Axminster Carpets - Brochure

Axminster Carpets has been a byword for quality and craftsmanship for over 250 years. We are Britain’s best known and most prestigious carpet designer and manufacturer.

Our high-quality carpets, rugs and runners can be found in royal palaces, the best hotels, and private houses. As the inventor of the modernday woven carpet, we are a national treasure. Axminster Carpets, holder of a Royal Warrant, was founded in 1755 by Thomas Whitty, the creator of the now famous Axminster Weave.

Axminster Carpets is a company with a proud tradition of making the world’s fi nest carpets for the most discerning clients, from King George III and Queen Charlotte to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II. With the highest defi nition traditional looms in the world, the highly skilled team continue to offer the fi nest carpet from our base in the Devon town.

ROYAL WARRANT

A Royal Warrant of Appointment is a mark of recognition of those who have supplied goods or services to the households of Her Majesty The Queen or His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales.

Axminster Carpets is a proud recipient of the Royal Warrant of Appointment for service, quality and excellence in carpet making and supply to Her Majesty The Queen.

There are around 800 Royal Warrant holders, representing a cross-section of trade and industry ranging from traditional craftspeople to global multinationals operating at the cutting edge of technology.

Regardless of size or specialisation, Royal Warrant holders are united by their commitment to the highest standards of service, quality and excellence.

Being awarded the Royal Warrant is a testament of our commitment to manufacturing carpets of the highest possible standard, providing exemplary service levels and continually striving to maintain and evolve our standards of ethics and sustainability.

BESPOKE AXMINSTER

A bespoke or customised carpet can add an extra dimension to an interior.

At Axminster Carpets, we have a reputation for exquisite design and exceptional performance in even the most demanding of environments.

Drawing on a history dating from 1755, we have designed and woven some of the world’s fi nest carpets that now grace some of the most prestigious buildings around the world - including Buckingham Palace, Windsor Castle, Royal Albert Hall.

Under the experienced eye of design director, Gary Bridge, our team work with you every step of the way in the creation of your perfect carpet - from design and prototyping through to specifying the construction and overseeing the weaving of your carpet.

Crafted by Axminster, Created by you

Gary

GARY BRIDGE

BRIGHTON PAVILION

Following an extensive renovation, the stately Saloon has now reopened to the public - a room of rich history and aesthetic prowess

Working closely with decorative artist Anne Sowden and members of the Royal Pavilion & Museums Foundation, Axminster Carpets were tasked with recreating the original 1822 carpet - a highly elaborate and energetic design featuring 20 dragons, 100 sun rays and 274 lotus leaves. Sowden crafted an intricate, line-drawn and painted pattern which Axminster translated to support the weaving process.

The history of the Pavilion is inextricably bound to Axminster Carpets. The original carpet was manufactured by Thomas Whitty and it was vital to the Pavilion members that the replica was made at the home of its original birthplace.

“The Saloon is unlike any other project Axminster Carpets has had the privilege of working on. In order to master and perfect the authenticity of the design it was essential to adopt the style and idiosyncrasies of Robert Jones - original designer - and embrace a new style of artistry with Anne’s delicate treatment”

From the luxurious silk drapery to the hand-stencilled walls and platinum leaf beading, every aspect of the interior has been carefully researched and considered to align with a uniform colour scheme and motif.

The finished carpet - a gorgeous kaleidoscope vision of oriental colour and print - completes the space.

“The result design is a triumph - beautiful, vibrant and historically informed”

DAVID BEEVERS Keeper of the Royal Pavilion

With a Royal Warrant and heritage of 250 years experience, Axminster Carpets can be found in prestigious locations worldwide.

GARY BRIDGE Design Director at Axminster Carpets

ENGLEFIELD HOUSE

Axminster Carpets has replaced the Drawing Room carpet at Englefield House with a stitch-by-stitch reproduction of the original design.

Recreating the delicately patterned carpet involved a 2 month design process, led by Design Director Gary Bridge. Relying on traditional craftsmanship to complete the one-of-a kind installation, the design journey began with a hand drawn sketch of the threadbare Drawing Room carpet.

“Before computers, many carpets were hand knotted and we’re passionate about the design discrepancies that come with the free-style of being hand made”

GARY BRIDGE Design Director at Axminster Carpets

Although today’s carpet making techniques are more advanced, the pencil illustration was translated to the computer by hand to retain the origin of the hand-knotted carpet.

Before weaving commenced at the factory in Axminster, the carpet was sampled for accurate colours, finishes and weave. Our vision is to be 100% sympathetic to the original design.

“Partnering with a true British brand to replicate a piece of English history has been a very rewarding journey. The carpet has revitalised the Drawing

Room and we’re looking forward to welcoming guests into the house and watching their reactions”

PETER CARSON, House & Events Manager, Englefield House.

THE CLOTHWORKERS’ COMPANY

Steeped in history and set in the heart of London, The Clothworkers’ Company can trace its roots to the times when Britain’s wealth was founded on wool and manufacturing, a time when textiles were a significant economic force.

Founded by Royal Charter in 1528 the original purpose of The Clothworkers’ Company was to promote the craft of clothfinishing within the City of London. It was fitting that when their main banqueting hall carpet needed replacing, we were commissioned to recreate the magnificent carpet. The original carpet had been woven by Axminster Carpets some 35 years earlier in the early 1980s and had been a testament

to the unrivalled quality and durability produced from the Axminster looms. Like the original, the new carpet was designed and woven in Axminster Carpets factory in the market town of Axminster, Devon. The new custom Axminster carpet was woven in 8-row quality to ensure that the exquisite detail of the original design was perfectly emulated, whilst the yarn was individually colour-matched and dyed specifically for the carpet, both essential parts of the original brief. The Clothworkers also demanded luxury softness and ultimate durability which was delivered through an 80:20 blend of Axminster Carpets’ carefully selected wool and nylon together with a longer pile height.

Our British origins remain at our core; from sourcing to weaving. The fi nest raw materials are selected from within the UK, allowing us to closely oversee quality and care, whilst supporting local British farming.

Expertly crafted, all our carpets are designed and woven in Axminster, Devon – where our inhouse team create bespoke, distinct carpets.

Due to the cooler climate, British wool offers more benefits in carpet manufacturing – giving us even more reason to remain rooted in the UK.

SUSTAINABLE WEAVING WHY WOOL?

WOOL IS SUSTAINABLE

Fibre that grows naturally on sheep, 100% Renewable & 100% Biodegradable

WOOL IS HYPOALLERGENIC

Purifies indoor air for up to 30 years and absorbs toxic VOCs

WOOL IS SAFER

Naturally fi re retardant and produces less smoke

WOOL IS EASY CARE

Waxy coating repels stains, and is naturally resilient

WOOL IS A NATURAL INSULATOR

Releases heat slowly

WOOL HELPS YOU SLEEP BETTER

Humidity control

AXMINSTER CARPETS

Axminster, Devon, EX13 5PQ

T: +44 (0)1297 32244

E: custom@axminster-carpets.co.uk

W: www.axminster-carpets.co.uk

Axminstercarpets axminstercarpets

© Royal Pavilion & Museums, Brighton & Hove Jim Holden