Tania Johnson Design have been shortlisted for the Flooring – Carpet/Rug Award in The International Design and Architecture Awards 2022. Read more about the Director below:

Name: Tania Johnson
Company: Tania Johnson Design
Position within company: Director
Website: www.taniajohnsondesign.com

Tell us a little about your background in design (education, experience, etc)
I trained in woven textiles at Brighton before graduating from London’s Royal College of Art with a Masters in weaving. I worked at a weaving mill in Switzerland for a couple of years before moving to New York where I was a designer for Calvin Klein Home. While there, I designed the brands’ first rug collection and discovered then my passion for innovative rug design. After working as a freelance textile designer for some years, in 2010 I went on to launch my debut collection of hand knotted rugs in NY and have since returned to the UK.

How would you describe your personal design style?
Nature inspired designs that are both contemporary yet timeless.

Where does your design inspiration come from?
All of my rugs are based on photos I have taken. Each one starts with a moment that inspires me: the way light creates shadows and reflections and the microscopic details found in nature. I find capturing these fleeting moments in time, the patterns that form and change around us, constantly inspiring. The challenge of then trying to retain the subtle transience of the original photo while creating something permanent and technically possible to weave is something I really enjoy. With my technical background, I create each weaving graph myself.

In what direction do you feel that design is moving towards in a general sense?
I think issues of sustainability/ethical production are becoming more important to our clients. We have been a member of GoodWeave since I started the business. GoodWeave is an organisation which aims to eliminate child labour and to improve working conditions for adults and I think over the last few years clients have started to question the origins of our rugs more than when I first started the business, which is great. Alongside this is a move to buying products using natural materials, that are well made and will last.

Name five key themes to consider when approaching design.
Sustainability
Ethical production
Durability
Keeping it Natural
Personalisation

If you could offer one piece of advice when it comes to design schemes, what would it be?
Rugs can bring an important element to a room – they can either lie harmoniously or can be a statement piece bringing in colour, pattern and texture. If more than one rug is being used, they can help define different areas in a room and really bring a space together. It is undoubtedly helpful when a client starts with the rug as there is more freedom with colour and design not to mention time to weave it! Quite often however it is one of the last items to be procured and I think then having a clear vision of what colour and design is required helps tremendously. It is also important to select the right size. As all of our rugs are made to order, we can produce them in any size or colour and make sure they are the perfect fit for our clients’ projects.

How important are The International Design & Architecture Awards?
The International Design & Architecture Awards are highly respected within the design industry and becoming more so each year. Internationally recognised, the awards include submissions from some of the best and most reputable designers in the world.

What projects are you currently working on?
In the US, we are represented by showrooms in Boston, New York and San Francisco and have a number of custom projects on the go with them. At home, one of my favourite projects we are working on right now is a stunning Listed Grade II Georgian home in Richmond. We are developing a custom version of our bestselling Waterlines design using shades of navy, grey and an accent of gold. This design has been in the collection for nearly 10 years and continues to be almost constantly in production!

What was your favourite project to work on and why?
I am very lucky and love almost all the projects I work on. We developed three custom  coloured rugs, in some of my favourite designs, for a beautiful home in Wimbledon recently. The client was wonderful to work with and all three rugs, Abstract Floral, Tide and Rainstorm, came out beautifully.

What was your most challenging project to work on and why?
One of our most challenging projects was an inset rug we developed in our Zurich design for a private residence. The design had to be custom altered to accommodate cutting around a circular fireplace and then hand cut and bound to install as an inset rug. It worked beautifully in the end.

Which products/services could you not live without when designing?
My camera and textile/rug design software.

What are your aims and goals for the next twelve months?
I hope to keep growing the business both here and in the US. I have been very lucky to have had regular projects throughout the pandemic and hopefully this will continue.

Final thoughts; tell us a little more about yourself and your daily inspirations:

Your most treasured possession? Wedding ring – my husband and I had both our rings made out of a single piece of platinum

Your favourite holiday destination? Corfu

Your favourite hotel, restaurant & bar? Hotel: Dwarikas in Dhulikhel, Nepal / Restaurant: Al Di La in Brooklyn, NY / Bar: After the past year, any bar that’s not virtual where I can see my friends!

Your favourite book, film & song?
Book: Hmm, very difficult to choose one, there are so many – I loved ‘A Man Called Ove’ by Frederik Backman and every other book by him. And I eagerly await every new book by Liane Moriarty & Marion Keyes – perfect travel companions!
Film: Moulin Rouge (love most Baz Luhrmann films in fact, the mix of music and visuals are always amazing)
Song: ‘Must be Love’ by Labi Siffre – my husband chose this to play at our wedding.

Your favourite food and drink? Food: Dark chocolate / Drink: Red wine (preferably with the dark chocolate)

Your favourite way to spend an afternoon? Outside on a sunny day, with my family & puppy, taking photos of nature, ideally water reflections.

If you weren’t a designer, what would you be? If I hadn’t studied art/textiles, I would have studied English as always loved literature/writing. Not sure what I would have done with that though! Maybe a writer? If not English, perhaps a photographer.

Anything else interesting? Just a shoutout to the amazing team of skilled artisans we work with in Nepal. I have worked closely with the same manufacturer since starting the business and they are at the core of everything I do.

Tania Johnson Design shortlisted in The International Design and Architecture Awards 2021. 

---

design et al only work with the world’s leading designers.

If you think you have what it takes to complete in The International Design & Architecture Awards, submit your application by clicking here.

How to Apply  /  The Categories