You might remember reading the story behind our hand-knotted wool and silk Arc en Ciel rug in a previous journal. A joyful, colour-packed, hope-filled design, she grew out of the pandemic and is a wonderful window into Wendy’s love of and need for colour in life.
This vibrant rainbow rug simply bursts with colour, a bright and beautiful design she tells a joyful story filled with love and hope. Her shapes and shades lift the spirits, while inspiration was drawn from two of Wendy’s passions - the gloriously intricate Japanese kimono and the power of colour to boost mood.
The next chapter
Now, as we introduce our Crewel embroidered cushions and wall hanging - to join our hand-knotted rug and fabric in the Arc en Ciel collection - it feels like the right time to update the latest chapter in the story of this uplifting design.
‘Arc en Ciel was a natural choice for a fabric,’ explains Wendy. ‘I love all of her colours and the Art Deco essence she has about her. Once I started playing around, it was clear that as a pattern she worked really well. I especially love that she captures a little mid-century spirit too as a repeat pattern.’
On Instagram, we recently unveiled a re-upholstered headboard in our Arc en Ciel fabric. Full of colour and pattern, the headboard could work as a standalone ‘hero’ feature in a bedroom, but, as you can see in one image, also works incredibly well when teamed with the Arc en Ciel cushion and Crewel wall hanging, which is draped over the bed, to create a beautifully balanced maximalist style. Perfect for photography and styling, our Arc en Ciel headboard is also a wonderful way to highlight just how well this colourful patterned fabric works and to show how versatile she is.
Make a statement
‘The Arc en Ciel headboard is quite a statement piece in herself and could look rather lovely as the only feature in a bedroom,’ Wendy explains. ‘However, we have also styled her up with both Joie de Vivre wall mural and Phoenix Green wall decor, which works really well. The greens from each design connect beautifully without taking anything away from each other.
‘You could have a lot of fun selecting a favourite colour from Arc en Ciel and designing a scheme with this as the basis - her neutral base makes her a joy to play around with,’ Wendy adds.
The design also translates to our beautiful Crewel wall hangings. These gorgeous pieces are lovingly handcrafted using the Crewel embroidery technique, which is at least a thousand years old and results in a rich, textured effect. Our Crewel wall hanging can be used as a throw or cover or, with the addition of clips, can be hung from a rail to create a striking visual feature.
Our brand-new Arc en Ciel cushions are sumptuous, tactile and add a little bit of luxury. Perfect to bring chic style and texture to beds, sofas, chairs or the odd chaise, our cushions are hand-crafted pieces using the traditional Crewel embroidery technique. Each and every cushion is individually hand-made; a skilled, labour-intensive process, the results are stunning. Adding a luxurious cushion or two is also one of the quickest and easiest ways to an instant interiors update.
Colour confidence
‘Arc en Ciel is all about those soft curves in all of my favourite colours in so many colour combinations. I think because she is such a favourite design, she was a natural choice to translate into Crewel, in a cushion and wall-hanging, which also makes this design more accessible cost wise, whilst retaining the artisan craftsmanship of the original rug,’ Wendy explains. ‘I love to drape my Arc en Ciel Crewel over the bed - her colourful shimmer looks so luxurious that way.’
It has been an exciting journey discovering new ways to work with our gloriously uplifting Arc en Ciel design. She lends herself to soft furnishings just as she does to rugs - bringing them to life with colour, shape and bold design. We feel she adds an extra layer of joy to homes - raising a smile and lifting the spirits every time you catch sight of her. We hope you fall in love with her in her new forms as much as we have.
