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

Famous for their outstanding diversity of pattern, Scottish design duo Timorous Beasties will present Craigend, their third collection with Brintons. Named after Craigend Place, home of the Glasgow based Timorous Beasties studio and birth place of the designs, the collection name is also inspired by the old Gaelic word ‘Creag’, which means rock.

This commercial collection is inspired by textures and surfaces found naturally underfoot, including sand dunes, stone moss and lichen, all reimagined in the Brintons’ signature 80/20 blend of 80% wool and 20% nylon. With Craigend, Timorous Beasties have called upon their fascination with the often-brutal beauty of the natural world, as well as taking aesthetic inspiration from different crafting materials including paint, ink and fabric.

The installation at Clerkenwell Design Week will showcase a unique selection of woven carpets taken from the new Craigend Collection. Visitors will be taken on a journey through the pop-up installation, where the full-scale patterns will transport the audience into a world inspired by the textures and sights of the natural world.

The world's biggest and most expensive ever cruise ship Royal Caribbean's 'Symphony of the Seas’ weighs 228,000 tonnes, and at 1,188 feet long, it is just 20 metres shy of the length of the Empire State Building in New York.

Brintons worked with STX shipyard and Royal Caribbean Cruise Lines to supply over 35,000 sqm2 of custom Axminster carpet for the new super liner, which enhanced the sophisticated and contemporary interior.

The Idea:

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.

The Project:

A piece of inspiration, in this case a Gordon Williams photograph (pictured above), was submitted to a small group of Brintons Americas designers – Amy LaGuire, Paul Andino, and Nona Thornton – with the task to simply respond to it. Just respond.

Due to the nature of the Brintons weaving capability, our designers have virtually limitless possibilities in terms of scale and repeat size. The creative team also have the freedom of utilizing the Brintons High Definition Weave technology allowing them to get their point across using thirty-two different color channels – the most advanced in the industry.

Designers worked independently for two weeks, convened for university-styled critiques, then fine-tuned their work through the lens of studio culture and peer review.

See the collection here: The Self-Expression Project, Group 1

The Response:

The result – a handful of authentic and artful designs, born directly from the brains of Brintons Americas designers, showing process and highlighting skillful self-expression.

Download the collection brochure here: The Self-Expression Project, Group 1​

“Looking back on the process – I was immediately drawn to the material nature of hanging fabric in the photograph due to my background in studying fibers. I saw the entire piece as a whole and wanted to deconstruct it like a sewing pattern by concentrating on the areas of light vs. shadow in the fabric folds."

Nona Thornton, Designer, Brintons Americas

Design: Q01/A17019ZSE

“The idea of being inspired by a photo image and designing without losing our own design aesthetic was truly powerful. Once we establish a design style and maintain that confidence with the client, the results are a continuous successful relationship. To me, this is what we aim for as carpet designers.”

Paul Andino, Senior Designer, Brintons Americas

Design: Q01/A14888ZSE

“Because of my background in interior design, I tend to look at the inspiration and work backwards with the understanding of what the end manufactured product will be – axminster carpet. The palette, based on the contemporary hospitality-appropriate colors, keeps the design versatile and applicable.”

Amy LaGuire, Designer, Brintons Americas

Design: Q01/A15577ZSE

Increasingly, businesses, householders and local authorities are looking for better alternatives for the recycling of unwanted carpet materials. Brintons are proud to now be a member of Carpet Recycling UK, a not for profit membership association working to increase the recycling of carpet waste across the UK.

Alongside other industry leaders, Brintons supports Carpet Recycling UK as a ‘Core Funder’ fostering the development of voluntary producer responsibility for carpets throughout their lifecycle. Carpet Recycling UK help to ensure that the growing demand for carpet recycling services is met. Through innovation in end-of-life solutions for carpets they envisage a world where 100% of all carpet waste is diverted from landfill through either re-use or recycling.

In 2017 the volume of carpet diverted from landfill rose to an impressive 42%. This 7% increase on the previous year sets a good precedent to suggest a continuation in diverting carpet waste as more companies enroll in support of CRUK.

We are fully committed to striving to improve the products and services we offer to all of our customers while minimising any negative environmental impacts or safety risks. We look forward to working with Carpet Recycling UK to further improve our efforts.

Thank you to everyone who made 2017 a special year!