Designer Deirdre Dyson shares her secrets to styling rugs – like a piece of art

The season's latest unorthodox trend has emerged – and it's a craze that will unite art lovers and interior enthusiasts alike. 

The fine art carpet trend is a beautiful one, and incredibly easy to get wrong. All of which make these pieces unapologetically appealing. However, as intriguing as the world of carpet art and fabric walls may sound, we're not rushing to embrace this trend until we receive interior design tips from the experts.

Leading the way in carpet design is fine artist and fabric expert Lady Deirdre Dyson, who has designed stylish contemporary carpets and rugs for over two decades. Every year, she releases a new themed collection, and this year is no exception. 

Deirdre Dyson's newest carpet named the Melting Sun epitomizes carpet – with its exquisite blend of 22 colors that portray the aesthetic of a fading sun across our floors and walls. The process of creating carpets that double as art pieces – and are suitable to hang from our walls – is even more complex than nailing this trend, but the results are even more impressive, especially once you know how to choose a rug with this expert advice.

Deirdre produced a short film for H&G, which gives us an exclusive preview of the intricacies of a fine art carpet – and the intricacies behind the design process – see below.

How to style carpet walls – according to Deirdre Dyson  

'There is definitely an interest in wall pieces, and I have made some low pile works and framed them, such as Shatter, which hangs in my new Paris Gallery. In my latest Paper & Stone collection, I have included three stone-themed wall hanging panels, which would look good in stairwells or just round a corner to give interest,' Deirdre explains. 

How to make your carpet the center of your home gallery

Deirdre also offers her tips for transforming our homes by choosing furniture strategically and making the carpet the focal point of your 'exhibition'. 

'I believe that furniture placement is important. For example, the carpet might be at the center of a seating area so that it becomes the centerpiece – carpets should be seen and not hidden. I prefer glass coffee tables so the carpet is still visible.'

'If there is a table on the carpet, I make sure that the important part of the design is not in the middle,' she adds. 

Plus, instead of using carpets to turn a home into a gallery, Deirdre refers to an occasion where a gallery turns into a home, using 'furniture, paintings, and carpets' to inspire its visitors. 

'There are many exhibitions that produce collections like this, and we are lucky to be invited to be part of them. Many people who love contemporary works collect pieces and create their homes around them,' she explains. 

Are carpet walls the new gallery walls? With the Melting Sun carpet set to launch in autumn, we would certainly suggest so. 

How are fine art carpets designed? 

In the discussion of her creative process, Deirdre shares that the piece stems from a theme. 'It is actually becoming more and more difficult to come up with something new. If I can think of three possible designs for a theme, I know that this is enough to continue thinking about other ideas,' she explains. 

With the theme in mind, Deirdre chooses the colors that will transform the carpet from a furnishing to a piece of fine art.

'I let ideas float around for quite a while, mulling each one over with vague colors in my head before drawing anything. I draw, then color each design, then check them all to make sure that each is different enough to hold interest on its own, but at the same time work together hanging as a group,' she says. 

Deirdre then decides on the materials and the name, because as with all art, the name is one of the most important – and memorable – elements. 

Will your next art investment come in the form of a carpet or rug? We expect that, like traditional art forms, these beautiful pieces will continue to captivate for centuries to come.