Esti Barnes: The Queen of Rugs
people • makers
Born and bred in Istanbul. Esti is a graphic design graduate and founder/owner of fashion and interiors businesses. She relocated to London in 1995 and founded TOPFLOOR BY ESTI in 1998.
WEBSITE: topfloorrugs.com INSTAGRAM: @topfloorbyesti
Words: designeers
September 2018
designeers
Describe what you do:
esti
Designing my own collections, collaborating selectively with artists, meeting clients, and keeping a close eye on our projects in production. Social media is also on my to do list. Keeping my design sensors switched on to stay in touch with the creative world through the media and travel.
designeers
How would you describe your style?
Esti
I always sought to add a third dimension to the traditionally flat, 2 dimensionality of rugs. I am a champion of colour in my personal style. However, I have moderated this professionally to suit the interior design tendency towards rugs as background pieces, aka fit rather than fight. Having said that, my international clientele often give me freer rein to use stronger colours. I am also passionate about natural fibres. I recently launched Musett Design, a very wide range of hand-woven Abaca rugs.
designeers
The most important object you have designed so far:
esti
It is the ESQUIRE rug. I designed this initially for one of Nick Candy’s own apartments and went on to pick up 2 awards: ELLE DECORATION UK’s British Design of the Year and in the USA, INTERIOR DESIGN Magazine’s ‘BEST OF YEAR’ awards. It broke new ground with its precision surface carving, inspired by an incidentally crumpled sheet of paper.
designeers
Sources of creative desire:
esti
I get inspired by details I filter from my travels, art shows, and the museums we visit. I remain a dedicated follower of fashion as a source of inspiration. Most importantly, nature gives me so many cues about texture, colour and organic shapes.
“I always sought to add a third dimension to the traditionally flat, 2 dimensionality of rugs. I am a champion of colour in my personal style.”
esti barnes
designeers
What do you do when you're not working?
esti
Travel, visit art galleries, read and design. I view the world through a prism of creativity. Family and friends mean regular trips to Istanbul and Bodrum and we pick up a lot of inspiration from our regular trips to Paris and Provence. We keep returning to Chateau La Coste, Villa Kerylos in Beaulieu-sur-mer, Fondation Maeght in St Paul de Vence, Fondation Vasarely in Aix and the Luma Foundation in Arles. There’s always something new to inspire my work.
designeers
Favourite hotel in the world:
esti
The Upper House in Hong Kong, designed by Andre Fu. It ticks all the boxes for me, in its contemporary interiors, choice of eclectic furnishings and accessories. Unfortunately, even though we were on a mission there, it was so difficult for me to leave the room due to the décor I was so in love with and above all the spectacular view of the Harbour. You almost wish it were your home.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, ornate with local craftsmansip are the magnificent Lake Palace Hotel in Udaipur and The Rambagh Palace in Jaipur with its beautiful gardens that make it difficult for me to go home.
designeers
Design hero:
esti
It is difficult to reduce the list to one name. I will shortlist some: Rene Lalique for his iconic Art Deco glassware; Mariano Fortuny, ‘The Magician of Venice’, for his innovative textiles, lightings and fashion design that still inspire fashion designers today and Erte, the Russian-born costume designer and avant-garde illustrator for Harper’s Bazar who worked in Paris. My books about these amazing people, with their now yellowed pages, are first things I would rescue in case of fire.
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