Staffan Tollgard is one of my favourite interior designers because I really admire his philosophy and his approach to design. If you are unfamiliar with Staffan and his work you can read my interview with him here. His design philosophy is encapsulated in the Scandinavian notion of the röda tråden or red thread, which he says is the guiding principle or the string that binds his work together into a coherent narrative. Staffan says that the red thread is personal to every client and allows him to translate their life, and their story, into the language of design. I love the idea of the red thread so I was intrigued when I heard about a new collection that Staffan has just launched in collaboration with German design house JAB Anstoetz. The Red Thread carpet & rug collection is a series of exceptional designs featuring shapes, patterns, themes and colours inspired by the transformation of materials and surfaces in the environment.
Each of the eight designs has a story tying in to the Scandinavian notion of the Red Thread. As Staffan explains: “The Scandinavian notion of the Red Thread has been central to my work as an interior designer for over ten years. I have used it as a powerful metaphor to describe the journey towards the creative DNA of each project we have worked on – the heart of the matter that connects interior, architecture and environment; the visual or creative motif that tells our client’s story using the language of design. For my first collection of rugs, I have been able to make the red thread a reality. We explored how each rug could tell the story of the artistry of JAB Anstoetz’s artisans, of the processes that make their rugs so creatively rich and valuable. At the same time we used the metaphor of change and of revelation as a vehicle for these techniques”.
Each rug, which is made from pure silk and 100% New Zealand wool, features Staffan’s intricate designs brought to life by JAB Anstoetz’s flooring design team. Using the latest technology, sections of the rugs have been cut away to create 3D, multi-layer effects which result in beautiful, dramatic floorcoverings which would work well in any contemporary interior design scheme.
Which one of these exquisite rugs is your favourite? I have to say that mine is without a doubt Scratch closely followed by Diamond.