Oliver James Mayes

Proving the power of social, Simon discovered Oliver on his regular scroll through the delights of Instagram and he was immediately fascinated by the powerful imagery running through his work.

Oliver studied graphic design at the world famous Central St Martins College and once graduated gained invaluable experience at leading creative studios such as Research Studios & Why Not Associates. Embarking on an artist residency at Tara Books in India, Oliver discovered a new connection with local craftspeople and through this his own collection of Kashmiri Numdah rugs.

Simon saw a natural synergy with the works at the Designer Collection and so was delighted to welcome Oliver to the FLOOR_STORY collective. And in the spirit of keeping things different and fresh, Oliver’s striking designs are created in a slightly different way to the rest of the collection.

Making

Oliver’s designs are still hand crafted in India, but are based upon the traditional Numdah technique, compared to the Tibetan and Persian techniques elsewhere in the Designer Collection.

The creation really is remarkably different, with the design of the rug cut from wool felt and laid upside down on a jute base, with the felt evenly spread for a consistent density and covering. Another layer of wool is laid on this and sprinkled with water, before being rolled tighter over time, squeezing the water out and drying into the beautiful creations from Oliver James Mayes.