Narrative Threads Blog
Scroll through our Narrative Threads blog to enjoy behind-the-scenes insight on special projects for leading interior designers and architects.
- 2013
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- #(Unititled) Winter Sunset
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- Striped Rug
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- wallcoverings
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- wool
- Wool
- Woven Axminster
- XXV Collection
- Yabu Pushelberg
- zero pile
STEP INSIDE OUR CARPETS FOR PENDRY MANHATTAN WEST
The Pendry opened its doors in September all aglow with elevated interiors by our friends at Gachot Studios and equally elevated floorcoverings by Creative Matters. This was our third luxury hotel with Gachot - the three of them united by their use of a variety of the production methods we offer.
19 CARPETS FOR LA SAMARITAINE IN PARIS
In June 2021 the design eyes of the world were upon the reopening of the iconic French department store, La Samaritaine. Reinvented for the 21st century, the French historical treasure had undergone a spectacular restoration. It’s luxurious light-filled interiors were redesigned by Yabu Pushelberg who asked us to create carpets and rugs for 19 different areas.
NEW DEVELOPMENTS IN SOFT WALLCOVERINGS
The wall art pictured in the image above is a wonderful example of the advances we have made in “soft wallcoverings” at Creative Matters. Not only was this evocative textile made using 100% undyed Canadian wool, it was also fabricated by our own design team in our Toronto studio.
6 FABULOUS DESIGNS FOR DYE-INJECTED CONDOMINIUM RUGS
Last year we had the pleasure of collaborating yet again with Crayon Design, this time to create six rugs for the common rooms in Unionville Gardens, a refined condominium residences in Markham, Ontario.
THE AWARD-WINNING STRIPES RUG AND THE STACKED COLLECTION
In May we were delighted when the rug pictured above (Stripes in the Olive colourway) won Best Flatweave Design at the Carpet Design Awards, an international badge of distinction, given in recognition of quality and design excellence in handmade carpets and rugs.
ORCHESTRA RUG DESIGN FOR PARIS SALON
Orchestra is one of our most popular designs, so it was no surprise when our client in Paris selected it for their stunning salon. The design - released in 2013 as part of our XXV Collection - is available in both a dark and a light version.
ELEGANT CARPETS WITH KATIE RIDDER
In April we were delighted to celebrate what was both the successful installation of another spiral staircase runner and our first collaboration with renowned New York designer Katie Ridder.
ALL OUR HANDWOVEN RUGS NOW AVAILABLE IN CANADIAN WOOL
We are so delighted to formally announce that our custom and collection rug designs are now available in Canadian wool. Our collaboration last year with the Canadian Wool Council demonstrated that not only is wool from our sheep perfectly suited to rug production but also that there’s a strong demand for Canadian wool floorcoverings both domestically and abroad.
FLOORCOVERINGS GALORE FOR THE FOUR SEASONS RESORT WHISTLER
From the bathroom to the ballroom, it was our pleasure to work with DIALOG on the remodelling of the Four Seasons Resort Whistler. Using four different production methods at mills in three different countries, Creative Matters Vice President Ali McMurter managed a vast array of floorcoverings.
ANA TALKS THE COLLECTIONS
There are now 10 full collections and two smaller collections. Assembled over the last 14 years, they are a wellspring of Creative Matters’ techniques, sensibilities and ideas. How to make your way through what are now 79 designs? We asked Vice President Ana Cunningham - who has contributed to several of the collections - to guide us through them.
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.
THE DESIGN MIND: UNVEILING THE SENTIMENTAL JOURNEY OF A CREATIVE MATTERS DESIGNER
We’re offering exclusive glimpses into the insights of three of our designers at Creative Matters: Madeleine Baigent, Mengting Shen and Sophie Williams. Explore each of these designers' creative journeys, and how they shape their approaches to creating one-of-a-kind custom pieces.
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.
STRIKING SHAPED RUGS ELEVATE CONDO SPACES
We were delighted when Arcadis IBI Group asked us to collaborate with them again, this time on three shaped rugs for the new Azura condo building in Toronto. Their Associate Director Heidi Rose provided us with the specific shapes that they had designed to enhance the interior architecture.
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.
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.
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…
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
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.
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 …
PEARLE HOTEL SHINES WITH OUR HAND AXMINSTER RUGS
During the summer, impeccably designed and crafted Creative Matters rugs were installed throughout the new Pearle Hotel & Spa in Burlington (just outside Toronto). It was a special project because it was the first time we used the hand Axminster method of production for all the rugs in a hotel.