Rooms within a room with Wilton Carpets Commercial

150 150 Daniel Fountain
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Woven axminster carpets from Wilton Carpets Commercial now create a homely feel for patrons, cleverly breaking up the large open floorplan of The Old Ball pizza kitchen and bar in Horsforth, Leeds for The Orchid Pub Group.Selected by Rob Matthews of design practice Matthews Mee Ltd for its track record of delivering beautiful traditionally-influenced carpets, Wilton Carpets Commercial has provided some 200 square metres of bespoke eight-row axminster broadloom carpet throughout the bar and restaurant area. Utilising the company’s Optimum colour palette, which includes vibrant jewel tones mixed with inviting neutrals, the carpets provide the destination with a floor that evokes a feeling of warmth and familiarity.

“When considering the design of open-plan interiors, we take a ‘rooms within a room’ approach to combat an institutional or overtly cold atmosphere that is an inherent problem in large interiors such as The Old Ball, explains Rob Matthews of Matthews Mee Ltd. “It is a trick that many of us will be unknowingly familiar with, because if you’ve ever sat in a ‘snug’, this is the exact same concept used by traditional public houses for many years.

“There are several methods we use to achieve this, but we always start with the flooring as it has a huge impact on the feel of a particular space. Working closely with Wilton’s design team, we created two designs; an oversize paisley style and a fleur-de-lys inspired pattern, using the Optimum palette to give a contemporary edge. At first the designs appear traditional, giving the floor that all-important feeling of warmth, but they are also perfectly coordinated with other elements in each space. The result is one of individuality in each area or ‘room’, but with an aesthetic that remains balanced throughout the entire open-plan layout. The finished interior has met our client’s brief of an inviting, familiar and homely place to dine and relax for its patrons.”

Manufactured at Wilton’s Wiltshire facility, the bespoke broadloom carpet was produced in a high performance eight-row 80% wool, 20% nylon construction for wear resistance and appearance retention, helping the carpet to perform in a modern and busy hospitality environment. Using Wilton Carpets Commercial’s Optimum colour palette, Matthews Mee Design was able to facilitate a 28-day turnaround bespoke carpet, while retaining the creative flexibility of 12 individual colours.

For further information contact Wilton Carpets Commercial on 01722 746000 or sales@wiltoncarpets.com

Daniel Fountain / 11.11.2013

Editor, Hotel Designs

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Fun fact: I’m usually the person friends rely on to organise trips, schedules, and group plans.

Workhighlights: Successfully coordinating events from planning through to delivery and seeing everything come together on the day.

Fun fact: I’m a keen cyclist and will happily bore people with copious amounts of cycling chat. My top cycling experience (so far) would have to be riding in the spectacular mountains of Crete.

Work highlights: Charles joined Forum Events in 2022. With a background in publishing, editorial media and events, Charles brings a wealth of experience to his role as Senior Production Manager. Having being involved with SPACE from the outset, he is excited to see the brand grow and develop.

Fun fact: People tell Sienna she gives off Bridget Jones vibes, and she loves to bake, always making sure there are shortbreads floating around the office

Work highlights: Sienna joined Forum Events & Media Group while studying Communications and Media, starting in the sales team where she managed and helped launch the first the PA Life Leading Venues of London SHOWCASE, where she built relationships with luxury venues across the capital. Drawn to the stories behind these spaces, she naturally transitioned into the editorial team, creating social media and editorial content. Upon graduating in June 2026, she is excited to be joining as Assistant Editor for Hotel Designs and SPACE.

Fun fact: When not working, Jess can usually be found tending to her kitchen garden in the Sussex countryside or foraging for herbs in the nearby woods. A keen grower, she recently studied a RHS Level 2 Diploma in the Principles of Horticulture during her spare time.

Work highlights: Jess joined SPACE magazine in 2022 and has since progressed from Assistant Editor to Editor. During this time, she has worked across many aspects of the publication – from shaping editorial strategy and overseeing operations to contributing to art direction and representing the brand on stage at industry events including Surface Design Show and WOW!house.

Alongside her role at SPACE, Jess has built a creative career spanning the arts, culture, design and travel sectors. Prior to joining the magazine, she spent more than a decade in the commercial art industry, in artist liaison, gallery management, and curating collections for the hospitality sector across hotels and cruise ships. During this time, she also worked on freelance projects as a writer, photographer, and creative content producer.
 
Jess studied photojournalism at London College of Communication and the Danish School of Media and Journalism and holds a first-class BA (Hons) in Culture, Criticism and Curation from Central Saint Martins.

Fun fact: Katy has spent years perfecting all kinds of accents and loves a good impersonation!

Work highlights: Katy has been with Hotel Designs since the beginning, way back in 2015 when Forum Events & Media Group acquired the brand.

During this time, she has fostered many meaningful relationships with clients from across the hospitality spectrum, as well as playing a pivotal role in the launch of The Brit List Awards, Hotel Designs MEET UPs, client-led roundtables and panel talks, brand and website redesigns, HD Wellness Sets, DESIGN POD podcast, Hotel Designs LIVE panel talk series, Accessible Design Talks and more. Katy is always on the lookout for the next opportunity to help grow the Hotel Designs brand even further.
 
Most recently Katy has stepped in to the role of Publisher at SPACE magazine, the printed bi-monthly publication focused on hotel design, architecture, and development.

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