The Textile Designs of Martyn Thompson

Now it's time for you to meet Martyn Thompson.

I feel a bit of kinship with Martyn Thompson. Born in England but raised in Sydney, Australia, the teenaged Martyn was very influenced by glam rock, punk, and especially the New Romantics. In fact, his website bio says, "He was particularly captivated by the aesthetic of Vivienne Westwood and Malcolm McLaren’s subversive early collections and the music of artists such as Siouxsie and the Banshees." I too was entranced with the New Romantics as well as Westwood and McLaren!

Thompson began designing clothes just after leaving university in Sydney in the early ’80s. But after photographing his creations, he discovered it was the photographs people truly responded to: moody settings, natural lighting, and a sense of place that went beyond the frame. He decided to try photography and, essentially self-taught, he ended up shooting for Australian fashion magazines! He moved to Paris to further his career and after three years there, decamped for London where his work morphed from fashion to interiors. Finally, in 1999, he moved to New York City where he now lives and runs Martyn Thompson Studio, photographing campaigns for companies like Jo Malone, Tiffany & Co., Gucci, Hyatt, Ralph Lauren, Grey Goose vodka, Hermès, FLOR, and MAC cosmetics, and creating his own textiles and rugs.

I love his utterly unique, patchwork, frayed look: a bit Georgian (if Mr. Darcy had been clothed by gypsies), and a bit Icelandic gnome, with a sprinkling of 70s funk (I'm in love with his chunky platform shoes!). And look at the red Vivienne Westwood squiggle socks below! You go, hermano!

His textiles are fascinating. He created a jacquard fabric (the design is woven into the fabric itself, previously here) he calls Rock Pool which looks like a view of rocks just below the surface of a shallow sea...

His website shop describes another jacquard, the Accidental Expressionist series:
"Layer upon layer of paint flecks cover this design that beautifully captures the spirit and texture of an artist's drop cloth. The layering of colors gives the fabric a sense of history, a patina developed over time with each new paint speck."

And his floral design Cézanne's Shadow is a tapestry that can be used for pillows, soft goods (one could stitch several together for bedding or drapery), and placed for upholstery.

And he turned the paint-splatter pattern into a rug for Perennials available here!

His on-line shop also has a wonderful selection of bags, totes, pillows, blankets, and scarves. Take a look!

Happy designing!

The Elegance Of An Aubusson

Hailing from France in the seventeenth century, Aubusson rugs descended from tapestries created at The Savonnerie, a manufactory royale, which wove rugs for King Louis XIV to be used in the official palaces and residences but also to be presented as gifts to visiting ambassadors and dignitaries.

Before this time, rugs were made in the Turkish style...that is to say what we think of as a Persian rug. But by the time Louis XVI came around, the rugs had taken on a particular French look. The Renaissance brought many innovations and advancements and one of the most significant achievements in the arts was the discovery of perspective in painting. Inspired by this magical way of making two dimensional objects look three dimensional, Aubusson rugs were born. A center medallion or cartouche would be complimented by an ornate border, all of a Baroque or Neo-Classical design, wreathed with floral bouquets, ribbons, and vines. The color palette tended to be significantly lighter than rugs of the past with creams, light blues, and soft pinks. They look like the misty, pastoral backgrounds of paintings by Fragonard.

Not every Aubusson has to have a center medallion, as evidenced by the free form flowers and vines below...but notice that the rug maintains a Rococo border.

Of course antique Aubusson rugs command steep prices but this style of rug is still made today and can set a grand stage for a room of period furnishings. Here we see the bedroom of celebrity designer Michael S. Smith (who has designed the White House for the Obamas...TWICE). Elements of Louis Xv and Louis XVI mingle upon an antique Aubusson.

The formality of this living room by Scott Snyder is heightened with the addition of this Rococo Aubusson featuring a shell motif.

A Neo-Classical day bed takes pride of place atop an Aubusson rug in this Roman and Williams-designed sitting room which, despite the presence of antiques, feels decidedly graphic and modern.

And speaking of modern, you do not have to surround an Aubusson strictly with French antiques. Here we see a room in the home of Kate and Andy Spade designed by Steven Sclaroff who used an Aubusson with Art Deco pieces and modern art for a dynamic, eclectic look.

Happy designing!

A Flokati Will Keep You Warm

For the colder months here in the Northern Hemisphere, nothing keeps you warmer than all natural wool. And what could be more luxurious than feeling warm, thick wool pile under your feet instead of a cold wood or tile floor?

