PRESIDENT'S CHOICE: CAROL SEBERT'S 2016 RUG HIGHLIGHTS
She doesn't like to choose favourites because every design is a triumph of its own, but here - from the multitude of rugs designed by the Creative Matters team during 2016 - are president and owner Carol Sebert's top five rug designs of 2016.
1. FROSTED DRAMA FOR A EURO EMBASSY
"I selected this gorgeous rug because it captures perfectly the interior designer's very evocative and detailed request for a crystalline appearance akin to the frost patterns formed on the single pane window of a Canadian cabin in the woods. The detail is breathtakingly accurate. While the blues are all wool, we opted for the whites and pale greys to be nylon in order to get the frost pattern to really sparkle. The rug design reflects the crispness of frost but then walking on it will be a soft experience as the rug calms with level cut pile throughout. I like that contrast, the appearance and the experience are unexpected opposites."
Interior designer: Global Affairs Canada design team
Creative Matters designer: Clémence Hardelay
Creative Matters rug for the Embassy of Canada to Belgium and Luxembourg. A super cool melange of wool blues with grey/white nylon detail, handtufted in Thailand.
2. DECONSTRUCTED HONEYCOMB FOR SLEEK HQ
"This design is so unexpected - a honeycomb pattern broken down both with sophisticated tones (in purple and teal) and alternating texture (loop and cut pile). We initially created this pattern envisaging a view from the floor above, so it needed to be visually captivating at a distance as well as up close. As these things happen, the architecture changed, eliminating the original distant perspective. However, with such a spacious setting, the distant view is still important, so the rug hits twice: from afar be surprised by the dynamic composition of colour and pattern, then up close bask in intricate textural variations."
Interior designer: Deloitte Canada design team
Creative Matters designer: Clémence Hardelay
One of seven Creative Matters rugs for the stylish new Deloitte Canada office tower. Warm grey tones matched perfectly to the stone floor with surprising notes in purple, teal, burgundy and rust. Handtufted in Thailand.
3. STATEMENT COLOUR EMBOLDENS CITY LIVING
"What a masterpiece of lavish hues and dramatic carving details! The home owners loved the look of the pattern from our inspired look book for their two-large-matching-rug project in a sophisticated downtown living space. They weren't afraid to make a colour statement, so we had freedom to use a rich colour combination of fuchsia, burgundy and chocolate tones on a field of warm cream. The carved cut pile literally elevates the frenetic geometric structure."
Interior designer: Mark Michaud at Perceptions
Creative Matters designer: from the look book and Sarah Stevenson
The exciting colour palette in this Creative Matters design is space defining. 100% wool, handtufted in Thailand.
4. DAZZLING GLACIER FROM OUR ARCTIC COLLECTION
"Glacier is my (current) favourite 2016 design from our collection rugs. I particularly enjoy the interplay of contrasting elements - the layers of blue tones intensifying in the centre of the rug instil the ice layers with mystery, while the cartographic-like lines crossing the piece suggest the mapping of a glacier. In addition, intriguing variations of sheen are created by using only silk in some areas, only wool in others, or a silk-wool combo."
Creative Matters designer: Clémence Hardelay
When viewed in its final form of handknotted Tibetan wool and Chinese silk, this Creative Matters collection rug is beyond beautiful.
5. SHIMMERING LUXE FOR BERGDORFS, NEW YORK
"This was the perfect answer to the elegant need of this high end retail space. The colour so perfectly matched to not only the antique mirrored finish on the cabinets but also to the wall colour - very tricky when we're talking grey tones. The pattern progressed through a number of iterations, starting with our Wish design, an ephemeral pattern based on dandelion fluff. The client saw the sample without seeing the overall pattern which allowed us room to develop a site-specific pattern with darker petals at the perimeter becoming arrestingly paler toward the centre. The inclusion of a little silk in the lightest areas of the all-loop-pile carpet magically matches the sparkle of the jewellery."
Interior design: Bergdorf Goodman design team
Creative Matters designer: Sarah Stevenson
Handtufted in wool with lustrous silk highlights, this Creative Matters carpet for the Jewelery Salons at Bergdorf Goodman was our largest ever.