
Narrative Threads Blog
Scroll through our Narrative Threads blog to enjoy behind-the-scenes insight on special projects for leading interior designers and architects.

NOW IS A GREAT TIME TO START A CUSTOM RUG PROJECT WITH CREATIVE MATTERS
Welcome readers from around the world. We hope this issue of Narrative Threads finds you, your families and colleagues well. To show you how we’re managing, how our colleagues at mills in other parts of the world are faring, and what we can do together to keep our international community strong, we bring you this update.

THE ART OF HANDKNOTTING A RUG
Art Day - when our whole team takes time away from regular work to indulge in pure creation on a particular theme - is at the heart of the design culture of Creative Matters. Imagine everyone’s delight this month when Senior Designer Sandra Ciganic-McKinney announced that she had booked four Tibetan rug weavers complete with mini-looms to join us for our next Art Day.

WELCOME TO THE CREATIVE MATTERS COLOUR LAB
We know how very important colour is to every project. All our designers have a trained and keen eye to see the relationship between colours and how they affect one another. Our studio is set up so the designers (and visiting clients) have ready access to the thousands of colours of yarn to help our clients achieve the look they are seeking.

OUR RAVEN RUG TAKES FLIGHT
We were delighted to debut our Raven rug at the Maison&Objet design show in Paris last month. Raven is the first in a series of rugs we are currently calling The Storytelling Collection. Each of the rugs will be based on the artwork of a Canadian indigenous artist and recreated in a handtufted or handknotted technique.

HIGHLIGHTS OF 2019 BY CAROL SEBERT
As President of Creative Matters I am often asked to choose some highlights from the closing year. This time however, I find myself most excited by the major initiatives we took in 2019 to move our business into the new decade.

ELEGANT, COZY AND MASCULINE - 5 CARPETS FOR A STEAKHOUSE
Last month Hy’s Steakhouse returned to Toronto’s financial district with a spectacular new flagship.The impressive 18,000-square-foot space was designed by our long-time client Elaine Thorsell of BOTI Interiors. Creative Matters President Carol Sebert was tasked with developing the carpet designs for all three storeys.

TRADITIONAL HANDKNOTTED DESIGN FOR A REVITALIZED WINNIPEG HOME
Erica and Alan McLaughlin undertook the revival of an old home in Winnipeg's River Heights neighbourhood. They spent a good year refinishing and updating the rooms, and once complete, were ready for the final touches.

REVEALING OUR 2019 LOOK BOOK
Following on the success of our two previous look books, we’re excited to announce that Inspired 3 is now available in hard copy (request one here) or for online viewing. Unlike the brochures for our collection rugs, each of our look books contains almost 200 images of original designs that can be used as a jumping off point for custom rug or wallcovering creations.

ELEGANT YET EDGY DESIGNS FOR A BOSTON INVESTMENT FIRM
Private equity firm Great Hill Partners looked to Gensler Boston to create a workplace that distinctly reflects their culture. Gensler designed a welcoming environment that pairs a dramatic palette with statement features and asked us create a series of six rugs in four complementary designs for the locations most visible to clients.

NEED RUGS. MUST TRAVEL.
Rug designer may not sound like a career path that involves a wide variety of international travel but at Creative Matters it surely does. As in many jobs there are trade shows to attend, but what really racks up the passport stamps are the trips we make to supervise production of our rugs.