As two becomes three, we thought now was a great time to catch up with the design team at Modieus and hear what they might be working on next…
Modieus is Dutch for fashionable, which is a fitting name for a company that is driven by creativity and dedicated to supplying some of the most design-driven commercial flooring in the market. Having frequently interviewed the talented design duo behind Modieus, keeping us on top of the trends, we thought now was a great time to catch up with the expanding team and hear what they might be working on next.
Image credit: Modieus
Marijke Arkley joined the team at the beginning of February this year. She’s worked in carpet design in both Melbourne and Sydney since 2008 after completing her Bachelor of Arts in Textile Design at RMIT. Now based in Melbourne, it was lovely to hear that she’s clearly thrilled to be joining the talented design studio at Modieus. We asked her what is is about carpet design that she loves.
“I love the scale of carpet design – it’s exciting drawing the design into floor plans and to see the installation come alive,” explained Arkley. ” It’s wonderful to collaborate with different clients to realise their vision for a space.”
Her in-depth knowledge of carpet design and weaving constructions comes from working for brands like Brintons, Feltex and Signature Floors, and importantly her five years teaching Weave at RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology) in the Textile Design program. It’s clear that she has always loved weaving and constructing textiles, which makes her the perfect fit in a team who have created unique rug collections like the Makers Mark which is inspired by the process of making art.
Image credit: Modieus
“I’m drawn to geometrics and bright colours and love playing with unexpected colour combinations and palettes,” added Arkley. This bodes well for the new collection the team are working on, to be launched later this year.
How does a designer relax, we asked? “When I’m not designing carpet, I love to visit galleries, sip on dry gin martinis with friends and check out new restaurants.” Sounds like a perfect reason for Hotel Designs to take a trip down under!
Image credit: Modieus
Based in Sydney, Hotel Designs has interviewed Leah Manwaring several times over the past few years. It’s always inspiring to interview a textile designer who has been creating patterns and design solutions for industry leaders in the home and interiors markets for over 20 years. Manwaring’s designs combine her love of creating graphic patterns and exciting colour stories for many types of products.
Over the years, she has developed designs for luxury carpets, rugs, and wallpapers for leading international design companies like Brintons and de Gournay before joining Modieus 5 years ago. She has also worked for Charles Parsons in the design and manufacture of bed linen for the retail market.
“Modieus is where we weave stories beneath your feet, one vibrant yarn at a time,” enthused Manwaring. “I’ve found the perfect match for my skills. For me, designing carpets and rugs is a play of textures, each layer adding depth and intrigue. Designing with a kaleidoscope of colour.I love being a part of a team,” she added, “and having worked with both Deb and Marijke in previous roles is the bees’ knees.”
What does someone who loves their day job do in their spare time? “If there is any spare time, I’m screen-printing fabrics in my studio”. And we’ve seen evidence of this in the wonderful collections launched like Impressions which is all about adding handmade detailing in Axminster carpet.
Image credit: Modieus
As the first designer to join Modieus, Debra Ryan has shared the inspiration behind Modieus trends and collections many times. Every time we speak it’s clear that she thrives on challenges and pushing the creative boundaries. She is a decisive and dynamic designer who is trend focused, so it comes as no surprise that Ryan has successfully provided leadership in design and product development for projects nationally and globally with more than 23 years expertise in designing beautiful carpets and rugs, having worked at international brands such as Brintons and Godfrey Hirst and Feltex.
When we asked how she spent her time away from carpet and rug design; “My spare time is spent cheering on my two teenage sons in all their sporting adventures, catching up with friends and family while enjoying a gin in the sun.”
Image credit: Modieus
Ryan has a natural aptitude at building client relationships, realising the design brief and achieving the clients design vision. In her own words; “There’s nothing more fulfilling than nailing the client’s brief, leaving them with an amazing piece of artwork on the floor”.
We have followed many of the amazing projects the Modieus team has worked on over the years, including The Royce Hotel Melbourne and Voco Melbourne Central and we look forward to seeing what this design dream-team throws underfoot, as 2024 rolls out.
Modieus is one of our Recommended Suppliers and regularly features in our Supplier News section of the website. If you are interested in becoming one of our Recommended Suppliers, please email Katy Phillips.
Main image credit: Modieus
