Exploring Movement – Circadian Collection by Designer Rugs and Gavin Harris
For the last three decades, Designer Rugs has been a leader within the rug industry, creating over 30 designer collections and collaborating with celebrated Australian designers and artists alike. The brand’s latest collection, Circadian, forged by designer Gavin Harris, explores the ideas of both movement and transformation.
“We don’t see ourselves as just a rug company,” explains Yosi Tal, Co-Founder and Director of Designer Rugs. “We see ourselves as a design company that makes rugs.” From creating pieces for both Pope John Paul II’s visit to Australia in 1986 and the Queen’s bicentennial visit in 1988 to working with Del Katheryn Barton, Akira Isogawa, Catherine Martin and Indigenous artist Minnie Pwerle, Designer Rugs has produced a series of iconic designs, carving out an undeniable reputation for the brand worldwide. “We see a design [that] we think could work and pursue it,” Yosi says. “It’s a journey in which both sides invest a lot. When a designer who specialises in one medium moves into another, it can be very confronting. It tests them, takes them out of their comfort zone.”
The latest collaboration from Designer Rugs is Circadian, a venture lead by established product and commercial interior designer Gavin Harris. Circadian joins Gavin’s two existing collections – Mindscape and Circular Logic – and comprises four intricate designs. Gavin explains that he is motivated by the design process itself. “I mainly draw in markers,” he says, “starting with maybe a direction of line and then developing this over several drawings. That journey can be so interesting and surprise you to see where it ends up.”
Throughout the design process, Gavin considers both texture and form. Inspired by the concept of how time influences movement and change, the collection features four rugs, including Calendar Stone, Polaris, Sun Dial and Wavelength, each hand-tufted in 100 per cent New Zealand wool. Calendar Stone is a geometrically designed circular rug based around the concept of individuals merging together through connection. Polaris, a cut-out circular rug, is inspired by movement and represents the interlocking visuals and joinery of machinery throughout history. As its name suggests, Sun Dial is based on the ticking of time and how the seasons evolve. Wavelength – the only square rug in the collection – projects how elements and energy can change throughout time. “Seeing the final rug, once produced from that humble start, is always an amazing feeling and experience,” Gavin says. “[It] makes me smile seeing the final design completed in our living world.”
Each rug within the collection is available in stock sizes but can also be completely customisable. From shapes and sizes to bespoke colours, the collection can be modified to suit an array of interiors in both residential and commercial spaces. Designer Rugs will work closely with customers from the initial consultation to colour, material and size selection to artwork presentation to the final result.
It was the brand’s bold and innovative use of colour in the 1980s that initially set them apart. Since then, Designer Rugs has continuously produced high-quality and aesthetically dynamic rugs for both residential homes and commercial spaces. The latest collection, Circadian, is no exception, staying true to the brand’s legacy whilst continuously striving for excellence and innovation.
