COLOUR AND CRAFT COALESCE IN THIS CUSTOM RESIDENTIAL RUNNER

The custom residential runner, made in collaboration with ACDO

Photography by Scott Norsworthy

In 2021, the Toronto-based design studio ACDO approached us to collaborate on a custom corridor runner for a client in Toronto. The homeowner envisioned a colourful gradient piece to accentuate the warm wood panelling and flooring, and bright upper-wall skylights. Experimenting with fibres and hues, the final result was an eye-catching handtufted linear design, embracing raspberry and orange tones and crafted with 100% wool.

A vibrant floorcovering to capture light

To select the perfect colours to enhance this home’s interiors, Creative Matters’ Managing Partner, Ali McMurter, and Senior Designer & Project Manager, Ana Diosdado, met with the homeowner inside the space. “It was wonderful to collaborate directly with the client. Inside the home we were able to observe the space and lay out a variety of coloured poms to see what worked best with the lighting. Based on the interior, we created a colour palette to complement the bright space. This client didn’t shy away from bold colourways, making it a very fun process,” shared Ana.

The final colour selection saw ACDO, the client and Creative Matters set their sights on a collection of five raspberry and five orange tones. For the final design, each row needed to fade effortlessly from dark to light, with the contrasting colour sides seeing opposing tonal transitions.

(L - R) The silk sample and the 100% wool sample.

The colour-catching power of natural fibres

To best achieve the gradient effect, we collaborated with our Thai artisan mill. We tested shiny nylon, silk and wool samples, exploring which fibre best achieved the gradient effect our client longed for.

“We found the 100% wool sample achieved a much more enticing gradation and more surface stability. The result is a carved sculptural cut pile runner, with lower loop details to accentuate the colour transition. The natural fibre allows the gradient to glow beautifully,“ says Ali.

Collaboration is key

This was one of the first projects we collaborated on with ACDO, resulting in a long-standing and valuable partnership. “Their willingness to experiment allows for more outside-the-box creativity, and we love working with them,” shares Ali.

Explore more of our custom residential designs here.