Christopher Farr unite heritage textile craftsmanship with contemporary design to produce handmade custom rugs for leading interior designers and architects. Founded over 30 years ago, they are dedicated to quality and the pursuit of beauty, with a mission to elevate rug making to Fine Art status. Believing that much of a rug’s beauty and tactility is down to the materials used, Christopher Farr carefully and responsibly source fibres using their expert knowledge and well-established networks. They continually push material possibilities in new aesthetic directions, and work with non-profit organisations, such as Label Step, Care & Fair and Turquoise Mountain, in order to play an active role in maintaining fair labour practices and improving welfare throughout the carpet industry.

@christopherfarrdesign

Image credit: Christopher Horwood

Studio Knot was founded by Mark and Sinead Hanlon, after their idea to collaborate with artists to create one-off rug designs took off, selling out at its debut exhibition at Truman Brewery. From there, a host of private commissions kept the pair busy for a couple of years, leading them to found Studio Knot in 2014. For Mark and Sinead, rugs are a journey of story and creativity; they hold meaning and feel so personal that they transcend aesthetic fashions and fads.

Whilst the rugs are designed in Studio Knot’s Bruton-based workshop, they are handmade in one of three mills in either Nepal, India or Iran. Traditional and modern design methods are combined with age-old craftsmanship to create each rug. The process is intricate and expert, with as little as only 10-15cm of carpet made each day, meaning a rug can take months – or even years – to create. Studio Knot’s previous commercial clients include The Conran Shop, Locke Hotels and P Joseph.

@studio_knot

Founded by Sadie Perry, MANTEL select one-off vintage and artisanal Mexican objects and lighting, and create collaboratively designed pieces for their well-curated online store. Second-hand items are recontextualised to give them new relevance within a contemporary interior. Each piece is uniquely distinct, and often offers a balance between both form and function; enhancing a home whilst fulfilling a purpose.

@shopmantel

House of Quinn create small-batch collections of quilts, textiles and unique objects for the home. The design practice was founded in 2016 by Julius Arthur, who grounds his process in simplicity and exploration to create abstract views of the places and things around us. Whether created by stitching, painting or printing, the items House of Quinn produces are anchored by their sense of function, becoming simple luxuries for the everyday. Julius Arthur is the author of Modern Quilting: A Contemporary Guide to Quilting by Hand (Hardie Grant, 2021).

@houseofquinn

The AU was founded by UK-based interior stylist, Anna Unwin, as a curated resource of beautiful, one-off interior objects, lighting, textiles and furniture. The collection includes antique, mid-century and vintage items, each chosen due to their distinct design or idiosyncrasy. Some pieces are rare, some totally unique, and most are handcrafted using age-old skills that have passed through generations. All are sustainably sourced, balancing ethical and environmental considerations with Anna’s refined aesthetic.

As an interior stylist, Anna has worked for Aucoot Design Directory favourites Bauwerk Colour and House of Grey.

@anna.unwin

DESIGN & THAT was founded in 2016 by interior architect Emma Shone-Sanders. This creative and contemporary studio brings together Emma’s appreciation for well-crafted furnishings and considered materiality to bring about unique and modern spaces that retain a warm and relaxed ambience. Collaboration with clients is elemental for this small and amiable studio, be them residential or commercial. DESIGN & THAT also offer an acutely curated selection of furniture, lighting and accessories through their online store. The pieces presented here all reflect Emma’s passion for well-crafted pieces and intuitive use of material.

@designandthat

Image credits: Victoria Park I (1-2); Lion House (3-6); Kensington I (7-10); Cleland House (11-12) by Leo Davut.

Norlha was founded by mother and daughter Kim and Dechen Yeshi. Dechen travelled to the Tibetan Plateau in 2005 to research the region’s economical and cultural dynamics and, after developing a strong connection with the place, decided to stay. Dechen’s knowledge and care for the communities she met, combined with Kim’s passion for textiles and sustainable development, lead to Norlha being established as the Tibetan Plateau’s first Yak Khullu Atelier in 2007.

Norlha uses yak khullu for its textiles, which is the soft under down that yaks grow in the autumn, and shed in late spring. Its incredibly enduring, soft and warm, and ethical too – the fibre is collected from the yaks as it starts to loosen naturally, so the animal is never deprived of its winter protection. Norhla place the exceptional qualities of this rare fibre, the skill of the artisans they work with and the creation of high-quality products at the heart of everything they do.

