Colour and pattern can be such vital elements in both our lives and our homes. They can speak to us at aesthetic and emotional levels, elevating our homes, infiltrating through the walls, the furnishings, and of course, the floor. One of the best places to start when bringing colour and pattern into the home is with a floor covering, setting the tone and anchoring the rest of the space. Colour in all its depth and vibrancy and pattern in all its meaning inspire me endlessly.

Across the collection, there are varying inspirations including the natural world and sun-steeped landscapes. For example, Sunset Dreams captures the magical, golden glow of a long summer’s evening while Sunrise Haze emulates the pastel sun rising over the Cala Deià. Global travel also weaves its way through the collection, with allusions to San Franciscan rainbows in Oh So Sisco, Moroccan architecture in Atlas Sky and Indonesian dyeing techniques in Iris Ikat.

A beautiful rug can give you a palette or a sounding board for the rest of the room. You could pick out specific colours from the weave and take them onto the walls, into the soft furnishings and even up onto the ceiling for a dramatic look. You could also experiment with pattern, pairing the coalescing leopard spots of Leopard Love with a striking floral wallpaper or sofa. I can see these rugs in both sweeping, grand spaces, perhaps pairing a couple to draw the eye to different zones within a space, as well as in smaller rooms in the house.  

One of the key considerations for my collection of rugs was an element of craftsmanship. I am an admirer of craft in all its forms that celebrates the natural material used in the process. From mesmerising woodwork to the brutal beauty of ironmongery, these quintessentially human skills can have a hugely uplifting presence in the home. Working with handwoven rugs, for this reason, is dream come true for me, especially with Obeetee as a world leader in the creation of exquisitely handcrafted rugs. Obeetee’s respect for provenance, authenticity and unrivalled skill was a huge draw and resonates with my passion for unique and well-made homewares.