Unique Art on the Floor
Meet award-winning designer Jenny Jones.
IN PARTNERSHIP WITH Jenny Jones Rugs • STORY Elizabeth Clarke
Antique Filigree Rug in Aqua. Photo by Jody D’Arcy.
In high-end interiors, where every detail speaks volumes about sophistication and style, one element often reigns supreme – the meticulously designed rug. It is the pièce de résistance, serving as the foundational canvas that establishes the parameters of colour and design, simplifying and fulfilling the entire production process. In the hands of Perth's award-winning rug designer, Jenny Jones, these rugs are nothing short of breathtaking art.
"My creative journey is my narrative, my artistry unfolds not on a traditional canvas and easel but through the intricate individual knots – a tapestry of textures that breathes my stories into my art," she says.
For Jenny Jones, a rug transcends its utilitarian role; it embodies art, colour, texture, and craftsmanship. She views the floor as not just a foundation but a room's fifth wall – a canvas waiting to be adorned. Each rug she creates serves as a frame that dictates the pace and personality of a space. The magic, she believes, lies in the seamless fusion of colours and textures – the basis of both art and interiors.
A visit to the Jenny Jones showroom is like a trip to an art gallery. Drawing on memories, travel, culture and nature, each rug features stunning imagery with a modern feel, resulting in a visually intoxicating artwork easily incorporated into any interior scheme.
Wabi-Sabi Rug in Spice. Photo by Dulux.
When working with a client, Jenny engages in a conversation that delves into their lifelong connection with colour. It's a careful process of extracting the hues that have resonated with them throughout their life. These colours, she believes, serve as the beating heart of her creative process. In her artistic arsenal, Jenny wields eight colour palettes, ranging from rich, earthy metallics and soft, silver greys to moss greens, warm spice tones and deep Atlantic blues. Once she works out the client’s spectrum, she drops their colour story into the artwork so they can see which design they like through their favourite colour. "Colour is everything, and we all have one!" Jenny says.
Flexibility is the key to Jenny's design approach. Her adaptability allows her to merge diverse elements, enabling florals to coexist with ancient motifs within the same hand-knotted silk and wool canvas. It's a strategy that bridges personal preferences, ensuring each rug tells a unique story while preserving harmony. "Flexibility is essential for scenarios where a husband likes one design and the wife likes another," she laughs.
The international award-winning designer says her dyslexia helps her design process. "My designs reflect my emotions and come from feelings and memories; it’s my visual storytelling," she says. For example, the Kimberley range is a nod to WA's so-named rich, rugged landscape, while a beloved Japanese friend inspired the Kimono design. Her Motif line finds inspiration in Lorenzo Lotto, a 15th century Italian artist who always included a section of his rugs in his paintings. "I borrow his motifs but modernise them with high and low tonal silks," she says.
Secret Paradise Rug in Atlantic/Oyster. Photo by Timothy Kaye.
Everlasting Rug in Duckegg.
Jenny compares rug design to painting or sculpture, but says it's far more time-consuming. "I spend months on CAD [computer-aided drawing], designing and creating technical drawings that are sent to my hand-knotting artisans in India and Nepal," she explains. "Their individual hand-knotting process is meticulous, intricate and labour-intensive – just one rug can include 800,000 to 3,000,000 individual knots and be completed by over 180 hands! Creating a rug takes real dedication. It's a true labour of love.”
Jenny's passion for rugs began after spending time in Zimbabwe in the 1980s working for Australian Aid with her husband, Dennis. After briefly returning to Australia, the couple went back to Africa with their small children to then trek to Turkey. Here, they discovered illiterate women weaving their stories through the most extraordinary rugs.
"I fell instantly in love and felt connected to these women through their stories told with colour, texture, motifs and meanings,” says Jenny. “It allowed me to see that this could be my creative outlet, so we bought half a container-load and headed back to Perth!"
After selling her range of Turkish rugs, Jenny launched her eponymous line of custom rugs, hand-woven and knotted in sumptuous natural fibres by artisans in India and Nepal. She has created a staggering 1789 custom bespoke pieces over the past 25 years and has a collection of her art pieces in her Perth and Melbourne showrooms.
Bottlebrush Rug in Naturals.
Antique Filigree Rug in Aqua. Photo by Jody D’Arcy.
Jenny's Wildflower collection is a standout and recalls her as a child running through the fields of Everlastings on her family farm. "I adore the architectural shape of wildflowers with their spikes, stems, knots and threads," she enthuses. "They are wildly beautiful." Native blooms like Sturt’s desert pea, eucalyptus and grevillea flourish in unexpected ways and, scaled-up, they create an impact that is true flower power and turns any space into a naturescape.
The Governor of New South Wales, Her Excellency Margaret Beazley, commissioned Jenny to design and produce her Banksia and Bottlebrush rugs, which now grace the floors of NSW Government House, providing international visitors and dignitaries with the feeling of being immersed in the Australian bush and history.
Jenny’s rugs are more than mere floor coverings; they are intricate works of art. The pricing is determined by the silk content, which can be 75 - 90 percent, particularly in the luxe range. While they may be perceived as expensive compared to some competitors, a closer look reveals that they are keenly priced when considering the percentage of silk, superior quality of materials in general, the intricate hand-knotted technique, and the unparalleled artistry that goes into each piece.
“I recommend comparing one of our rugs to a competitor's, considering factors like silk percentage, knotting quality, materials and finishing,” says Jenny. “Pay attention to the exclusive, one-of-a-kind designs synonymous with Jenny Jones Rugs; they are true works of art. You'll likely discover that our pricing is quite competitive, given that you're investing in a truly unique piece of art.”
Jenny’s next collection sees a variety of wildflowers brought to the floor in every colour and shape. "I can't wait to design a rug that is a bouquet of WA wildflowers," she says excitedly. "It's important to keep dreaming up new designs and freshening up my existing collections so each one is unique. My clients collect my rugs, so I never mass-produce them. Just like a cashmere jumper, they last for decades and, like beautiful art, they never go out of style."
"My creative journey is my narrative, my artistry unfolds not on a traditional canvas and easel but through the intricate individual knots – a tapestry of textures that breathes my stories into my art."
— Jenny Jones
Visit Jenny Jones Rugs
6 Stirling Road, Claremont
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