@norlha_atelier

Sisters Sarah and Caroline founded London-based Interior Design Studio & Unique Homeware Shop, SASCAL STUDIO, in early 2020. The duo take a fresh approach to interiors, creating unique spaces that are highly personalised to their clients’ requirements. Each project is filled with one-of-a-kind pieces – be them vintage finds, bespoke builds or fine art – thanks to the pair’s long-standing relationships with trusted suppliers from across Europe.

Sarah and Caroline trained at KLC Design School in Chelsea Harbour before both working for high-end design firms, where they gleaned plenty of perspective on running residential projects in their entirety. Since founding SASCAL STUDIO, they have carved out their own distinctive aesthetic; relaxed and layered interiors that reflect the individuality of the owners.

Founded in 2001 by designer and academic Ilse Crawford, Studioilse is a multi-disciplinary London-based design studio that places human emotion front and centre of everything it does, be it furniture and product design, or interior-scaping for private and commercial clients.

Crawford’s illustrious design credentials include the editorship of Elle Decoration – a title she founded in 1989 – and a stint as Vice President of Donna Karan Home. She set up her own firm to create spaces for clients that include Soho House, Electric Cinema and Aesop, as well as product collaborations with IKEA and Bolon. Crawford is also the founder of the Man and Wellbeing department at the Design Academy Eindhoven in Holland, and has written several books: Sensual Home (1997), Home is Where the Heart is? (2005) and more recently A Frame for Life (2014) – all exploring the idea of interior design rooted in one’s experience of a space, rather than simply what looks good in a room together.

Abigail Ahern’s inimitable dark and dramatic signature style has cemented her place as one of the industry’s most celebrated interior designers. After launching her eponymous brand in 2003, Ahern’s first product line followed in 2008 with an offbeat collection of ceramic dog lamps. Big name high street collaborations soon followed, as well as spots in both Selfridges and Heal’s and her own Islington flagship store, Atelier Abigail Ahern.

Her seasonal offerings encompass furniture, lighting, sculpture, accessories, textiles and exquisite faux flowers and plants which frequently feature on her hugely popular Instagram feed, where she posts styling tips and tricks from her East London home. Ahern also regularly runs a series of style masterclasses from the same house, where attendees can learn about the transformative power of earthy, tonal colours and sumptuous clashing textures.

The New Craftsmen works with a selection of Britain’s finest craft makers to showcase the materials, skills and craft products of the British Isles. Founded in 2012 in Mayfair, London, The New Craftsmen currently represents a network of over 75 makers working in textiles, silverware, furniture, ceramics, jewellery, glassware and beyond. They represent a vision of sustainable, real luxury, expressed through dedication to makers, materials, method and design

They sell a carefully selected range of products and limited editions, forging collaborations with designers and makers to give a contemporary take on specific skills and materials. This enables customers, interior designers and architects to customise, commission and collaborate with them, developing bespoke pieces.

ferm LIVING draws on Scandinavian design traditions and simple aesthetics – but with a distinctive graphic edge that makes every item firmly contemporary. ferm LIVING is based in Denmark, where Trine Andersen founded a graphic design studio in 2005, soon expanding into design and interior products. As Trine found herself unable to find wallpaper with the kind of graphic design she wanted, she took matters into her own hands – and her first wallpaper collection was launched in February 2006. Ferm now stocks a constantly growing range of interior products, available around the globe. Even so, all designs remain rooted in the Danish soil, where it all began.

HAY was founded in 2002 with the ambition to create contemporary furniture with an eye for modern living and sophisticated industrial manufacturing. That remains their ambition today. Through a commitment to the design and production of furniture and accessories with an international appeal they strive to make good design accessible to the largest possible audience. Inspired by architecture and fashion, HAY’s continued vision is to create straightforward, functional and aesthetic design in cooperation with some of the world’s most talented, curious and courageous designers.

&tradition is a Danish design company established in 2010 with the founding principle of tradition tied to innovation. Their unique library of furniture and lighting spans from the 1930´s to the present day and includes designs by internationally renowned designers. Its ethos brings together the best in Nordic tradition and heritage to contemporary design, reshaping, redefining and reinventing materials, techniques and forms. They have a strong respect for nature – for the raw materials it provides – and believe in design that is made to last.