As a little bit of welcome sunshine starts to show and we begin to feel the benefits of lighter evenings, it feels like the right time to lighten up indoors too. We’ve put together a top ten list of hand-tufted rugs bursting with life – the perfect uplifting addition for floors at this time of year - to inspire you.
A few favourites have been photographed in Wendy’s home, highlighting the versatility of each, and showing how well these rugs work when paired with our wonderful range of wallpapers. You can mix and match to your heart’s content, and every result will be different, creating your own personal style statement. ‘I feel each rug on this list has a winning element,’ Wendy says.
Style statement
With wonderful Art Deco-vibes and bold design, her giant, golden sun radiating light and virtual warmth, Sunburst creates a spectacular setting when paired with Solace wallpaper at the top of Wendy’s stairs in her home.
Chinoiserie-inspired Birdsong Yellow is equally uplifting, like a glorious, intoxicating, ray of sunshine for floors. Wendy has placed Birdsong in her dining room, beautifully paired with One Hundred Birds One Hundred Flowers wallpaper.
The feelgood colours that make up Kimono Gold, combined with bold, golden, stripes, are designed to lift the spirits. Wendy has placed Kimono Gold in her living room, and paired her with elegant and restful Mandela wallpaper to create a stylish, yet relaxed, space.‘I would like to think all the rug designs mentioned here will elevate any space,’ Wendy says. ‘I believe they all have their unique ways of making you smile.’
Birdsong Yellow
A wonderful way to bring a soothing sense of nature indoors, Birdsong features elegant, colourful, exotic birds and flowers. This Chinoiserie-style rug is a happy and vibrant addition to homes. ‘When I think of Birdsong Yellow and Shanghai Blossom, I feel it is their strong, bold, colour that is key to their personality,’ Wendy says.
Chinese Garden of Virtue
Inspired by Chinese symbolism and its deep-rooted links to nature, an elegant peacock and soaring crane take centre stage in this uplifting design. A grey base is perfect for gentle pinks, greens, and blues, with gold etching and a wonderful gold border, to create an elegant neutral rug that exudes serene glamour. ‘I think Chinese Garden of Virtue is popular because she is composed of strong neutrals with her key design elements around the border; she also shares a wonderful, positive story,’ Wendy explains.
Cranes in Trees
The luxurious combination of red, gold, and black, set against a pale wool base, adds up to a bold rug with a wonderful story, inspired by Chinese philosophy, with symbols representing happiness, good fortune, resilience, and a long life. ‘Cranes in Trees feels like a classic neutral; an easy, warm, base with contrasting Tencel gold pine trees and swooping cranes in a magenta red and warm tones. Another easy rug to place, she also offers something different without committing to really bold use of colour,’ Wendy says.
Eternity Dark
Full of motifs for a long and happy life, including symbolic cranes, Eternity Light and Eternity Dark are statement rugs; one features a pale backdrop, the other a bold, dark, setting, both nestled within a glorious violet, black and gold border. The result is vivid, yet delicate, a gentle story of eternal life. ‘Eternity, has a lovely story at her core and she also combines a nice fresh use of colour; she is always one of my favourites,’ Wendy says.
Kimono Gold
Featuring soaring birds, plus a sprinkling of Chinoiserie, alongside blooming chrysanthemums and peony roses, Kimono’s design is full of elements of nature and the world around us. ‘Kimono Gold, with her colourful florals nestled on a bold luxurious gold stripe, provides colour as well as neutral elements, making her easy to place,’ Wendy explains. ‘Kimono Noir works in the same way with a bolder black and white stripe.’
Mount Orient
With sparkling colours highlighted in gold set against a dark grey base, beautiful florals are paired with soaring cranes, which represent longevity and peace; the colours literally spring to life. ‘Mount Orient is composed of all my favourite colours, with an outline of grounding gold on a dark solid base; she also features the positive, symbolic, cranes in flight,’ Wendy explains.
Plumage
Contrasting semi-circles, reminiscent of layered feathers, in row upon row, create a hypnotic pattern. Simple, elegant, and stylish, this is a timeless classic.‘Plumage and Plumage Gold maximise on their simple design with the contrasting use of Tencel that elevates her details with a subtle luxurious shimmer,’ Wendy explains.
Shanghai Blossom
A wonderfully bold, angular, herringbone design is at the heart of Shanghai Blossom. Floral details, etched in shimmering gold Tencel, include uplifting chrysanthemum, lotus flowers and peony roses. Retro and Art Deco vibes combine in a design full of life, colour, and personality.
Sunburst
Strong, simple and elegant, Sunburst gives more than a nod to Art Deco influence and style. ‘Sunburst is a classic neutral with a golden sun taking centre stage; she is very easy to place in a room, radiating an uplifting sense of lightness,’ Wendy says.
Vogue Deco
‘Vogue Deco is a bold option with her graphic stripe, which is softened by her floral and bird details. This is another personal favourite,’ Wendy explains, ‘I always think a lovely mix of greens with black and a sprinkling of pinks is a winning colour combination.
‘These are all easy styles to live with that suit a variety of settings,’ Wendy adds. ‘I have used them all in our home, from the hallway to the bedroom, the lounge, and the dining room. It is impossible for me to narrow them down to one single favourite as they all have their own special place in my heart. But I can honestly say I got that giddy feeling when each one of these designs came to life!’
