DISCUSSIONS WITH | 5 MINUTE READ
RIVIERE RUGS: BRIDGING THE GAP BETWEEN
SUSTAINABILITY AND DESIGN
As part of our ongoing ‘Discussions With’ series, Esra Kumbasar, Associate Design Director at Accouter spoke to Monique Stamp, UK Director at Riviere Rugs about the design inspiration and the craftsmanship process behind their hand-knotted rugs, including the one featured in The Chelsea Waterfront scheme.
In the interview, the pair cover the importance of sustainability for leading artisans such as Riviere, which for the designers, is becoming an increasingly important factor within their designs. Accouter’s responsibility statement outlines their investments for the future, and how we will direct our efforts on measures that will deliver the biggest impacts, aiming to continuously review and improve the studio’s environmental performance with an emphasis on minimising any destructive environmental impact.
PROFILE GLIMPSE
“Riviere Custom Handmade Rugs was founded in 2005 by Camilla & Leo Riviere. With backgrounds in art and design, they have a thorough understanding and appreciation of classical & modern architecture, paintings and interiors. Having also travelled extensively in Europe & Asia, their inspiration draws heavily on all these experiences.
The collection is entirely handcrafted in Riviere’s workshop in the Kathmandu valley of Nepal. Using only the finest grade, hand-carded and hand-spun Tibetan wool and pure Chinese silk, the rugs are handwoven with a minimum of 100 knots per square inch. In addition to wool and silk, we offer a wide range of other yarns and knot counts including mohair, nettle, linen and botanic silk.”
DESIGNING FOR THE CHELSEA WATERFRONT APARTMENT
Working in collaboration with Accouter, Riviere Rugs brought The Chelsea Waterfront apartment to life by taking the designers vision and creating the exclusively designed rug located in the living area.
Monique recalls “I think what made it one of our favourite rug designs to date is the development process behind it. We worked really closely with Accouter and we were so excited to bring their vision to life. This resulted in a beautiful, circular rug, it just works so well in the space. It especially complements the dynamic of the space along with the bespoke furniture that Accouter created for the room, it really set the tone right. I think the rug is a beautiful statement for the room, it really helps to connect the exterior and bring the outside in.”
A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE FOR ARTISANS
“Biodegradable products are very much at the forefront of society these days. I think all of us are becoming more and more aware of the damage caused to our environment and our planet is under enormous strain. Companies who produce fast fashion and throw away products are slowly but surely seeing a decline in sales. when compared to Riviere, it was very much the founders aim to support the rug trade and the community that makes them. We have amazing teams of artisans who love the trade and they are paid with a fair wage and looked after very well, they've become an extension to our families.
I think the defining element to our rugs is their quality and craftsmanship, they can be handed down from generation to generation, collectors pieces that really offer longevity. It's not the kind of product that you're just going to replace every 10 years. I think we are fortunate and proud that our products fit into the category of a more sustainable product. We prefer to use natural materials such as wool, It's one of the most eco-friendliest fibres out there. It's 100% sustainable, and renewable. It's got very little environmental impact throughout its production process. For us, you know, using a sustainably sourced product that's environmentally friendly is a real plus.”