Colourful Minds: The Rug Company Edit

\n

Early 2018, we established a partnership with The Rug Company to host a series of salon-style suppers exploring pertinent themes in interior design, craft and bespoke commissions. To celebrate this partnership, we invited Creative Director Milly Wright to curate an edit of her must-have products from our ‘Colourful Minds’ collection.

\n \n

Milly Wright, Creative Director of The Rug Company

\n \n

As Creative Director of The Rug Company, Milly Wright is accustomed to spending days on end seeking out the perfect shade of wool to create a piece that will both unify and light up a room. Every item featured in our 'Colourful Minds: Illustration and Pattern for the Home’ was as carefully selected for its ability to imbue joyful expression and create a sense of narrative in the interior sphere.

\n

Hence seeking Milly’s perspective on the collection was both informative and intriguing, with each object singled out connecting the dots between significant moments in Milly’s life and what continues to inspire her.

\n

Perhaps unsurprisingly, having grown up in Andalucía, Spain, where “hand-painted terracotta is everywhere”, Milly was initially drawn to Aude Van Ryn’s abstract terracotta sculptures.

\n \n

Abstract Terracotta Sculptures by Aude Van Ryn

\n \n

These items were particularly evocative of home - “not only through the choice of materials, but the strong and broad shapes make me think of bullfighting, in particular the inky Tauromaquia series by Pablo Picasso.”

\n

While Aude’s ‘If I Were You’ sculpture had “so much movement I would never tire of looking at it”, Milly was also intrigued by ‘Tall Piece With Handle’ - “I like the delicate balance here, the rough cylinders of clay with patches of smooth white glaze just teetering on the edge” - and the anthropomorphic shapes of ‘Dogon Spirit Tall’ - “somewhere between a landscape and a monster” - which reminded her of work by Spanish artist Joan Miró.

\n

There were also pieces that evoked personal sentiment tying into Milly’s life in London. Ekta Kaul’s Quilted Map of London spoke to Milly’s love of maps, inspiring her to have one commissioned herself of where she currently lives, to mark her first home with her family. Milly also noted the parallels with rug weaving and quilt making, both often becoming a personal journey that mark a specific point in one’s life.

\n \n \n \n

In this vein, Milly was also intrigued by Laura Carlin’s Tigers Hiding Bowl, which reminded her of a story she reads her daughter every night - “as such I would hang this above her bed and tell her the tigers would watch over her both as her protectors and as my enforcers” - and the Possessions Collages by Jo Waterhouse. The uniqueness of these collages and the stories they create through gathering seemingly random possessions truly make for the ultimate bespoke gift. “I would like to commission one of these for my husband, all of his treasures that he keeps would remind me about what makes me love him.”

\n

On a more aesthetic level, Milly found herself drawn to the White Guardian Table Lamp by Camilla Bliss, finding it “both pure and imperfect”. The tactile nature of the piece was particularly enticing, and Milly revealed she would “put this in an entrance hall so that every time I walk past it I could run my hand over it.”

\n

A keen artist herself, Milly used to illustrate for The Rug Company while a student at Central St Martins, Rose De Borman’s Textured Mug also appealed as a home for her “favourite ink brushes”.

\n \n

Peggy Angus Wallpaper Designs, hand-printed exclusively by Peggy's family for The New Craftsmen

\n \n

Finally, the striking, geometric patterns of the Peggy Angus Wallpaper Designs spoke to Milly’s creative eye as a designer - “I am always drawn towards geometric patterns, I find the logic behind them so pleasing” - while stirring up memories of student days. “It reminds me of the pleasure of carving out a lino block, and the inky smell of the printing room at college.”

\n

For 20 years The Rug Company has sought out and produced the world's finest quality rugs, employing the time-honoured techniques used by artisans for hundreds of years, as well as collaborating with designers such as Christopher Kane and Vivienne Westwood, to produce rugs that last generations. We look forward to exploring the opportunities our partnership will bring. Visit www.therugcompany.com to find out more about their projects.

\n