Interior Design

In Conversation with Jennifer Manners

We continue our supplier conversations by talking to rug expert, Jennifer Manners, one of the first collaborations that Salvesen Graham embarked upon back in 2018.

Jennifer shares with us the origins of her rug brand and how integral they are to an overall room design.

Discussing all things rugs and design

What are some current trends in rug design that you're excited about?

When I started, it was all about geometric patterns, two colours, then we went through a painterly phase, more abstract. Now I think we're getting so much focus on texture, that's why the flat weave rug is really exciting, because it's got a sense of texture. I think what it does so beautifully is ground a space and makes it feel visually welcoming. It doesn't feel so formal that you're scared to put a cup of tea down!

Do you have a favourite bespoke Scallop design from over the years?

There have been some really wacky ones! We did one for a designer which was a lime green with denim blue and yellow border. When we saw pictures of it in the project, it was in a hotel in Paris, it looked really effective.

We've also seen people use a dark crimson with a navy blue and an ivory and it's got a certain masculinity to it, which after seeing it as such a feminine design for quite some time is a great contrast.

And what advice would you give when selecting a rug?

I have a lot of designers who like to start with a rug and then build a room around that. We do hear a lot of people say rugs are challenging, and I think part of that is because it's a big investment and a big proportion of a room’s design. So to get it wrong can be quite scary. I think that's why they come to us.

And it's this misconception that by putting a rug on the floor, you're hiding the beautiful wood floors. It almost works as highlighting a beautiful wood floor and creating, you know, really driving where you want, as the designer, the eye to go, instead of it just being kind of by chance. And it's, that's an interesting misconception, but the size is absolutely vital.

Do you have a particularly memorable custom rug for a project?

Some of the memorable rugs we've done have not necessarily been about the rug itself, it's been the stories that have gone along with them. A client bought a coat the weekend that she got engaged to her husband. They were in Italy, and he had bought her this Missoni coat. And she wanted to use that coat to put those colours in her rug design. I always remember, after several years of marriage, she was still wanting to remember that.

How has sustainability influenced your production methods and material choices?

Sustainability is a big one for us. We actually just became a B Corp, so we’ve had to formalize a lot of what we think about sustainability.

When I started it 10 years ago, it was a conscious choice to make it bespoke, because we didn’t use energy to make a rug that would then sit on a shelf. I’d like to think we were one of the first people that really celebrated the craft and were putting up photos of the people making the rugs. We’d also get photos of a project from a designer with our rug in it and make sure that the weavers get those photos because it instils a sense of pride in what they do. Of course we make sure they're paid fairly, we do a lot to support weaver's children as the schooling is often free, but you can't go unless you've got uniforms and school supplies.

And then, of course, there is the repurpose collection, which uses residual water bottles. We developed this process for taking the plastic recycled water bottle fibre and making it very soft so it was almost indiscernible from wool. It's hard wearing yet it feels very luxurious.

It is a little bit more expensive and more difficult to work with, but we pursue that because it's our approach contributing to a better planet, and that is a cost we're prepared to bear.

How do you balance traditional craftsmanship with modern design elements in your rugs?

I think that the use of colour is what's key. We sell a lot of plain silk rugs but we're always looking to give these bespoke pieces something special. So for example, in our Luxe collection, either they're plain, mohair or natural silk, but then we might use a contrast binding, or we'll add a seven cm knotted edging to it, a tape edge, and then do a contrast colour to that. It's a very subtle detail that expresses it's been made to order and to fit an exact scheme.

What are the main differences between US & UK design?

Even though I'm American originally, I've been here for 22 years now, I’m always surprised at how different the color palettes are, Americans love everything British! Out of the colors that we launched the Scallop rugs in Britain, the Cerise is the most popular colour by a million miles. In New York it’s the denim colour, brighter blue with the green. The Greek cane rug with its really pale, almost white background is really appealing in the US.