Alexander &CO collaborated with Designer Rugs to blend heritage charm and modern comfort at Billy’s Ayrburn. With a brief calling for both a sense of luxury and a thoughtful response to the building’s unique history, every element was carefully considered by our team. Working together with the designers, we created a bespoke, hand tufted rug solution combining New Zealand Wool and Shiny Nylon, an inspired pairing that brought outstanding texture and subtle lustre to the project.
Navigating the challenges of a heritage space with uneven walls and strict preservation requirements, we delivered not just custom rugs, but a tailored flooring experience sculpted for the building’s every curve and character. Through precise templating and a passion for problem solving, we honoured the property’s past while delivering comfort, durability and sophistication worthy of this remarkable setting.
The vision for Billy’s Ayrburn was rooted in sophisticated luxury, brought to life within the storied walls of a heritage listed building. When Alexander &CO approached us, their brief was clear: the space needed a floor covering with a distinct, silky tactility, a sense of understated opulence that would elevate every step. Realising this vision, however, came with a set of unique challenges. First, achieving the lustrous, luxurious texture meant working with materials that could deliver both beauty and everyday durability in a high traffic space.
At the same time, we had to honour strict heritage protections, which ruled out traditional wall-to-wall carpet and required us to think creatively about installation. And, as with many historic properties, the geometry of the rooms was far from standard, with plenty of peculiar angles and non-parallel walls that called for a truly bespoke solution. In short, creating something that felt both precisely tailored and effortlessly integrated with the building’s character demanded an approach as thoughtful and layered as the space itself.
The project presented some unique creative opportunities:
Achieving that signature silky texture meant carefully selecting a material that could endure the demands of busy commercial life yet still deliver a sense of soft, luminous luxury underfoot. Wall-to-wall carpet, while initially desired, was ruled out in accordance with the property’s strict heritage protections nothing could be permanently fixed to the original structure.
This challenge inspired a more creative approach, where every solution had to respect both the building’s story and the client’s vision. The building itself, rich with history, offered its own set of quirks: no two rooms were quite the same, with uneven walls and irregular angles throughout. Rather than force a standard approach, we embraced these idiosyncrasies, understanding that custom shaped rugs were not simply preferable, but essential to achieving a seamless and authentic result.
Designer Rugs devised a tailored approach to meet these challenges head-on.
Meeting the brief for silkiness and enduring quality meant seeking out the perfect blend of materials. We chose to combine Shiny Nylon with pure New Zealand Wool, an inspired pairing that brought both luminous, luxurious texture and robust durability to the project. This fusion not only delivered an elegant, tactile appeal beneath every step but also stood up to the daily demands of a bustling commercial setting, ensuring beauty and longevity would go hand in hand.
With traditional wall-to-wall installation ruled out by heritage guidelines, our team embraced an inventive approach developing a bespoke “freelay” rug solution. Each broad rug was hand shaped to pause precisely 10 centimetres from the walls, delivering the refined illusion of fitted carpeting while honouring the building’s architectural legacy.
To execute this, the design team physically templated every single space. This ensured that despite the building's lack of square corners, the rugs would follow the unique contours of the room with millimetre perfect accuracy.
Working closely with Alexander &CO, we developed a design language unique to Billy’s Ayrburn. Advanced tufting techniques including petti point, striae stippling and stippling were integral to the design, creating depth and a layered, timeworn character that echoes the history and mood of the space.
Each handmade rug balances an aged sensibility with an elevated finish, delivering texture, movement and subtle richness. These techniques weren’t decorative additions but central to achieving the nuanced, tactile feeling envisioned for the project.
The result at Billy’s Ayrburn is a true showcase of what’s possible when creativity meets attention to detail. Our blend of Shiny Nylon and New Zealand Wool brings a gentle lustre and a sense of comfort to every step, catching the light in a way that elevates the entire atmosphere. The completed rugs don’t just sit within the space they become part of it, lending warmth, depth and a quietly luxurious finish that perfectly complements the building’s layered history and modern sensibility.
What might have been a compromise leaving a 10 centimetre gap between rug and wall quickly became a thoughtful design detail, elegantly framing the original heritage flooring and creating a gentle conversation between past and present. Our painstaking approach to templating meant the rugs appeared perfectly intentional, hugging every curve and tilt of the space for a bespoke fit that feels as if it was always meant to be there.
Billy’s Ayrburn stands as a testament to our dedication to thoughtful, adaptive design where even the most complex architectural challenges become opportunities for creative solutions. By uniting hand tufted techniques with a forward-thinking blend of Shiny Nylon and New Zealand Wool, we delivered custom rugs that don’t just meet aesthetic and practical requirements they elevate them. Every detail, from precise onsite templating to the subtlest sheen underfoot, honours both the client’s vision and the heritage of the space, creating a finish that’s as enduring as it is beautiful.
Custom rugs allow designers to specify flooring that is unique to the project, anchoring a well-made design that acts as a base for curated architectural choices. To incorporate a bespoke rug as part of your design, contact our dedicated sales team or call into one of our showrooms and chat with our experienced staff about the next steps.
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