Kelly Wearstler For The Rug Company

The Rug Company prides themselves on creating quality hand woven rugs through collaboration, whether with craftsmen or the many renowned designer names they have worked with, from Alexander McQueen and Paul Smith to Vivienne Westwood.

Renowned American interior designer Kelly Wearstler, who has designed homes for clients such as Gwen Stefani and Cameron Diaz, as well as being a best-selling author in the field of interior design, is one such collaborator who has worked on numerous designs with The Rug Company.

Where do you find your design inspiration?

Fashion, art, architecture, Mother Nature. Inspiration is everywhere. The first place I go when I want to get inspired is my library at home – it houses over 2 000 books on everything from fashion and jewellery design to landscape architecture. I collect vintage and out of print titles.

What was your first design project?

A residential project. I started out with one client. I was referred by a friend and hired to design one room in their home and slowly grew my business through word of mouth. It was 1995 when I founded my studio. My first hotel project was The Avalon, a boutique hotel in Beverly Hills.

Tell us about your new designs for The Rug Company.

My rug designs are a mixology of classic and modern, from patterns found in nature – the striations of a shoreline, the natural veining of marble – to architectural and graphic art. My new designs are hand-painted art pieces done in my studio.

How do you create your designs and develop the beautiful colour palettes?

I’m always intrigued by clever use of materiality and luxurious textures. The initial spark of inspiration can come from a pattern or colour seen in nature to architectural and graphic art. It’s all about different elements coming together to form a composition. I find that mixing raw, organic components with refined classic detailing, playing with scale of pattern and rich colour combinations can lead to an exciting, and truly original design.

What do you enjoy most about designing rugs?

It’s like creating a painting for a room – it’s a work of art from which the entire room enfolds.

How does your collection reflect your style?

My designs can look transitional and contemporary, or neutral and timeless, according to the space in which they are placed. All of my rug designs are hand-painted, in the classic tradition, and then brought to life by weavers. Variations in texture and the tension of the pattern work add a beautiful element of rawness to the refined, artisanal qualities of the handmade rugs.

Do you have any advice for someone trying to choose a rug for their home?

Have an open mind. You can have a couple of rugs in one room, there is no rule for having just one. And be adventurous with colour choice. There are so many great rugs in fantastic colourways and patterns.

Creating a bespoke rug can be fun. Tell us about one that you’ve done that you love.

I created this geometric, colour-blocked design for a client’s living room that is a subtle yet striking piece of artistry that was the centrepiece for the entire room. And one of my own rugs designed for one of the courtyard facing rooms in my home. The rug incorporates a pattern of elongated triangles in ivory and deep rose with an interplay of hand-drawn lines and dots.

You have designed beautiful furniture and objets, as well as interiors and fashion. Is there something else that you dream of designing?

I’ve yet to design a boat or a plane…