A flokati (flow-KAH-tee) is a type of rug that has been woven in Greece for thousands of years. Originally created by Vlach shepherds in the Pindus mountain range on the border of Greece and Albania, these rugs are made entirely of sheep wool, including the base. When the rug is being woven, long wool strands are inserted in between the weft fibers (the ones that run horizontally, or left to right). The rugs are then left in cold running water like rivers or waterfalls (or machine baths) where the long wool strands unravel and fluff out, while the backing gets much tighter, creating the classic, shag-rug look and feel of a flokati.

Today, these rugs are still handmade in Greece. In fact, in 1966 the Greek Ministries of Finance, Industry, and Commerce passed a law regarding flokatis that is reminiscent of the territorial claims for champagne (in order to be called champagne and not just a sparkling wine, it must be made in the Champagne region of France). The law specified that for a rug to be classified as a flokati, it must be hand woven in Greece and must be made of 100% wool (warp, weft, and pile). The total weight of the rug must be at least 1800 grams of wool per square meter. And the flokati must be subjected to the water friction process for the pile to unravel and fluff out.

Since they were popular in the United States in the 1970s, these rugs can have a slightly retro vibe to them. But as you can see below, they can look completely modern too!

Flokatis don't have to go on the floor either--they can be spread on chairs or on the backs of sofas...or even hung on walls like a tapestry to give a space texture.

Happy designing!

4 Types of Natural Fiber Rugs

As I've said many times here on the Fiorito Interior Design blog, each aspect of interior design brings with it an unexpected amount of information, options, nomenclature, and choices...more than a lay person could have imagined. So let's dive into a little subset of flooring information: rugs and carpets can come in many different materials, and sometimes the most overlooked category is that of natural fiber rugs. We've all seen them, but do we really understand what they are made of?

1) I think the most common term we've all probably heard is "sisal." But what is a sisal rug? Woven from the stiff fibers of the Agave sisalana, a type of agave plant that looks a little like a palm, a sisal rug is one of the toughest materials out there, suitable for higher traffic areas.

Sisal comes in a variety of organic, neutral colors and naturally resists allergens. Look how the sisal rugs installed in a home by Michael Abraham Architects below lend a textural element to the room without becoming a pattern. When used as area rugs, the edges can be bound with tape in any color to coordinate with an existing color palette. Sisal is however fairly rough to the touch, so be careful when installing in areas where one will tend to be barefoot...and because it is a completely natural fiber, it will absorb water so be very careful of spills!

2) Jute is a material we have all used at one time or another in the form of twine, rope, Hessian cloth, and some sacks which hold, for example, rice or coffee beans. It is made from the bark of the white jute plant (Corchorus capsularis) and tossa jute (C. olitorius).

As a woven rug material, it is softer than sisal with a feel closer to cotton and for that reason is better in lower traffic areas of the home. It tends to be thicker than sisal, so the profile of the rug can be substantial. And like sisal, it is a natural material that will quickly and eagerly absorb liquids.

3) Seagrass, as its name implies, grows under the sea. Rugs are made from a variety of grasses and not from one specific type.

There's a very thick seagrass that can be woven into a rattan-like material and made into tables, chairs, and ottomans but rugs are made from a type more suitable for the function. These fibers are extremely tough and cannot be dyed so seagrass rugs often have a greenish cast to them.

4) Coir (pronounced COY-er) is an astonishing material. It is a yarn made from fibers of the discarded husks of coconuts! Brown coir is made from mature coconuts while the white variety is made from green husks of unripe coconuts.

Coir can be woven into a pile for bristly door mats but can also be made into yarn for rugs similar to sisal, jute, and seagrass, with a texture like that of a Berber carpet.

The advantage of these materials is that, when grown judiciously, they are all sustainable, coming from plants that renew quite quickly, or in the case or coir, coming from the cast off of a plant, leaving the living tree untouched.

Happy designing!

Urban Fabric Rugs Go Around The World!

I'm always on the look out for that special product or accessory that will turn a room into a work of art. And I recently discovered a rug company with a very special product!

Urban Fabric Rugs make cut pile rugs with relief plan views of major world cities! Urban Fabric Rugs say that their products can come in any color and they will create rugs in custom dimensions. I'm itching to put one in a living room or sitting room for a client.

Here we see a view of Dublin in a gorgeous watery blue with the River Liffey cutting through it...

...or perhaps you fancy a saturated fuchsia map of London on your wall?

The geometry of Paris is cooly subtle in a neutral tone...

...while Shanghai practically vibrates off the floor in red!

A recent addition to the city roster is an ancient one...The Forbidden City in Beijing.

They also make a map of Manhattan which, due to the elongated nature of the island itself, would make a fantastic runner in a hallway.

There's also a great view of Los Angeles.

And if you don't see the city of your choice or can't choose, they make a marvelous, conversation piece rug of the time zones of the globe!

Happy designing!