History
Creative Matters Inc. was founded in Toronto, Canada in 1988, by Carol Sebert (now Managing Partners with Ali McMurter and Ana Cunningham) along with Donna Hastings and Luba Huzan.
Here are just some of the milestones that helped create the international reputation we enjoy today.
2023
We released a 2023 sustainability report highlighting our current and forward-thinking practices for ensuring sustainability, fair trade and corporate social responsibility.
Founder, Carol Sebert closed her chapter at Creative Matters, moving forward with other creative endeavours. Managing Partners Ana Cunningham and Ali McMurter are leading the firm into an exciting future.
We celebrated our 35 year anniversary. Since Creative Matters was founded, our expert team consists of more than 20 exceptional designers and administrators, we have created over 17 distinct collections and we are growing our international clientele as a globally-renowned brand creating custom designs.
We released three handknotted collections at Cover Connect NYC, introducing several new designs for Vista, Arcadian and Vanguard
We showcased an art installation "Redoux Passager" in collaboration with Studio LOMA, for Paris Design Week.
We participated in Les Rendez-vous de la Matiere + fair(e) in Paris, for the second year in a row.
We participated in the inaugural Carpet Diem, an exhibition in Paris highlighting the beauty of contemporary textiles, and curated and organized by Paris-based Italian Francesco Pirrello, with scenography by globally renowned set designer, Hervé Sauvage.
2022
Joined Paris Design Week for the first time with a “Winter Garden” installation at an art gallery in the Le Marais neighbourhood.
Partner Carol Sebert met then-Prince Charles to represent The Campaign for Wool’s interior design work in Canada. She showed him one of Creative Matters’ Canadian wool rugs.
Produced the first two all-Canadian rugs – designed in Toronto with Canadian wool and handtufted by a Canadian manufacturer.
Exhibited at Rendez-vous de la Matière + fair(e) trade show in Paris for the first time.
Released gradient rugs as an addition to the Sonance Collection of handknotted rugs.
2021
Won the Domotex Carpet Design Award for Best Flatweave for Stripes – Olive from the Stacked Collection. In addition, Origin from the Campaign for Wool Collection was nominated for Best Modern Design Deluxe.
Released the Sonance Collection of handknotted luxury area rugs.
Released the Macrame Collection of handwoven area rugs.
Created 19 floorcoverings for the La Samaritaine department store in Paris - first big project in France.
Launched a European satellite office to service clients in France and beyond.
2020
In celebration of its 10-year global anniversary, we partnered with The Campaign for Wool Canada, an endeavour pioneered by HRH The Prince of Wales, and Canadian designer Sarah Richardson to create a handcrafted 100% Canadian wool rug collection.
Created the first custom pom box of 40 colours in a range of 12 tones each that reflect our colour sensibilities.
Creative Matters launched two new wallcovering collections: Tellurian, a needle-felted collection, and Zephyr, a vinyl collection.
Launched a new website with the addition of e-commerce.
2019
Opened Creative Matters’ first showroom on the second floor of the Toronto studio at 532 Annette Street.
Continued to expand cruise ship design capabilities, completing work on two major cruise liners for Royal Caribbean International.
Released Halcyon Collection of handknotted area rugs.
Released third Creative Matters look book: Inspired 3.
Launched the Stacked Collection of layered-look flatwoven rugs.
2018
Commemorated 30 years of Creative Matters with a team trip to New York.
Carol Sebert attended her first annual general meeting of Label STEP in Istanbul.
Completed the first major project for a cruise ship.
First Creative Matters rugs handknotted in Afghanistan, in partnership with Turquoise Mountain and The World Bank. (read blog)
Created the first Creative Matters floorcoverings for the Senate of Canada.
Undertook a major project with Inuit art when we translated small felt-based artworks to large handmade wall hangings for the Iqaluit airport in Nunavut.
2017
Released Creative Matters' Architexture Collection and the Arashi Collection of handknotted luxury area rugs.
Carol Sebert presented “Navigating ethical production in the developing world” at IIDEX in Toronto.
Held our first Art Day workshop series/contest at a trade show - in collaboration with COVER magazine and The Rug Show, with proceeds going to Label STEP.
Carol Sebert was appointed Honorary Ambassador to Label STEP.
Participated at the Domotex Asia trade show for the first time.
