Wilton Carpets’ Ethereal collection heads to The Imperial Banqueting Suite

355 250 Hamish Kilburn
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Wilton Carpets has expanded into the wedding venue Preston’s Imperial Banqueting Suite…

The Ethereal collection of wool-rich woven axminster by Wilton Carpets has inspired a new floor for the mezzanine at Preston’s Imperial Banqueting Suite, a new wedding venue inspired by Dubai’s luxury hotels.

The space, which is capable of accommodating up to 950 guests, boasts fascinating interiors that includes geometric Islamic art throughout in bespoke fret work, brass lanterns and gilded brass reception area bars, which was designed by Petal Interiors.

“As soon as I saw the Ethereal collection from Wilton Carpets, I was adamant that it would take a role in one of my projects,” said Nita Patel, creative designer.

“The mezzanine level at the Imperial proved the perfect canvas, capturing the beauty of design in full. Fortunately, as soon as I presented it on mood boards for the scheme, the client loved it too.”

Having decided on Ethereal, Patel worked with Wilton’s design team, led by the creator of Ethereal, Damian Roscoe, to recolour her chosen design. “The right colours were crucial in ensuring we could get the correct balance and capture every detail of the stunning pattern. Wilton’s designers were amazing in helping me to achieve this, while also working within the confines of the interior scheme,” added Patel.

Once the colourway had been chosen, the next stage saw the development of the bespoke carpets that was used on the stairs, landing areas and rooms. Since the stairs required safety treads, clarity was a clear requirement for the company.

Patel continued: “A heavy pattern would have made stair treads hard to see, so this design was more about texture and colour. Using the same palette created for the main carpet helped to create flow, yet also allowed me to define specific tasks – blue for the stairs and landings, and a taupe for the immediate adjoining rooms.”

Woven by Wilton Carpets from British wool in a performance 80/20 blend, the carpets provide the ideal combination for wear-resistance, ease of maintenance and value.

Hamish Kilburn / 22.10.2018

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