A trailblazer in combining contemporary designs with traditional techniques, artist and designer Deirdre Dyson has been producing painterly rugs and carpets for over 20 years. Although they have evolved over time (and are entirely independent of trends), one thing remains: they are all of heirloom quality and primarily hand-knotted by Nepalese artisans in wool and silk.
‘The inspiration comes from the same things that inspire my paintings; they are just in a more graphic form,’ explains Deirdre, citing refracted light through a vase, bulrushes reflected in a lake and a folded piece of paper as simple moments that have been the starting point for her past creations.
Deirdre sketches each design, colour matching from a selection of over 5,000 wools and silks. It is then translated digitally by a design technician, who traces the lines precisely, ready for mapping and weaving (it allows her to visualise the designs before they are produced and ensure that the carpets are as close to the original artwork as possible).
This hand-wrought element is what makes each floor covering unique. A Deirdre Dyson rug could never be described as ‘patterned’ – with her designs, there’s an artist’s eye at work and each composition fully utilises the talents of the weavers to create something incredibly special.
A beautiful hand-knotted carpet can be a backdrop or the star of an interior design setting
Alongside the annual themed collection that is launched at her London and Paris galleries, Deirdre produces individual designs to suit each of her clients’ exact requirements – haute couture for your floor, as it were. Size, shape, and colourway are all customisable.
‘A beautiful hand-knotted carpet can be a backdrop or the star of an interior design setting. It can work to tie every component of the overall design together for a harmonious result that appeals to all the senses,’ she says.
Deirdre is seeing a trend for large-scale carpets that form the centre piece for an interior and pairs of carpets which create a connection in a larger space. As a case in point, take the ‘Falling Ribbons’ rugs, commissioned by interior designer Charlotte Lane Fox for either end of a double drawing room (left). Ribbons are one of Deirdre’s classic motifs and allow the gentle yet impactful introduction of colour in the alternating silks.
Another client recently commissioned two versions of ‘Unravel’ – the same design in alternative grades – for a study and facing sitting room. Meanwhile, for a Manhattan penthouse, Deirdre created seven carpets of the same ‘Sea Mist’ design, each with a different colour grade which informs the artwork and furniture selected for the bedrooms.
With a background in fine art, Deirdre has an innate ability to select tones and colours that work together perfectly. Her latest collection ‘All at Sea’ is a great example. Here, she has used the naturally occurring colours created by the reflection of the sun and cliffs on sea water, and the creatures beneath, to create a calming palette in nine designs which have really resonated with clients, both in the UK and abroad. And, looking ahead to January, the 2023 collection will be a bold and graphic celebration of colour, to symbolise the joy of a world opening up once again.
Deirdre Dyson 554 King’s Road, London SW6 2DZ +44 (0)20 7384 4464
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