CUSTOM RUGS FOR NIVEK REMAS AND FAIRMONT PACIFIC RIM INSPIRED BY VANCOUVER’S COASTAL BEAUTY

The Lounge featuring Solace design, 100% wool.

Photography by Conrad Brown

At the newly redesigned Gold floors of the Fairmont Pacific Rim, design is more than aesthetic — it’s atmospheric. Called on by acclaimed design studio Nivek Remas, Creative Matters delivered bespoke floor coverings that grounds the interiors and transports guests into calming comfort. Each carpet construction embodies the presence of the Pacific Northwest and Vancouver’s natural landscape through texture, palette and materiality.

NATURE AS MUSE ON THE GOLD FLOORS

Drawing inspiration from Vancouver’s coastal rainforests, this project's custom floor coverings lie at the intersection of biophilic design and intentional connection between the built environment and the natural world. From enveloping forest greens to soft misted skies, the rugs mirror the experience of walking through woodland paths. Lounges and guest suites deliver a sense of residential warmth through the blending of nature and comfort, echoing the lived-in ease of a Vancouver home. 

“Colour played a central role in telling the story, this was clear from the beginning. Working with a palette guided by Vancouver’s lush coastlines, we surrounded this project with rich, layered greens, earthy undertones and soft neutrals. One of the standout moments was colour-matching the green border in the guest room rugs to the custom B&B Italia sofas. It’s the kind of detail that quietly ties a room together, and it’s where our team’s strength in colour really comes through,” explains Ana Cunningham, Managing Partner at Creative Matters. 

“For a project like the Fairmont Pacific Rim, we wanted to honour the hotel’s performance standards while elevating the tactile experience. In the corridors, we used a woven Axminster construction with an 80/20 wool-nylon blend, which beautifully showcased the brighter tones and allowed for subtle gradations using barber pole yarn,” said Lauren Mead, Designer, Creative Matters.

Custom guestroom bedroom rug at Fairmont Pacific Rim.

Photography by Conrad Brown.

TACTILITY AS LUXURY

Throughout the project, texture was approached with the same intention as colour and composition — essential to the storytelling. Creative Matters designed flatwoven wool rugs in the guestrooms bordered with a raised cut pile stripe in a wool and Tencel blend, introducing depth and softness underfoot. Rather than defaulting to ease of construction, the team prioritized tactile richness, crafting that distinct moment when you step out of bed and land on something warm, structured, and quietly luxurious.

“In the guestrooms, the priority was texture. We don’t often use flatwoven rugs in that setting, but the design called for something softer, more residential. We paired a wool flatwoven field with a plush cut pile stripe in a wool and Tencel blend to add dimension and a gentle sheen. To ensure performance, we used a special corner tension technique before shipping to prevent the edges from curling. This small but important detail makes all the difference in a hospitality environment,” Kayla Bortolotto, Senior Designer & Creative Operations Lead, Creative Matters.

Each construction was carefully tailored to the function of the space. In the corridors, where the floor plan featured sharp angles and unconventional geometry, custom cuts were created to ensure the pattern flowed seamlessly, maintaining visual alignment even in the most complex junctions.

Custom corridor carpet and floor plan 

A DESIGN LANGUAGE OF COLLABORATION

While the aesthetic intent was serene, the behind-the-scenes process was richly hands-on. “Working with Nivek Remas was seamless,” Ana reflects. “They arrived with a clear vision and deep respect for our expertise. That trust allowed us to experiment, whether it was reworking pile heights to reduce trip hazards or fine-tuning colour to counteract light absorption differences after shearing.”

The project’s more sculptural pieces, such as the lounge's macrame inspired rugs, required adaptation from Creative Matters’ original Solace and Hemma designs. The team maintained the visual impact by modifying pile heights and rebalancing the yarn composition while meeting hotel performance standards. The result is not just a redesign but a felt experience.

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