Kirsty Darby founded Tate and Darby after many years working for auction houses and for private art collections. Run from her home in Wiltshire, the company stocks classic, rare and quirky rugs that are handmade in time-honoured ways by artisans in Morocco and India. Many of them are one-off pieces, handpicked by Kirsty, others such as the jute rugs are all designed in house and form collections for each year. She concentrates on natural materials and sustainable design and likes to hope she is creating something different and something joyful for a client's home.
"Tate & Darby's style is probably bit eclectic - I love seeing a quirky rug work in a traditional setting. For me it's all about mixing it up, old and new. Although a rug has the ability to transform a room, it doesn't need to be a big bold statement, its inherent texture can be enough. A lot of our style and inspiration comes from art and nature, and our rugs reflect that."
"I offer a bespoke service on the jute rugs, these can be made to measure and clients can combine different elements from any of the styles and I am always happy to help them. The same applies to the classic Moroccan Beni Ourains which are made in women's cooperatives in the Atlas Mountains. These can be done in the traditional black/brown and white but also can be woven in many vibrant colours."
