Let’s face it, every photo that we’ve pinned of a Pinterest-worthy room has a statement rug that ties it all together. A rug anchors a room and brings warmth and comfort but what’s the secret to choosing the right one for your space? We asked artisan rug maker Michal Tylicki to let us in on the secrets to choosing that magic carpet.
Michal, why is a good rug important?
A rug can be the centrepiece of a room and can set the mood of an interior. A badly designed rug can throw the whole layout of the room off if it doesn´t fit the context of the space it sits in.
So, should we design the room and then buy the rug or vice versa?
It really depends. Sometimes a ready-made piece will appeal to a client straight away. As a designer, I like to work with the client to evolve ideas and that can take a few sessions before the design is finalised. Both options are exciting in different ways! I recently designed a rug with poppy flowers as the main focus which reflected a client’s painting in their dining room. Using vibrant and bold colours are my forte and this time working with certain requests and perimeters was fun.
You use 100% wool and it’s super luxurious, but there are so many different textures. How should we choose the right one?
Woolen rugs are beautifully soft and due to the chunky thickness of my rugs, they also bring warmth. Such luxurious rugs evoke a certain mood which lots of contemporary looking spaces are crying out for. When designing your interior, it’s important to look at other textures in the existing space. For instance, a rough industrial and minimalist looking space may need some warmth for balance and beefy woollen piece can work well. Or, smooth and shiny surfaces like leather sofas and floorboards would look great with a fluffy, long-piled piece.
Does size really matter?
Yes and proportions are everything. Too big and it can dominate or overwhelm a space, too small and it can easily make a large space look tiny. It all depends on the design.
What about shape?
Rectangular, squared, circular, trapezoidal … there are no boundaries! A rug isn’t just 2D- when we add in pile height we can really have an exciting 3D piece of floor art. My passion for the craft and limitless design elements is why I love my job.
Tell us about what you’re working on at the moment?
It’s top secret but I’m currently working on pieces which are multi-functional that are both practical and focal art pieces. Rugs don’t have to live on the floor – they can be wall hangings in their own right.
By Zoë Carol.
Many thanks to Michal! Michal handcrafts tufted rugs under the name ARTEFAKT RUGS from his home workshop in the hills of Thomastown, County Kilkenny. He graduated from the Koszalin University Of Technology in Poland with a Master of Arts and Design. His passion for his craft can be seen here.