Rugs by design
ISCD’s annual competition with Designer Rugs yields three very difffferent results
AN ABSTRACT TAKE ON RIPPLING WATER AND REFRACTED LIGHT ‘ROCK POOL’ BY LINDA CUNNINGHAM
“I see my rug in a contemporary coastal home with natural textured wood furnishings,” says Linda. Completing her Certificate IV in Design at ISCD via distance from her home in far-northern NSW, and chatting with fellow students online, Linda started with a realistic design inspired by her own photographs of local tidal pools. This then gave way to an abstracted version. “The trickiest part of the process was letting go of that original idea,” she says. Her palette incorporates shades of ocean blue, and neutral tones “so that the rug would be able to fit into a variety of interiors.” The assignment taught Linda something about the process of design. “There were obstacles along the way; those moments when as a designer you know you haven’t got the right result, so you go back to an earlier stage and go on from there,” she says. And what’s next? More study at ISCD is on the agenda, plus developing ceramics for her business, Pebuku. “I’m always looking for opportunities to incorporate good design into beautiful products,” says Linda.
AN ORGANIC DESIGN INSPIRED BY JAPANESE SIMPLICITY ‘OCEAN’ BY KATHLEEN ANEX
“A statement piece in a modern home, surrounded by minimalist furniture in white, black or light timber tones.” This is how aspiring interior designer Kathleen sees her rug, now that it’s been translated from a small hand-painted artwork. “The design felt way more striking when I saw it at a bigger scale, which is actually a good thing,“she says. Her original painting, with its carefully planned and placed lines, was not without difficulty: “My hand was incredibly shaky while I was painting the design onto paper, and I dropped my paintbrush on the page right at the end. Luckily I could hide the mark without having to redo the whole thing!” she says. Deliberately choosing a high contrast mix of blue-black and white, she experimented with different palettes before coming back to the original. “It just seemed to work better with what the design represents, which is ocean waves. While doing my research, I fell in love with Japanese wave motifs and they heavily influenced my design,” she says.
A HANDSOME FLOORCOVERING WITH BOLD TILE-LIKE FORMS ‘VITRIS’ BY LISA DINGELMAIER
“I love architecture and symmetry, and wanted to create something that reflects that,” says Lisa. She was inspired by the work of one of her favourite interior designers, Greg Natale; and since finishing her interior design and decoration course at ISCD she has landed a dream job at his practice. “My favourite part of the design process was trying out different colour combinations with my pattern,” she says, “and the hardest part was making the final decision on which combination to use.” Her rug, with its strong colour story incorporating her favourite blue, features an interlocking design that is enhanced by a carved surface, which defines and emphasises its dimensionality. “I learnt a lot about the way pattern can change through differences in the height and cut of the fibres.” Asked where she pictures her rug, she references an older home. “I see it in a light-flooded Victorian terrace with dark timber floors, beautifully detailed ceilings and super stylish furniture.”
“It’s always exciting to work with up-and-coming designers – they have such a fresh approach. These rugs truly reflect the current market and trends” YOSI TAL, MANAGING DIRECTOR, DESIGNER RUGS