Designer Rugs: The History of an Iconic Australian Design Company

Feature Article

Sydney, NSW, Australia

‘We don’t see ourselves as just a rug company; we see ourselves as a design company that makes rugs’ says Yosi Tal, co-founder and director of Designer Rugs.

This mentality has led the company to develop a rare, rich design legacy over the past three decades. Yosi, Eli and Nuri Tal founded the company in 1986 equipped with no knowledge of rugs or retail, just a keen awareness that the designs of the rugs being imported at the time were dull and uninspiring. Now, over thirty years later, collaborations with design royalty (everyone from Harry Seidler, to Akira Isogawa and Dinosaur Designs) and commissions for highly significant buildings and events in Australia and abroad highlights the success of this design-driven approach.

It could be said that there was a dose of divine intervention in the mix as well, with Designer Rugs’ big break coming when the new company was commissioned by St Patrick’s Cathedral to design a custom rug to commemorate Pope John Paul II’s visit to Australia in 1986. ‘That was a gift from heaven’, says Yosi. ‘The rug was originally commissioned out to the Philippines. However, there was a coup meaning the rug wouldn’t be delivered on time.’ Awarded the contract instead, Designer Rugs launched their brand with this hugely significant project. ‘It was perfect timing and it opened doors for us’, he says.

From there, Parliament House commissioned four rugs for the Queen’s Bicentennial visit in 1988 and Designer Rugs’ reputation for high-quality design and craft was established. They continued to focus on their design credentials, working closely with Australia’s best architects and designers from early on. Some of the first were by painter and tapestry-maker Alun Leach-Jones; and fashion designer Linda Jackson, whose rug ‘Hibiscus and Hacienda’ (1993) is in the collection of the Powerhouse Museum.

The company’s early success came with resisting the sedated greys and pinks of the 1980s by injecting bold, striking colours into reserved interior environments. ‘We were adventurous in design, using primary colours where no one else did,’ says Eli Tal. Collaborating with Australian artists, they brought vibrant colour ways back in vogue. High-quality manufacturing was also integral to achieving such results – handtufting the rugs themselves and using the finest New Zealand wool from their own local dye houses ensured that the rugs befit the quality of the design.

Designer Rug’s strong use of colour also differentiated them from the beginning, when muted greys and pinks were all the rage in the 1980s.

Developing a strong relationship with world-renowned Australian architect Harry Seidler was a high point from which the company continued to go from strength to strength during the 1990s and early 2000s. ‘Harry, who had always worked with overseas firms, wanted to know why we could make better rugs’, tells Yosi. Ultimately, Designer Rugs’ advanced production methods and short delivery time won them Seidler’s confidence and life-long loyalty.

This continued Designer Rugs’ trajectory of working with leading designers across a wide variety of fields. Working with designers from such a range of backgrounds, from fashion to interiors, jewellery, architecture, fine art and beyond, is arguably what pushes Designer Rugs’ collections in such exciting directions. Yosi describes their numerous collaborations as serendipitous. ‘We see a design which we think could work and pursue it. It’s a journey in which both sides invest a lot. When a designer who specialises in one medium moves into another it can be very confronting. It tests them, takes them out of their comfort zone. They have to be ready for that.’

This approach has certainly reaped its rewards – Designer Rugs continues to be commissioned on significant local and international projects, including the Australian Embassy in Paris and Tokyo, Laucula Island Resort in Fiji, Corrs Chambers Westgarth offices and Emirates One&Only resorts in Hayman Island and Wolgan Valley. Other prominent projects include the Emirates Birdcage marquee, as well as a restoration project for the State Theatre in Sydney for which Designer Rugs recreated the original carpet from 1928 – something that had never been done before. Meanwhile, a collaboration with Oscar-winning costume designer Catherine Martin in turn led to designing rugs for Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby and the Faena Hotel Miami Beach.

Designer Rugs has come a long way in a short time and truly lived up to its name since starting the business back in 1986 with no industry knowledge but a understanding of the potential for new high-quality rugs with a strong design focus. From the pope, to the cutting edge of the fashion industry, to Australian art and architecture royalty, Designer Rugs’ has cultivated a rich, diverse design legacy – we look forward to seeing what comes next for this iconic Australian company.