The art of flooring

Artisan Collective reveals a new range that’s putting carpet at the forefront of contemporary design, says Greg McLeod. In the past, designers have often treated flooring as a neutral background for furnishings, and carpet tended to come in various shades of beige. Now, with unlimited textures, patterns and colours, carpet is emerging as a focal point.

1 — ‘Tempest Maze Marine’

Tempest maze is a fine example of the trend towards geometric patterns in carpets and is available in five colours. With a wool-and-tencel loop, it’s soft and warm underfoot. Loop pile is sturdier than cut pile, which inhibits the appearance of footprints and shading.

2 — ‘Rio Ebro Linen’

New styles of carpet are starting to appear in beautiful shades of grey, silver and lavender, as well as black, gold and rich smoky blues. ‘Rio Ebro’, a hand-loom in wool and polyester, is available in six colours.

3 — ‘Threads Main’

Made from 100 percent New Zealand wool, ‘Threads’ is unique in its design, with a highlight colour randomly threaded through an earthy base tone. Wall-to-wall installation or as an area rug, no two carpets are ever the same.

4 — ‘Natural Terrain Main’

The ‘Natural Terrain’ range from the Southern Crossings series is a chunky loop made with 100 percent natural New Zealand wool. The gorgeous palette of this range is created through the meticulous blending of wool from different breeds of sheep. Black, white, grey and brown come together to form a superb, natural range.

5 — ‘Mesaverge Ash’

Carpets are made with natural fibres such as wool, sisal and jute, or with synthetic fibres such as nylon, polypropylene and polyester. Many stylish, durable carpets such as ‘Mesa Verge’ are made with a combination of natural and synthetic fibres. Available in bisque, oatmeal, dove, ash and slate blue.