Wall to wall carpet is creeping back into the design sphere and these archival projects show how a pop of colour underfoot can completely transform a space. More than that, carpet offers comfort and can bring a plush, luxurious feel, along with textural interest, to a room.
A furniture designer creates his dream home
Designer Mark Grattan lived in his almost bare apartment for one year before turning to the décor. The process gave him a deep understanding of the space, including when the light hits just so, and this attention to detail is evident throughout the home. The rich teal carpet was sourced from a local supplier in Mexico City which he dyed a custom shade.
A deep blue floor in Melbourne
This luxurious, deep pile carpet in midnight blue adds a pop of rich colour to an otherwise neutral scheme in this Melbourne bedroom. Architect Pete Kennon, founder of Kennon+, worked closely with the homeowners, a creative couple with three children, to create a cohesive feel between the façade of the original Victorian house and a new open-plan living, kitchen and dining area. ‘The architecture is solid and masculine, whereas the furnishings draw out a more feminine aesthetic,’ he notes.
What's everyone reading?
The jewel-box snug in Melbourne
In a largely white home, this snug is a pure hit of dopamine. Inspired by Palm Springs resort style – where designer Mardi Ola visited shortly before commencing this project – she paired teal and peach for a true jewel box moment when the mirrored sliding doors are drawn back to reveal the fabulousness within.
London meets LA in this retro-inspired home
The brainchild of architect and interior design firm Studio Hagen Hall, this 1970s house channels the period’s most iconic decorative elements with a contemporary twist. This seating area is raised, rather than sunken, and features a burnt orange carpet (the floor covering of choice for the decade) and mirrored panelling on the wall. With its retro colour palette, period furniture such as a ‘Tulip’ table by Eero Saarinen for Knoll and materials palette of cork, brass and elm, it takes the best of the era while remaining a thoroughly modern home.
A verdant cinema room in London
A chromatic celebration of green, this cinema room in an opulent London home by Peter Mikic is a colour-drenched dream. Panelled in ‘Nimes’ silk in ‘Verde Foresta’ from Armani/Casa, it features the ‘Soho Cinema’ side tables from Soho Home, and the roll top chairs are from Sedilia. The ‘Satara’ carpet in ‘Holly’ is from Jacaranda.
Floor-to-ceiling colour in Ladbroke Grove
This explosion of salmon pink was masterminded by Golden Design, the London-based duo fast gaining a reputation for their fearless use of colour. The home of a party-loving fashion designer, this space is intended for entertaining, with the wall-to-wall carpet custom dyed to match the walls. ‘Colour-drenching was implemented in each space to deliver a huge aesthetic punch and ensure the house felt unique,’ they say.
What better to pair with House of Hackney’s fabulously floral ‘Hollyhocks’ wallpaper? A gorgeous grape carpet, of course. When designer Marie Deroudilhe discovered the previous owners of this Parisian home had stripped the decorative elements typically found in such apartments, including fireplaces and mouldings, she embraced the opportunity to work with a clean slate and set about introducing colour, pattern and graphic forms to create a totally unique home.
The sky-high home in Warsaw
This pale pink carpet in the library of a Warsaw apartment evokes the everchanging tones of the setting sun. The apartment enjoys sweeping views from its position on the 45th floor of the city’s iconic Zlota 44 building, completed in 2017 by Polish-American architect Daniel Libeskind. ‘I left the walls white to provide a neutral backdrop, but also so that they can be coloured with daylight – from bright white through to delicate beige and grey, and brilliant orange at sunset,’ explains designer Konrad Kudraszow. ‘Even 45 floors up, nature plays a huge role in this design.’
A magical kids room in a London home
This whimsical children’s room was designed by de Gournay director Hannah Cecil Gurney. The hand painted wallpaper is intended to encourage imaginative playtime (rather than screen time) while the plush, emerald green carpet makes for a comfortable surface on which to conjure adventures with the cast of furry friends depicted on the walls.
The new-build with retro influences
Anson Smart
‘My parents bought and sold motels – I think the constant renovation of the rooms played a big part in shaping my love of design,’ says designer Mardi Doherty. That influence is evident in this Melbourne home inspired by Palm Springs, with its flaming orange conversation area featuring ‘Tufty Time’ sofas by Patricia Urquiola for B&B Italia, complete with matching carpet.
