Narrative Threads Blog

Scroll through our Narrative Threads blog to enjoy behind-the-scenes insight on special projects for leading interior designers and architects. 

A STUNNING SPIRAL STAIRCASE
Residential Project Creative Matters Inc Residential Project Creative Matters Inc

A STUNNING SPIRAL STAIRCASE

Late 2018 Cheryl Krismer of Crayon Design came to us with two detailed hand-drawn sketches for two flights of a spiral staircase in a spacious contemporary Toronto residence. We then worked together to turn her exquisite sketches on small pieces of tracing paper into fully developed designs for each runner.

Read More
CARPETS FOR CRUISE SHIPS
Marine Project, Hospitality Project Creative Matters Inc Marine Project, Hospitality Project Creative Matters Inc

CARPETS FOR CRUISE SHIPS

In the last few years, designing carpets for cruise ships has been a bigger part of our business. Clémence Hardelay is the Project Manager at Creative Matters who works most closely with this sector, so to start out we asked for her favourite piece. She chose the irregularly-shaped inset carpet for the jewellery store on board Celebrity Edge.

Read More
WE EMPLOYED HUNDREDS OF AFGHAN WOMEN OVER FIVE MONTHS
Production Methods, Sustainability Creative Matters Inc Production Methods, Sustainability Creative Matters Inc

WE EMPLOYED HUNDREDS OF AFGHAN WOMEN OVER FIVE MONTHS

In 2018 we were delighted to participate in a project that required 97 handknotted rugs. Until this year, we have assigned handknotted rugs to our trusted fair trade suppliers in Nepal and India. In 2018 however, we had the good fortune to work with a slightly different style of handknotting and create an incredible opportunity for Afghan women.

Read More
 CREATIVE MATTERS TAKES NEW YORK
Events Creative Matters Inc Events Creative Matters Inc

CREATIVE MATTERS TAKES NEW YORK

In November we celebrated 30 years since our President Carol Sebert founded Creative Matters. To honour the occasion the whole team flew from Toronto to New York for three days staying at a big house in the country and taking the train into the city each morning.

Read More
EXPLORING ARTISANAL RUG MAKING EXCELLENCE IN NEPAL AND INDIA
Creative Matters Inc Creative Matters Inc

EXPLORING ARTISANAL RUG MAKING EXCELLENCE IN NEPAL AND INDIA

Remarkably talented artisans handcraft our artistic floor covering designs. They are masters in traditional weaving methods, turning our designs into beautifully crafted rugs and carpets. In December 2023, Managing Partner Ali McMurter and Creative Director Sandra Ciganic-McKinney explored our mill in Nepal. In January 2024, Director of Design Development Anna Panosyan and Logistics Specialist Suhindhar Raveendiran Santhi ventured to our mill in India.

Read More
STEP ABOARD: EMBARK ON A LUXURY VOYAGE FEATURING OUR EXQUISITE RUGS 
Creative Matters Inc Creative Matters Inc

STEP ABOARD: EMBARK ON A LUXURY VOYAGE FEATURING OUR EXQUISITE RUGS 

Welcome aboard the Entourage, a superyacht by Moran Yacht & Ship, and experience Creative Matters’ inaugural custom design project for a vessel of this kind. Created in collaboration with interior design studio Burdifilek, our team designed and installed 100% prism nylon handtufted rugs to enhance Entourage’s serene ambiance.

Read More
LOOKING BACK ON 2023, OUR 35TH YEAR OF EXCEPTIONAL RUG DESIGN
Creative Matters Inc Creative Matters Inc

LOOKING BACK ON 2023, OUR 35TH YEAR OF EXCEPTIONAL RUG DESIGN

As 2023 draws to a close, our team is reflecting on a momentous year. Filled with groundbreaking achievements, innovative designs, and a transformative shift in leadership, the past 12 months have been enriched with great success and creativity.

Read More
INTRODUCING ECOAX: A BIODEGRADABLE WOVEN AXMINISTER CARPET
Creative Matters Inc Creative Matters Inc

INTRODUCING ECOAX: A BIODEGRADABLE WOVEN AXMINISTER CARPET

When it comes to design, it’s often hard to decipher greenwashing from a true commitment to a product’s ethical life cycle. We have always tried to reduce our impact on the planet as much as possible and have been dedicated to finding solutions for every step of our process. This is why we are thrilled to share a breakthrough innovation in commercial carpeting — our new 100% biodegradable woven Axminster carpet, EcoAx.

Read More
CREATIVE MATTERS RECAPS LES RENDEZ-VOUS DE LA MATIÈRE + FAIR(E) 
Creative Matters Inc Creative Matters Inc

CREATIVE MATTERS RECAPS LES RENDEZ-VOUS DE LA MATIÈRE + FAIR(E) 

On October 10 and 11, Creative Matters had the pleasure of participating in the ninth edition of Les Rendez-vous de la Matière + fair(e), an industry event dedicated to the exploration of innovative, artisanal materials for architecture, decoration and interior design.

Read More
INTRODUCING YOU TO OUR NEWEST RUG DESIGNS, LAUNCHED AT COVER CONNECT NEW YORK
Creative Matters Inc Creative Matters Inc

INTRODUCING YOU TO OUR NEWEST RUG DESIGNS, LAUNCHED AT COVER CONNECT NEW YORK

For the third consecutive year, Creative Matters had the pleasure of participating in COVER Connect New York, a boutique trade show for top-tier global rug brands, hosted by COVER magazine. This year was our most momentous show yet, unveiling three new collections: Vanguard, Arcadian, and Vista. Additionally, we unveiled our collaboration with Burdifilek and presented new additions to our Sonance and Macrame collections.

