Hello, March!

February was a busy month! After IDS13 we received some great press, and then even more great press, about our wallcoverings. We're happy to have made a splash with our newest venture!

So we've made it to March! It's the time of year when winter finally starts to ease up to spring, holidays with the family abound, and (if the snow's still good) we pack in as much end of season tobogganing as we can.

In Ancient Rome, March was the first month of the year. As wikipedia can tell you, this month is named after the Roman god, Mars, who you may know better as the Greek god of war, Ares. This month was traditionally (or rather, hellenistically) the month to start military campaigns. Similarly, in these contemporary times, many people choose March as the month to attack their homes with an annual onslaught of spring cleaning.  

It's also a luxurious time of year. Well, we consider it a luxurious time of year. 

As the snow melts away and the sun shines a bit longer each day, we can see the world beyond winter once more. To us, this is luxury. On a nice March day you can wear shoes... luxury! The birds fill the air with songs... luxury!

Or maybe March is still cold, and you're tired of being inside. So you decide to make it luxurious by going away for the weekend and staying in a nice hotel, or going out (window) shopping for your favourite luxury designs.

If you're into making luxury your March experience, we recommend the following:

1. Enjoying a night or two in New York.

The James Hotel in NYC is a boutique experience. It's also a great place to kick off your shoes and step down on some lovely carpet.

Creative Matters Inc. with Amanda Sullivan Studio Architect, New York, NY 

Our rugs have a way of making you feel right at home.

2. Shopping in Paris.

If you're interested in seeing some beautiful designs underfoot, while enjoying some sophisticated shopping, check out the department store Printemps.

Creative Matters Inc. with Yabu Pushelberg, Toronto, ON

Our custom carpets add to the luxury of the space!

3. Shopping in Hong Kong.

Maybe you really want to get away from the hustle and bustle of your city, to enjoy the luxurious hustle and bustle of one of the world's economic capitals. 

While you're there you may be interested in stepping onto some great design, so why not visit Louis Vuitton?

Creative Matters Inc. with Yabu Pushelberg, Toronto, ON

Original carpet designs to compliment an original design house.

So as the spring season starts, take a moment to reflect on the luxury around you, and especially the luxury under your feet.

And happy tobogganing!    

Art Day X

Our most recent Art Day was all about the free flowing art of water colour painting.

So much colour.

We gathered on a Thursday afternoon with our aprons on, to get a little messy while playing with paint. Inspiration was taken from nature books and design magazines, generating a line up at the photocopier to get the most inspiring angles and scale from the original images.

Preparing to make art!

Some inspiring books.

A brief introductory lesson in techniques gave us the footing we needed to start our colourful journey.

The methods used included wetting the paper to create an open field for the pigments, letting the paint tell its own story, and using a variety of brushes. We wanted to express a freedom and openness in movement that can be achieved by this medium. We also wanted to create fun, bold, and unusual designs.

Using wax as a resist and water on the paper to let the colour flow freely.

Wet paper with a fan brush.

Everyone was focused.

Painting from inspiration.

Water colours require some drying time, though. Our office became a landscape of drying art, requiring careful navigation as we eventually went back to our desks.

Some interesting and inspiring results from Art Day X!

We Popped Up in the Junction This Week

After almost 25 years as designers of custom carpets we decided to have our very first sample sale. Check out our evite!

We’ve taken over a lovely gallery space at 3109 Dundas Street West to promote our one-of-a-kind designs at once in a lifetime prices.

Our first day was a smashing success!

We had a great response from the community as well! 

"I'm at this once in a lifetime sale at my custom rug fabricators. This is an amazing 8X10. Regularly $8000. For $2900."

Shelley Kirsch, principle, Shelley Kirsch Interior Design

"Making the Junction hotter than ever" Claudine Crangle

Day two saw a slower start but had a very busy finish with many more happy customers walking away with our unique designs.

We’ve made it to day three, and the rugs are going fast. Come and join us before it ends! We’re having so much fun, and who knows if or when we’ll ever do it again. It’s such a great opportunity to buy our fair trade, wool and silk, designer rugs, at 70% off the usual retail price.

Hurry hurry!

Cascading waterfall staircase in ELLE Décor November 2012

ELLE Décors "Luxury Issue" gushes with opulent glamour as it takes the reader on a visual tour of the high life.  In the spread “An Eye for Elegance”, William Sofield gives a New York apartment a luxurious face-lift with delicate textures and tasteful embellishments.   Amongst the delicate textures are three of CMI’s hand-knotted custom rugs found in the bedroom, the office and the staircase. 

The staircase, in 100% silk, mimics the soothing flow of a waterfall cascading down each step.

Original Artwork © Creative Matters Incorporated

Creative Matters launch at by Kamy in Sao Paulo at Design Weekend

During Design Weekend, August 23 - 26, in Sao Paulo, Brazil, CMI launched pieces from the Aerial Collection at the by Kamy showroom.  We had the pleasure of exhibiting our work alongside 9 important national designers.  

Such a beautiful showroom and a great group of talented designers:

Our rugs looked fantastic in this beautiful space:

Our carpets Scratch Frost and Rory Royale being installed at by Kamy:

This photo was taken during a television interview at the opening night launch of Design Weekend.  Carol on the left with Antonio Da Motta, Designer and Director of Outreach for by Kamy, and Francesca Alzati Co-owner and Creative Director of by Kamy on the right.  

Until next time Brazil, tchau! 

Elle DECOR features Wish from the Terra Collection!

Elle Decor magazine is highly regarded in the interior design world and has a great reputation here in Canada, so when we stumbled upon one of our rugs in an Elle Decor feature, we were thrilled!  The feature, entitled “Modern Life”, presents contemporary townhouses reinvented into chic and glamorous living spaces.  We weren’t surprised to find our hand-knotted wool and silk “Wish” rug from the Terra collection in the dining room as the monochromatic platinum color palette juxtaposes the fun pattern making it perfect for a low key family meal as well as an upbeat dinner party.

September 2012 Issue

Sherrill Canet designed this beautiful dining room

Showroom Photo

 

Original Artwork

reDesign 2012 Update

Chosen by popular demand, our modern upholstered “Eames DSW” chair will be reinvented as a colorful deep-sea creature – the jellyfish.  We have started the process by painting silk fabric with vibrant liquid dye and are ready to move on to our next task - creating tentacles and upholstering the surface of the sea jelly. 

Our sketch

Painting the silk with liquid dye

 Vibrant colors

The "skeleton" of the jellyfish