USING COLLECTION DESIGNS FOR A CUSTOM PROJECT
Fragment - Blue from Creative Matters' Arctic Collection was customized for an elevator lobby at Field Law.
THE PROJECT
Field Law is a Calgary firm that needed four large new rugs for elevator lobbies and a seating area for their head office downtown. Managing the project for Field Law was Asma Zalzala at interior design firm Sizeland Evans. Asma researched our collections online and then consulted with Calgary's House of Persian Rugs (HPR) to see the designs in person and to discuss customization.
COLLECTION DESIGNS
We currently have eight collections totalling over 60 designs, some of them in multiple colourways. Our collection rugs are typically handknotted in wool and silk, and available in standard area rug sizes such as 8' x 10' and 9' x 12'.
SIZES
At HPR, Asma and colleague Melissa Klasen worked through the requests with Amir Zokaee. First came the assurance that Creative Matters collection designs could be reworked to any size. With that confirmed, Melissa and Asma indicated their interest in three specific designs - see below from left: Fragment and Shattered from the Arctic Collection, and Suspension from the XXV Collection.
COLOURS
For all three designs Melissa and Asma selected the blue colourways and needed confirmation of the exact colours involved. At this point Amir contacted our studio and started working with Retail Coordinator Amie Suttie who would manage the project. As it turned out the colours in the original designs worked well with the other finishes at Field Law, so no colour changes were required. Had the space demanded new colour selections, we would have been able to rework the designs with a revised palette.
Suspension - Blue from Creative Matters' XXV Collection was customized for the seating area.
METHOD OF PRODUCTION
Melissa and Asma's initial inclination was to honour the designs' handknotted wool and silk quality. However, given that the elevator lobbies and the seating area would be subject to a high amount of traffic - and that it would take a long time to knot a large runner (31' 6" in length) - Amie recommended the durability and quicker production of handtufted rugs in 100% wool.
Field Law's custom version of Creative Matters' Shattered design midway through the handtufting process.
Field Law's custom version of Creative Matters' Fragment design during the handtufting process.
HANDTUFTING
"A couple of times a year we reproduce rugs from our collections in the handtufted production method. When interiors professionals discover a design in our collections that suits their aesthetic, we can easily adjust the design as a handtufted rug or even - with simplifications - printed carpet or in the Axminster style. It's often simpler and quicker to modify an existing design for handtufting than to create a brand new one. Handtufting is also a much faster production process; rugs can be made and delivered in 12 to 14 weeks rather than the 18 to 20 or more weeks it takes for handknotting," said Amie.
DIFFERENCE IN APPEARANCE BETWEEN HANDKNOTTED AND HANDTUFTED RUGS
- Handtufted rugs are often higher in pile (in this project 6mm cut pile as opposed to 4mm cut pile in the handknotted version) and more regularly incorporate both loop and cut pile.
- Handtufted rugs usually have higher density in the construction, the latex and secondary backing add additional stability for heavy traffic.
- Because of the process of knotting, handknotted rugs have a more organic look.
- The finish of a handtufted rug is more uniform than a handknotted rug - although both are handmade, the mechanized elements of handtufting result in a smoother appearance.
Field Law's custom version of Creative Matters' Suspension design on the loom at the mill in Thailand.
COMPLETION OF THE PROJECT
The four rugs were handtufted simultaneously over eight weeks at our mill of choice in Thailand. After five weeks shipping by sea, they were installed - and much admired - at Field Law.
Shattered - Blue from Creative Matters' Arctic Collection was customized for the second elevator lobby.