All in due time: As the year long creative venture comes to a close, the last group of self-expression project designers respond to a more literal representation of time - the sundial. Designers studied the object for two weeks before diving in and translating their thoughts into axminster carpet.

To see the 12 month evolution of the project and a glimpse behind the conceptual scenes, check out Interiors + Sources' article Encouraging Expression here.

"My challenge for this project was to make the sundial into an abstract version of itself. By concentrating on the light striking the shiny gold arcs of the sundial, I was able to abstract the Da Vinci inspired mechanical drawings enough to achieve my final axminster design"

Donna Davis, Senior Designer, Brintons Americas

Design: Q01/A035680SE

"Natural light, changes in the weather, and even the texture of concrete it laid on guided my color and texture decisions. Studying the angles of the shadows cast throughout the day, I took the literal shapes and twisted them around using different opacities to create layers."

Cherise Porretto, Senior Designer, Brintons Americas

Design: Q01/A22370ZSE
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"When given the sundial to respond to, I immediately envisioned a casino design with a large and detailed repeat. I wanted to create something that would draw in people’s attention and pique their curiosity."

Solongo Drini, Senior Designer, Brintons Americas

Design: Q01/A20366ZSE

I was inspired by the sundial’s representation of time. This lead me to think of butterflies and the chaos phenomena 'The Butterfly Theory'. The butterfly wings in my design symbolize alternate theories overlapping each other and the linear angles represent the gnomon of a sundial as they both intersect randomly."

Nandita Gharat-Hurt, Senior Designer, Brintons Americas

Design: Q01/A034616SE

In group four, three designers observe and respond to an ant farm. Following the project’s overall theme, the ant farm illustrates how landscapes are altered over time. Spatial tension, destruction, movement, and adaptation inspired designers to create three unique axminster patterns.

"The ant farm was something completely different to work with. I was immediately inspired by how the ants acted in ways that seemed both incredibly structured but chaotic at the same time."

Sam Hoeffer, Designer, Brintons Americas

Design: Q01/A17441ZSE

"Further online investigation led me to learning about the “ant mill” or “ant death spiral” where the ants will follow the leader into a circle going around and around until they die of exhaustion!"

Leah Jack, VP of Design, Brintons Americas

Design: Q01/A034160SE

"I used this opportunity to express my interest in spatial tension by playing with asymmetrical lines and the layering of organic textures, leading me to create a carpet that makes a bold geometric statement. This truly was an exercise of pure creativity."

Terrien Hale, Senior Designer, Brintons Americas

Design: Q01/A028844SE

A few months ago the Brintons Americas design team embarked on a journey to prove self-expression is not lost in the commercial flooring world. The team, broken up into focus groups, were asked to respond to a various pieces of inspiration – just respond.

In continuing the experiment, the third group of axminster carpet designers – Rachel Smith, Sara Di Carlo, Susan Draper, Juliana Green, and Kristen Evans – respond to an obscure sixty-two second video.

See the collection here.

Designers pulled inspiration from the disconnected but fluid nature of the film’s cadence, while expressing themselves without any parameters to follow. Each designer seems to be drawn to a different aspect of the video; material contrasts, audible texture, or the overarching theme of time and change.

Interact with the designs on DSO.

“The video inspired me to get away from my desk and design process somewhere completely unrelated to carpet. I needed to step out of the axminster box to create something not just for the sake of flooring but for the sake of invention and beauty.”

Rachel Smith, Senior Designer, Brintons Americas

Design: Q01/A16725ZSE

“All of the elements in the video experienced some sort of physical change: pieces of paper were burnt or crumpled, surfaces were stained, and objects were moved out of place. I started the process with an image of a worn out piece of cloth and played with movement, color, and depth to achieve my final design.”

Sara Di Carlo, Design Consultant, Brintons Americas

Design: Q01/A20334ZSE

“I initially went in several directions, seeing the film as both fragmented but rhythmic and displaced but direct. Inspired by the repetition of pathways, I painted with ink and watercolor then drew into it following the flow of edges created by the settled paint.”

Susan Draper, Senior Designer, Brintons Americas

Design: Q01/A033336SE

“Mixing different organic elements, rhythms and temperatures were the inspiration for this design. I approached this design like a kid making a playful chemical experiment with stuff from his garden.”

Juliana Green, Designer, Brintons Americas

Design: Q01/A029633SE

"From the beginning, I was drawn toward the idea of combining unexpected elements – the circle shape of the water drain meets lines from the pine straw and the organic volume of the smoke harmonizes with the texture formed from simple tissue paper."

Kristen Evans, Designer, Brintons Americas

Design: Q01/A033094SE

Brintons launched the new Craigend Collection designed by long-term collaborators Timorous Beasties at Clerkenwell Design Week 2018. Taking over St Johns Square, the collection debuted in a pop-up installation designed by Studio Shaw Architects.

Self-expression is not lost in the commercial flooring world – especially with custom axminster carpet.

Our designers, each creating from a particular paradigm, have their own style and methods of solving problems that are unique to the individual. This creative distinction, paired with the Brintons technology and weaving expertise, allows for our team to produce unparalleled solutions reflecting the expressions of the designer – and client.

Continuing the experiment:

Are we limited to pulling content from visual mood boards or is there more to inspiration? Inspiration is everywhere, right? It is our job to harness it, to manufacture great design and weave compelling carpet. We are a community of creatives, with a multitude of ways to express ourselves, living in a world full of catalysts. So no, we aren’t limited to just images. Listen to this playlist. Churn out some carpet. Let the sound be your theme. Let your emotion choose your color. Let the rhythm dictate your line work. Express yourself.

Listen here.

Download the collection brochure here.

"I was immediately drawn to the Pixies track "Wave of Mutilation" for its manic energy. I began to think of the song in terms of layers of sounds that build upon each other. I thought about how I could use multiple layers to mimic different instruments."

Katie Nehrbauer, Senior Designer, Brintons Americas

Design: Q01/A17441ZSE

"Music is as personal to the listener as art is to the viewer; some are drawn to how the music is composed while others are pulled in by the lyrics. I took the general theme of the playlist [time] and focused on one line from a song – 'the moments that make up a dull day'."

Mandy Middlehurst, Senior Designer, Brintons Americas

Design: Q02/A15778ZSE

"Being challenged with a playlist, as opposed to an image, allowed us to work in a very abstract way using our emotional response to the sound to guide us. I started with a simple theme, the lines on a music score, then explored how these lines could be distorted."

Elaine Traynor, Senior Design Consultant, Brintons Americas

Design: Q03/A026981SE