Woven axminster carpets from Wilton Carpets Commercial now create a homely feel for patrons, artfully breaking up the large open floorplan of The Old Ball, an Orchid Pub Group pizza kitchen and bar in Horsforth, Leeds.
Selected by Rob Matthews of design practice, Matthews Mee, for its track record of delivering beautiful, traditionally-influenced carpets, Wilton Carpets Commercial has provided some 200m² of bespoke eight-row axminster broadloom carpet for the restaurant and bar area.
Utilising the company’s Optimum colour palette – which includes vibrant jewel tones mixed with inviting neutrals – the carpets evoke a sense of warmth and familiarity.
“When considering the design of open-plan interiors, we take a ‘rooms within a room’ approach to combat an institutional or overtly cold atmosphere that is an inherent problem in large interiors such as The Old Ball,” explains Rob Matthews.
“It is a trick that many of us will be unknowingly familiar with, because if you’ve ever sat in a ‘snug’, this is the exact same concept used by traditional public houses for many years.
“There are several methods we use to achieve this, but we always start with the flooring as it has a huge impact on the feel of a particular space. Working closely with Wilton’s design team, we created two designs: an oversize paisley style and a fleur-de-lys-inspired pattern, using the Optimum palette to give a contemporary edge.
“At first the designs appear traditional, giving the floor that all-important feeling of warmth, but they are also perfectly co-ordinated with other elements in each space. The result is one of individuality in each area or ‘room’, but with an aesthetic that remains balanced throughout the entire open-plan layout.
“The finished interior has met our client’s brief of an inviting, familiar and homely place to dine and relax for its patrons.”
Manufactured at Wilton’s Wiltshire facility, the bespoke broadloom carpet was produced in a high-performance eight-row 80% wool, 20% nylon construction, helping the carpet to perform in a modern and busy hospitality environment.
Using Wilton Carpets Commercial’s Optimum colour palette, Matthews Mee Design was able to facilitate a 28-day turnaround bespoke carpet, while retaining the creative flexibility of 12 individual colours.
