Great Gatsby designer Silvana Azzi Heras, who has worked with iconic names like Chanel, Tiffany & Co, Prada, Emirates, Anthropologie, Absolut Vodka and Facebook – turns her attention to real living rooms this month with a striking debut rug collection for Designer Rugs.
Her style for the collection is influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement of a century ago, and designers Lucien Henry, and Josef Frank.
The new rugs are folkloric and deeply enchanting – busy with bush flowers and gumnuts set against jewel-toned backgrounds. The prestigious Australian Gold Dinner was one of her first clients for the rugs.
Heras, who has worked as head designer for Baz Luhrmann and Catherine Martin’s company for more than 17 years, has picked up plenty of her own awards along the way.
The rugs have a cultural relevance with names like Wattle Delight, Waratah Wonderland, Gumnut Paradise, Bush Bouquet and Sugarbush. The designs have a sensibility that feels right for now: eclectic, eccentric, inclusive with a mesmerising visual vocabulary that is part opulent, part magpie.
These are rugs with warmth, simultaneously retro and edgy, that don’t have rules. They are pieces for everyone to enjoy that work equally well in historic Victorian city terraces, modern beach houses or country cottages.
“I was inspired to create homewares that I would want in my home – that can start a conversation,” says Heras.
There are three rectangle rugs, one circular, and a runner. Native plants and wattle are hand tufted in New Zealand wool with highlights of shimmering bamboo silk.
Great Gatsby designer Silvana Azzi Heras.
“I truly believe beautiful design is a contextual, rather than to define a space. My rug designs inform it, giving enough detail and points of interest to match back to other elements of the room.”
There is also a homeware range of table linen, tea towels, and cushions designed to co-ordinate with the rugs.
Heras joins a who’s who of the Australian design pack who have produced collections for Designers Rug including stellar names like Catherine Martin, Dinosaur Designs, Hare + Klein, Greg Natale, Easton Pearson, Camilla, Alex Perry, Akira Isogawa, Vivian Chan Shaw and Minnie Pwerle.
The collection which can be custom sized and colour to suit any setting is available now at Designer Rugs stores in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane.
DESIGNER RUGS SHOWROOMS:
Sydney Showroom
509 Parramatta Road Leichhardt,
Phone: +61 2 9550 9933, www.designerrugs.com.au
Melbourne Showroom
565 Church Street Richmond,
Phone: +61 3 9534 0660, www.designerrugs.com.au
Brisbane Showroom
628 Wickham Street Fortitude Valley,
Phone: +61 7 3852 6433, www.designerrugs.com.au
Yosi Tal, Managing Director of Designer Rugs and Great Gatsby designer Silvana Azzi Heras
‘Sugarbush’ Hand Tufted Rug made from New Zealand Wool & Bamboo Silk from Designer Rugs, 250cm diameter, $4468, www.designerrugs.com.au
‘Gumnet Paradise’ Hand Tufted Rug made from 100% New Zealand Wool from Designer Rugs, 200 x 300cm, $5400 www.designerrugs.com.au
‘Wattle Delight’ Hand Tufted Rug made from New Zealand Wool & Bamboo Silk from Designer Rugs, 200 x 300cm, $5460, www.designerrugs.com.au
‘Waratah Wonderland’ Hand Tufted Rug made from 100% New Zealand Wool from Designer Rugs, 200 x 300cm, $5460, www.designerugs.com.au
