similar colour palette throughout they hold together as an entire idea rather than a collection of random thoughts,” said Carol. “I would say this overall idea is about movement, not too speedy, but movement - some are sweeps, some arcs, some grids, some clouds, but it’s all moving - gently.”

We’ve shown you just seven of the stunning designs here, why not go to our website to appreciate them all?

MEET HALCYON – OUR TENTH COLLECTION

LIFE, LEMONS AND WHY IT HELPS TO BE CREATIVE

INVESTING IN A COLLECTION RUG