In the digital world of interior design, in can be easy to forget that textiles are tactile. As Sinead Tumilty, Design Studio Lead in our Irish studio explains, it can be important to step away from the screen.
There’s something quietly powerful about stepping away from the studio and into the rhythm of a place. A recent gathering of our Irish design team for a hands-on mark making at Ground Coffee on the banks of the River Bann proved that.
With Spring just beginning to show itself along the riverbanks, many of the team arrived with pockets full of locally gathered foliage, fresh greens, delicate stems, and early blooms. These became more than references; they became tools.
Designers explored the language of nature through direct interaction, pressing, brushing, stamping and printing with the materials themselves. Others translated what they saw into drawn and painted marks, capturing movement, rhythm and imperfection. The result was a rich collection of expressive studies, each one instinctive and tactile.
What unfolded was less about polished outcomes and more about exploration. Techniques ranged from marbling and stencilling to layered compositions that built depth and texture. Some pieces were bold and graphic, others soft and organic, but all carried a sense of individuality.
These sessions are where ideas begin, not as finished designs, but as sparks. Marks that might later evolve into the foundation of a bespoke carpet. Patterns that feel less ‘designed’ and more discovered.
Back in the Design Studio, these original artworks become part of our design library, authentic, one-off starting points for hospitality projects around the world. It’s here that craft meets capability.
Through the enduring craft of Axminster weaving, we translate these expressive marks into highly detailed, durable carpets. And with our patented PSYLO™ technology, we’re able to take that even further, offering complete design freedom, with no compromise on colour, scale or intricacy. Every nuance of the original mark can be honoured, reinterpreted and brought to life underfoot.
For us, mark making is more than a creative exercise, it’s a way of keeping our work human and true. It ensures that every project begins with something real, something felt. In hospitality, where spaces are experienced sensorily and emotionally, that authenticity matters.
And sometimes, all it takes is a table by the river, a handful of spring foliage, and a good cup of coffee to begin.
Being out in the community added something special to the day. Between coffees and traybakes, there was a steady hum of curiosity, locals stopping by, asking questions, sharing in the moment. It reminded us that design doesn’t happen in isolation. It’s shaped by people, by conversation, by place.
“Our mark making sessions are a lovely way to take a break from the studio and bring our whole team together to be creative. It offers the opportunity to create some really unique and interesting pieces, that will go on to inform future projects.”
