LUX Xmas 2018

34 1807LU16 Sonya Winner Studio is a designer rug studio based in London but shipping worldwide that specializes in Vibrant Contemporary rugs that transform space with their unique form and colour combinations. Sonya Winner’s contemporary rugs are award-winning pieces designed to transform spaces into homes. Sonya offers a collection of over 30 designs available in a variety of sizes, some of which can also be customized in shape, proportion and colour; most of our popular designs are held in stock for immediate delivery. Sonya also takes on a limited number of bespoke commissions each year which are a collaborative creative process with her clients, resulting in exclusive art pieces for the floor or wall - this creative process is always an exciting journey of experimentation for both the designer and client. The core ethos of the studio is the creation of quality rugs that are much more than just a floor covering: they are transformational floor art. We caught up with Sonya Winner to learn more about the unique designs they create: “I started designing rugs simply to make people happy! I was thrilled to discover that the juxtaposition of vibrant colours and bold shapes within the designs I created added something magical to a room that people loved. I was hugely encouraged by winning an Elle Decoration award for my first rug: this, along with the huge amount of positive feedback and orders from around the world when I exhibited at my first rug designs at the London Design Festival 2011 made me decide to devote my career to rug design. Its now 7 years since our first rugs were launched and our delighted customers have sent back hundreds of testimonials describing our rugs as beautiful and timeless designs that transform space making a room feel cozy, welcoming and warm. Many have also noted that due to the dense weaving and thick natural New Zealand wool fibres our rugs have the added bonus of helping with acoustics by soaking up sound. It’s Sonya Winner Rugs Studio Best Contemporary Rug Designer 2018 so wonderful that our customers really appreciate the designs and the quality of the materials and workmanship that goes into creating our rugs. The inspiration for my designs comes from the arts and nature. I’m constantly noting things I see on my travels down in my sketchbook or taking photos. I also have a passion for art and design books, which I love pouring over when creating new designs. When I start to design my first port of call are my sketchbooks and library of design and art books, as well as my catalogue of over 6000 wool and silk colours. Seeing the library of yarn never fails to get me excited and itching to start experimenting with the colours, to understand more deeply how they interact with one another. I like to be playful and experimental with collage and paint as well as a range of alternative design mediums that I’m always adding to. My next designs have been created using experiments with nail polishes paints on acetate film working on light boxes. I’m excited to see them being translated from small sketched into large rugs. Unlike traditional textile designers many of whom work with repeat patterns, my designs come from my passion and training in graphic design, and are standalone dynamic forms. Once I feel nothing more can be added or taken away a design is considered complete and it is scaled up to the final rug size as the weaving guide for the weavers to follow. We choose to work with weavers in rural communities, utilizing skills that have been passed though the generations since the time of the Silk Road, which helps in our small way to keep these skills and traditions alive. Each hand-tufted or hand-knotted rug is slightly different to the next - I like to