Young talent shines out at show

I visited the Interiors 2011 show at the NEC a few days ago - just to see what was new and if there was anything relevant for our Carpetrunners website. Not much joy there but I did come across some fabulous student work, particularly on the newdesignbritain stand, which is a national competition and is judged by a panel drawn from high street names such as Heal's and M&S.

Whilst the Newdesignbritain area seemed rather dull and lifeless, some of the individual work was interesting. I personally liked Jessica Penrose's design in the rug competition area, which treated the rug more like a canvas than a floor covering. 


Design by Elaine Ng Yan Ling

I then came across Elaine Ng Yan Ling's work, which had such fabulous warmth and texture, and which I just loved



For those specifiers and designers looking for innovative surface designs, then Graphic Relief Ltd proved to be a honeypot. The innovative forces are Eric Barrett and Mark Dale, who have come up with a way to manufacture moulds with amazingly fine surface detail, photo quality,which would seem to have a myriad of potential applications.  On the stand the company was demonstrating the technique via a number of large size, decorated concrete panels, including a wonderful detailed image of a face, which caught the light. The applications must be numerous, from large size pictures in feature hallways, through to cladding on external walls.

And finally, Penelope Jordan was exhibiting felt pictures, which she had designed and made by hand.  Mind-bogglingly repetitive, there was something I found mesmerising about them - the perfect distraction for the active mind.  I'm not sure where I'd put one in my home but I wish my dentist would buy one!

Stair clips for period staircases

Victorian Stair Clip

I recently had a chap on the 'phone, who was trying to please his wife, but was not convinced she was correct - could we provide some professional advice, which might persuade her?  

She had read an article, which said that stair clips are the authentic "look" for a staircase, in a period property, and therefore she had decided that this is what she would like in their Victorian town house - just clips and nothing else! Well, that was until their carpet fitter informed her that she'd need more than a couple of clips, if she didn't want to fall down the stairs...

So, did we sell stair clips, which were sturdy enough to hold the carpet in place on the staircase? I think he was actually quite relieved, when I explained that today all stair clips and stair rods are decorative, although originally they were used to hold your runner in place. But, they weren't particularly secure and stair runners did slip down the staircase, over time, and got rucks in them, which you could easily trip over.  Today we use gripper instead, on the tread and the riser, which is totally secure and invisible.

He ordered a set of our stair clips in antique brass, which are Fleur de lys in design, and evidently reflect the design of their curtain rail finials. The clips are made from solid brass, and therefore provide the "authentic" look his wife was after, and work on a hinge: simply push the front clip part up, in order to screw them into the staircase and then push the clip down, over the front of the carpet.

Much relieved he rang off - I hope his wife likes them!



Ethical rugs attract top designers

I've recently been doing some work with GoodWeave, the charity which aims to eradicate illegal and exploitative child labour in the rug industry.  I mention it to friends and the reaction tends to be: "surely that doesn't still go on does it?" Well, yes it does, and, if anything, is on the increase as rug sales have slumped in the West during the recession and manufacturers and weavers, out in places such as India and Nepal, are under pressure to save money. Bonded child slave labour is nothing new in the rug industry...

But fortunately the concept of GoodWeave is catching on with top rug Designers in the UK, who are signing up and taking a stance.

Basically, GoodWeave runs an independent inspection scheme, which means local inspectors turn up at manufacturers and home weaving looms, out in India and Nepal, completely unannounced and inspect the premises looking for child labour. Only rugs from certified manufacturers are allowed to be exported with the GoodWeave label on them, which is the one way consumers in the UK can be sure they are purchasing an ethically produced rug - simply turn it over and look for the GoodWeave label. GoodWeave then funds education for rescued children and supports community health programmes and environmental initiatives to support the weaving communities.

The good news is that an increasing number of leading names in the UK rug industry have signed up to support GoodWeave and now commission or sell GoodWeave labelled rugs.  Respected rug retailers and designers such as Knots Rugs, Bazaar Velvet, Deirdre Dyson, WovenGround.com, Rug-maker.com and Jacaranda all sell GoodWeave labelled rugs and there are some amazing designs.

And we are talking beautiful, soft wools and silks hand-knotted in the most beautiful designs and colours - forget your smelly, inferior quality, rustic yarns in various colours of brown, which traditionally used to be associated with anything "ethical"! This is one of Rimo's designs 122-01, which is a favourite of mine.

It is also encouraging to see new Designer Liz Eeuwes signing up to the GoodWeave initiative too. 

There is hope!