The style list: The Rug Company’s new showroom

Best known for its collaborations with artists and designers, the exclusive carpet company has a new showroom in Al Quoz, Dubai.

Oriental Birds carpet by Paul Smith. Courtesy: The Rug Company
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Al Quoz has shed much of its reputation as an unapproachable industrial district, becoming, in recent years, a hotspot for niche galleries, studios and showrooms. And the latest addition to the neighbourhood, set to join this month, is The Rug Company.

Best known for its exclusive collaborations with prestigious artists and high-end designers, The Rug Company provides clients with unique, collectible carpets that are attached to big names. Traditional weaving techniques and impeccable attention to detail are married with modern designs to create statement decor additions. The finished pieces have a contemporary look and feel, often characterised by the designer’s signature aesthetic.

The Rug Company partnered with Diane von Furstenberg to create a bold python print in earthy grey tones, and with Alexander McQueen to design a beige number covered in faded skulls, reminiscent of the label’s popular scarves. Cheery florals in pinks, reds and yellows are the result of a collaboration with Marni, while Vivienne Westwood’s offering has blown-up magnolias and muted tartans. The rugs from Scottish fashion designer Jonathan Saunders are bold and quirky, with vibrant geometric shapes and squiggles paired together in different colours. Rugs designed by interior decorator Kelly Wearstler, meanwhile, feature linear patterns in shades of beige, grey and light blue, along with graphic, patchwork-style imagery. The latest collection, from East London-based designer duo Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby, includes children’s designs featuring endearing animal characters such as peacocks, alligators, tigers and frogs.

This month marks the launch of The Rug Company’s finest hand-knotted rug – Oriental Birds by Paul Smith (pictured). The intricate design, which incorporates hand-spun Tibetan wool and silk, features 300 individually handwoven knots per square inch, and took almost a year to produce by craftsmen in Nepal.

The new Al Quoz showroom will house the brand's current collections, in addition to new collaborations as they are introduced globally. The Rug Company will share the 2,949 square feet of Alserkal Avenue warehouse space with vintage furniture gallery The Odd Piece, and will also accommodate a creative meeting space, as well as a dining area for clients.

hlodi@thenational.ae