Ali McMurter and Ana Cunningham became Creative Matters Partners and Vice Presidents.
2016
Successfully delivered our first floor-to-ceiling project for the Andaz Ottawa ByWard Market.
Exhibited for the first time at Maison&Objet in Paris in January.
Carol Sebert participated in Istanbul Carpet Week as a featured speaker.
2015
Created 29 floorcoverings for the Canadian High Commission in London based on original works of contemporary Canadian artists.
Released the Creative Matters Arctic and Perennial Collections of handknotted luxury area rugs.
2014
Installed the first Creative Matters custom floorcovering for a museum at the Aga Khan Museum in Toronto. (read blog)
Released our first Natural Dye Collection of handmade rugs.
Designed our first wallcovering for the healthcare sector at the Toronto Birth Centre.
2013
Celebrated 25 years in business with “The Art Day Project” – a partnership between Creative Matters and the Textile Museum of Canada which celebrated and demystified the art of rug design and fair trade weaving. (see video)
Released our XXV Collection of handmade luxury area rugs.
Launched Creative Matters’ eco-friendly wallcoverings division with the Watercolour Collection at the Interior Design Show, Canada’s largest contemporary design fair.
2012
Invited to exhibit at Forza Tappeti: The Rug Revolution, a special curated exhibit hosted by COVER Magazine in Milan, Italy.
Released Creative Matters’ Art Day Collection of handcrafted rugs.
More than a dozen Creative Matters designs were featured in “Characters – Carpets with Soul,” published by internationally renowned fabric and furnishings house, JAB Anstoetz.
2011
Initiated our regular in-house Art Days to celebrate and inspire our talented team. Learn more about our Art Day process.
Released our Terra Collection of rug designs.
We expanded our design team
Started development on a new handknotted collection based on our Art Day sessions
2010
Became the first North American licensee of Swiss based Label STEP, an international non-profit organization committed to promoting environmentally friendly production methods, improving the working and living conditions of carpet weavers, and fighting child labour.
This is the year Creative Matters made strides in developing and producing carpet for the hospitality industry
Started development on a new handknotted collection to be launched in 2011
We outfitted our very first jet aircraft with wall to wall handtufted carpeting
2009
Our Rory Platinum won the “Best liked by Domotex Visitors” Carpet Design Award and our Nova Platinum was a finalist for “Best Modern Rug Design” at the in floorcoverings expo in Hannover, Germany. (view the award-winning Aerial Collection)
Launched the “Willow and Lace” printed broadloom carpet collection with Milliken Floor Covering (re-released in 2014).
Developed new corridor collection to offer our clients a range of ready designed broadloom for the hospitality industry. This collection offers a series of timeless designs and can be produced in a variety of broadloom qualities such as woven axminster, printed nylon and solution dyed goods.
2008
Conducted our first creative workshop in Kathmandu for children rescued from forced labour.
Released Creative Matters' Aerial Collection of rugs. The design French Wire was nominated "Best Modern Rug Design" at Domotex trade fair.
Celebrated 20 years of inspired floorcoverings by creating Hariti (Tibetan for “protectress of children”) and raffled the rug to raise more than $10,000 for fair trade organization then known as RugMark USA.
Installed our first carpet for Tom Ford International in New York City and then continued to provide custom carpeting for their international locations.
2007 - 2001
2007 - Participated in Domotex - the world’s most comprehensive floor coverings trade show - in Hannover, Germany, with our Caravan Collection of handknotted rugs.
2004 - Moved to our current location (a historic old bank building with vault and all) at 532 Annette Street in Toronto.
2001 - Released Creative Matters' first collection of handtufted rugs - Signature - with a launch at the Domotex trade fair.
2000 - 1997
2000 - Delivered to Studio Sofield the largest handknotted rug we have ever made (72 feet/22 metres long) after its final finishing in a soccer stadium.
1999 - Transitioned from hand drawn and hand painted renderings to computer design.
1997 - Installed our first carpet for Gucci in one of their boutiques then went on to provide carpeting for Gucci International for a further 10 years.
1994 - 1988
1994 - Moved to a new location at the Nienkämper building in Toronto’s King and Parliament neighbourhood, which is now a trendy design district.
1988 - Carol Sebert, Donna Hastings and Luba Huzan established Creative Matters in a 2nd floor warehouse on King Street in what was then a gritty part of downtown Toronto.