Margo Selby Runners

Margo Selby, as an artist/designer weaver, brings her unique colour and pattern sensibility to everything she does, and nowhere is this more showcased than in her runners. Art into industry – carpet runners are both form and function. A Margo Selby runner has a distinct style and is created-to-last in the highest quality sustainable materials, by technically expert artisans.

Margo Selby signature designs emerge from her deep knowledge of weaving processes and techniques. She draws inspiration from world textile culture, and quotes a broad range of visual references from the architectural to the graphic. Aesthetics developed on the handloom feed into the runner design process. Her recurring motifs: dots, diamonds and stripes, all feature in these rich and unique colour combinations.

For the production of runners, Margo Selby works directly in longstanding partnerships with weavers, tufters and knotters in India and Nepal. She is proud to engage traditional industries and unite her designs with their craftsmanship. Margo and other members of the studio have visited the weaving workshops – central to village life and local economies and communities – and her designs are often in response to the characteristics of their specific looms and tools, and unique innovative techniques. The aesthetic cultures of India and Nepal, in a broader sense, have always been a source of inspiration for Margo – a joyful response to colour and a celebration of pattern. These unique international exchanges are flourishing and nurtured by us.

“When I’m designing a runner, I treat the runner dimensions as my canvas to create a piece of functional art. The composition and colour add expression to a room while the textile construction adds softness and a tactile dimension.” – Margo Selby

Margo Selby studio work in 4 distinct ways for runners, each handmade using traditional artisan techniques:

● Hand Knotted

Our hand knotted runners, in 100% wool, or wool and silk together for lustre, are constructed on a warp using a traditional asymmetrical knotting technique; this creates a premium quality long lasting rug, with intricate design detail. The motifs can be hand-carved to create a 3-dimensional profile. Hand knotted runners are of the finest quality and tend to be weighty and floppy in structure. Two knot densities are possible, as determined by the design.

● Hand Tufted

Luxurious pile, tightly packed yarn – these runners are handmade on upright frames using a very precise technique of inserting and looping yarn tufts through a canvas backing, with handheld tools. Features of this method are the density of pile and crispness of line, with optional varied pile heights hand-carved to create a 3-dimensional effect.

● Hand Loom

Specific to orthogonal designs, warp-faced hand loom runners are traditionally woven on a horizontal loom. During the making process – a technique similar to that of velvet – makers insert rods into the warp, determining the depth of the pile height. Hand loom rugs may feature loop pile, cut pile or a mix of both; the resultant runner is dense and sumptuous.

● Flatweave

Kelim flat-woven runners – without a pile – are handwoven on a horizontal ground loom in either 100% wool or 100% Polyethylene Terephthalate yarn made from recycled bottles locally-sourced in India (rPET) suitable for indoor and outdoor use. Bobbins are passed back and forth to create inlaid motifs. This is a traditional rug-making technique that results in a lighter-weight, practical and beautiful floor covering.

The materials that go into weaving a Margo Selby runner are as important as the design and workmanship. Colour, texture, tactile feel and function are all factors we consider for each individual runner.

Margo Selby studio tends to work primarily in Indian Chokla wool for runners, local to production, but this can often be interchanged with recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate if a vegan alternative is preferred. Similarly the lustre provided by silk, that they combine with the wool, can be replaced with Tencel for a similar effect.

Margo Selby's materials and blends:

● Wool - Natural, durable, versatile.

● Wool and Silk - Luxurious textural quality, lustre.

● Wool and Tencel - Softness, depth of colour.

● Recycled Polyethylene Terephthalate (rPET) - Vegan, hard wearing, wool-like textural quality.

We advise customers to use a good quality anti-slip underlay. This prevents a runner from creasing and slipping on the floor – whether it is placed on a carpet or a hard surface.

An underlay also increases the longevity of a runner by cushioning it. It also protects against transference of dark colours or fibres from the back of the runner onto light coloured flooring or carpet underneath.

Vacuum occasionally with suction only; rotating brushes may cause damage.

Blot spills with a clean cloth, do not rub, do not use detergent. We recommend engaging the services of a rug or runner cleaning specialist.

Warning: due to the nature of wool some shedding will occur.