As an interior designer I found rugs one of the hardest products to source for clients. There seems to be little range between the budget 'off the shelf' rugs and top end custom-made ones. I became determined to find a way of supplying high quality bespoke rugs that aren't hugely expensive. I also found it frustrating that there is so much choice in fabric designs but yet not half the variety in rugs, which tend to be either very traditional or very modern, with little choice inbetween.
Living in the countryside I am surrounded by natural shapes that create inspiring patterns. My first collection 'classic designs' is based around this theme, the designs being formed from trees, leaves, flowers and other natural objects. Subsequent collections carry on this theme mixed with other influences that I've come across such as architectural features. They are all simple designs that are both classic and contemporary, suiting both traditional and modern interiors. Although I have chosen the colours for my samples every rug can be customised - any size can be specified and there is a wide range of colours to choose from.
The rugs are made in a cottage industry near Varanasi, India, a region well known for its carpet making skills which I visited in March 2005. They are individually hand knotted on looms using the Nepalese weave technique, a method indigenous to Tibet and brought over to Nepal and India in the 1960's. All the rugs are 9/25 quality, which is the equivalent to 100 knots per square inch, and as a result they are extremely durable as well as luxurious in feel. The backgrounds are made from wool, with the patterns in viscose, giving an attractive variation in texture and look. However, the quantity of viscose and wool can be chosen by you, or they can be made exclusively from wool if preferred. Both the wool and viscose is hand dyed in the region.