Read More
THE END OF AN ERA AS FOUNDER CAROL SEBERT CLOSES HER CHAPTER AT CREATIVE MATTERS
Creative Matters Inc Creative Matters Inc

THE END OF AN ERA AS FOUNDER CAROL SEBERT CLOSES HER CHAPTER AT CREATIVE MATTERS

After an incredible 35 years at the helm of Creative Matters and on the world stage of floor covering design, it is with mixed emotions we announce that Carol Sebert is moving on to other creative endeavours. While Carol creates more beautiful art in her studio at an old Ontario country house, Managing Partners Ana Cunningham and Ali McMurter are well-prepared to lead the firm into an exciting future. We asked Carol to look back on some key moments that made Creative Matters what it is today.

Read More
PARIS DESIGN WEEK: BEHIND THE SCENES OF CREATIVE MATTERS’ REDOUX PASSAGER INSTALLATION
Creative Matters Inc Creative Matters Inc

PARIS DESIGN WEEK: BEHIND THE SCENES OF CREATIVE MATTERS’ REDOUX PASSAGER INSTALLATION

Earlier this month, the Creative Matters team took to Paris Design Week to unveil our highly anticipated Redoux Passager art installation. Collaborating for the second time with Paris design studio LOMA, known for their responsible and innovative design ethos, we set out to create an immersive experience representing our commitment to water stewardship in our rug design.

Read More
REVAMPING TGF LAW FIRM’S RECEPTION WITH OUR ROUND RUG
Corporate Project Creative Matters Inc Corporate Project Creative Matters Inc

REVAMPING TGF LAW FIRM’S RECEPTION WITH OUR ROUND RUG

Recently, Creative Matters had the privilege of collaborating with InSTUDIO interior design firm on a custom rug design for the reception area of the TGF Law Firm office. We provided a comprehensive design service, creating a stunning custom round rug to serve as a captivating centerpiece, infusing the corporate interior with vibrancy and character.

Read More
WHY WE THINK WOOL IS BEST
Sustainability, Production Methods Creative Matters Inc Sustainability, Production Methods Creative Matters Inc

WHY WE THINK WOOL IS BEST

Since Creative Matters opened its doors 35 years ago, the vast majority of our floor coverings have been made from wool. This includes our custom projects for hotels, offices, retail spaces and homes, and our 14 rug collections. We sat down with Carol Sebert, Managing Partner and Founder of the firm, to discuss the reasons for this decision both historically and moving forward.

Read More
THE SHAPED RUG - AN UNDENIABLE STATEMENT PIECE
Hospitality Project Creative Matters Inc Hospitality Project Creative Matters Inc

THE SHAPED RUG - AN UNDENIABLE STATEMENT PIECE

Shaped rugs steal the spotlight, they’re a conversation piece on the floor and they make spaces exciting. Over 35 years we’ve designed a lot of rugs in abstract shapes so we’d thought we’d have a little retrospective. We chose five rugs designed in recent times and five rugs from our 90s archive. From the elegant to the eclectic to the practical, scroll down and enjoy them.

Read More
FOUR REFINED RUGS ADD DIMENSION TO HYBRID WORK SPACE
Corporate Project Creative Matters Inc Corporate Project Creative Matters Inc

FOUR REFINED RUGS ADD DIMENSION TO HYBRID WORK SPACE

In 2022 we welcomed the installation of a project started back in 2018 with Gensler Toronto. Four large, perfectly-designed rugs are now gracing a spacious, high-end lounge accessible to tenants of the new CIBC Square two-tower development in Toronto’s financial district. Named The Canopy, this area is designed to elevate…

Read More
5 WAYS RUGS CAN EVOKE EMOTION
Rug Style Spotlight Creative Matters Inc Rug Style Spotlight Creative Matters Inc

5 WAYS RUGS CAN EVOKE EMOTION

We consider our designs works of art that have the ability to arouse emotions in the people that are perceiving them. For example, it feels natural to experience a general feeling of aesthetic appreciation when faced with something beautiful. In addition to evoking this visual sense of pleasure (happiness), we found

Read More
OUR DESIGNERS’ FAVOURITE FLOOR COVERINGS OF 2022
Favourite Designs, Team Creative Matters Inc Favourite Designs, Team Creative Matters Inc

OUR DESIGNERS’ FAVOURITE FLOOR COVERINGS OF 2022

As the demand for Creative Matters’ carpets continues to increase so must our design team grow bigger. This year we have 13 designers not including our three Partners (Ali, Ana and Carol) who still love to fit in some design among their other responsibilities. We asked each designer to select their favourite 2022 carpet and they came up with 12 different answers, testament to the diversity of our creations.

Read More
INSIDE A DYNAMIC PROJECT WITH PARK LANE NEW YORK AND YABU PUSHELBERG
Hospitality Project Creative Matters Inc Hospitality Project Creative Matters Inc

INSIDE A DYNAMIC PROJECT WITH PARK LANE NEW YORK AND YABU PUSHELBERG

In 2019, international design firm Yabu Pushelberg (YP) was commissioned with the complete renovation of one of New York’s landmarks, the Park Lane New York hotel. YP is a long time client of Creative Matters and that same year they asked us to work with them on the carpets which were installed in early 2022. Partner Ali McMurter managed the collaboration at our end. “They chose us for the project because …

Read More