Narrative Threads Blog
Scroll through our Narrative Threads blog to enjoy behind-the-scenes insight on special projects for leading interior designers and architects.
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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.
CREATIVE MATTERS’ GLOBAL FOOTPRINT IS OUR COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGE. HERE’S WHY.
Creative Matters operates internationally, and our global supply chain is one of our proudest achievements. Our clients benefit from our multi-country manufacturing ecosystem, allowing us to be nimble in the face of changing trade regulations. A key differentiator is our in-house logistics team, who are able to stick-handle the complexities of the changing landscape. This team is empowered through the ability to strategically source while executing seamlessly, all while making sure we’re not compromising on our design vision. Here’s how we do it.
CARPETS FOR THE SENATE OF CANADA
As a Canadian company we were particularly delighted to be selected to create the carpets for the Senate of Canada’s temporary new home in Ottawa.
ANA CUNNINGHAM AND ALI MCMURTER ON GUIDING CREATIVE MATTERS TOWARD INNOVATION, GLOBAL GROWTH AND DESIGN EXCELLENCE
Creative Matters’ Ana Cunningham and Ali McMurter, co-owners and managing partners, mark the end of their first year at the helm together. As we welcome 2025, we’re looking back at major milestones and looking forward to what will come this year under their ownership and leadership.
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.
EXPLORING DESIGN EXCELLENCE AT LES RENDEZ-VOUS DE LA MATIÈRE + FAIR(E)
In October, Creative Matters proudly joined the tenth edition of Les Rendez-vous de la Matière + fair(e). This year marked our third consecutive year at the fair, with our entire European team present, underscoring our deep commitment to the European design community and our dedication to exploring innovative material applications and design trends.
277 RUGS FOR THE NEW SHINOLA HOTEL IN DETROIT
Imagine our delight in 2017 when New York’s Gachot Studios invited us to create all the floorcoverings for Detroit’s new 129-room Shinola Hotel, one of the many projects that are creating massive renewal in the city.
CREATIVE MATTERS UNVEILS NEW DESIGNS AT COVER CONNECT NEW YORK
Creative Matters was thrilled to participate in COVER Connect New York for the fourth consecutive year. Hosted by COVER magazine, this boutique trade show presents a curated selection of handmade floor coverings from global rug brands. This year, we enriched our collections with a stunning array of meticulously crafted designs and sophisticated new colourways, expanding the Vista, Vanguard, Arcadian and Macrame collections.
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.
SAND MEETS OCEAN IN OUR HARMONIOUS FLOOR COVERINGS FOR GOLDWYNN RESORT & RESIDENCES
In 2021, in collaboration with DIALOG, we started one of our largest projects, designing custom floor coverings for the Goldwynn Resort & Residences in the Bahamas. Our work encompassed the guest suites, master suites, corridors, atrium, lobby, restaurant, and banquet areas. We produced a range of techniques using a variety of fibres for the project, crafting harmonious floor coverings that enhanced the resort’s magnificence and relaxing ambiance.
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.
CARING FOR WOOL CARPETS WITH CONFIDENCE
Creative Matters has used wool in our floor coverings for over 35 years, highlighting our dedication to this natural material. Over the years, we have worked closely with The International Wool Textile Organisation (IWTO), the leading global authority on wool standards. In 2022, Creative Matters' founder, Carol Sebert, was appointed chairperson of the Wool Interiors Working Group. This group includes members from 41 countries and collaborates with the IWTO Sustainability Group.
Recently, Carol spearheaded the creation of the IWTO Wool Carpet Care Guide with a group of the world’s leading industry experts and WoolSafe, an organization dedicated to advanced research into the care of wool products.
DESIGN MATTERS: OUR 30 YEARS OF CREATING RUGS
As Creative Matters will celebrate its 30th anniversary in November, our management team took the opportunity to look back at our designs - and the process of designing - through the years.
INROADS INTO EUROPE: GROWING OUR GLOBAL PRESENCE
Creative Matters’ growth in Europe began with a landmark project — creating 19 carpets for La Samaritaine, the iconic Parisian department store’s grand reopening in 2021. Recognizing our exceptional range of handtufted and woven axminster carpet, Yabu Pushelberg chose us to enhance their prestigious project. This marked the beginning of our commercial entry into the European market.
WINNING CARPETS FOR LAS VEGAS RESORT
In May 2018, the Palms Casino Resort completed a $620 million renovation which was heralded as the grandest in Las Vegas history. It included the creation of two new nightlife venues, both designed by Studio Munge and both featuring carpets by Creative Matters.
A PINCH-ME MOMENT: CREATIVE MATTERS’ MILAN DESIGN WEEK DEBUT
April marked a major month for Creative Matters as we made our grand debut at Fuorisalone’s Milan Design Week. From April 16 - 21, we participated in the exceptional Menu 1 exhibition, hosted by COVER Magazine and Salon Magazine and curated by London-based designer Bodo Sperlein.
OUR RUGS SHINE IN MARRIOTT REDESIGN
DESIGN AND ARTISTRY CONVERGE AT COLLECTIBLE BRUSSELS
in March, Creative Matters took to Brussels to showcase at the seventh edition of COLLECTIBLE, a one-of-a-kind fair for 21st-century collectible design. Presented as an exhibition of art, rather than a traditional trade show, COLLECTIBLE serves as a pioneering international platform showcasing the best of contemporary artistic designs across all mediums.
HANDLOOMED FLATWEAVES FOR THE NEW KIMPTON SAINT GEORGE
When Kimpton opened its first boutique hotel in Toronto last month, its many interior treasures included 21 delightfully artisanal rugs by Creative Matters.
STEP BACK IN TIME: BECKFORD HOUSE’S PREWAR-INSPIRED RUG DESIGNS
In 2021, Beckford House, located in Manhattan’s Upper East Side, underwent an impressive renovation. Working directly with Studio Sofield, we designed eight custom floor coverings specifically tailored to the unique spaces of Beckford House. We created handknotted, handtufted and woven Axminster floor coverings to complement the residential building’s interior.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
FUTURE-FOCUSED SOLUTIONS: UNVEILING CREATIVE MATTERS’ 2023 SUSTAINABILITY REPORT
Creative Matters is committed to the earth and the people on it. Our 2023 Sustainability Report highlights this commitment, exploring our current and forward-thinking practices for ensuring sustainability, fair trade and corporate social responsibility.
STEP INSIDE CHALET: A NEW ADDITION TO THE MACRAME COLLECTION, LAUNCHING AT COVER CONNECT NEW YORK
Introducing the latest addition to Creative Matters' Macrame rug collection: the Chalet rug. The never-before-seen rug is set to make its debut at COVER Connect New York, the boutique trade show, held in central Manhattan, bringing together leading high-end rug designers, buyers and retailers from around the world.