Umesh, Anson and Te Ari at ADW 2025, with our custom NZ wool rug designed by Te Ari and made by Heritage Carpets.
The process of creating our stand for Auckland Design Week 2025, themed Chance and Change, was a truly collaborative journey. Founder of Heritage Carpets, Umesh Dayal, worked with architect and artist Te Ari Prendergast to design a concept that embodied the theme—one that we could bring to life in carpet. With expert craftsmanship from Anson at Spacebar Design, the design extended beyond the floor, flowing up the face of the cabinetry that formed part of our installation at the Design Depot.
As advocates for sustainable design, every material and method used by our collaborators had to align with our shared environmental values. The final piece of the puzzle? A Cleanstone inlay, made right here in Aotearoa from recycled plastics.
TRADITION MEETS INNOVATION
Tradition: A Story Woven in Wool
Our custom rug design represents Te Nekeneke Tuna— the eel traverses the land to return to the sea, from fresh water to salt water, adapting as the environment changes and barriers are met on the journey. Te Nekeneke Tuna speaks to resilience, innovation and new beginnings through a leap of faith.
Thanks goes to architect and artist Te Ari Prendergast for creating the story, from the original sketches in that café to Digi-art we could weave into our extraordinary custom rug.
Our custom rug is traditionally made by hand using 100% New Zealand wool, a natural, sustainable material.
Innovation: A New Kind of Sustainability
In contrast to the hand-tufted wool of our custom rug, our new product, Econa, tells a different sustainability story. Econa is a cut-pile broadloom carpet made in Aotearoa New Zealand using ECONYL® 100% recycled nylon yarn, sourced from waste including discarded fishing nets, manufacturing waste and old carpet yarn. By shipping just the yarn instead of finished carpet to New Zealand, we reduce our carbon footprint. Plus, ECONYL® yarn is Cradle to Cradle-certified, meaning it can be endlessly recycled.
Let’s Talk Sustainable Carpets
We’d love to chat with you about our custom rug and broadloom services and how we can support your project with industry-leading sustainable materials and manufacturing – and weaving your own story into a bespoke carpet.
CONTACT US TO DISCUSS BRINGING YOUR DESIGNS TO LIFE
Have an idea but not a designer? FIND OUT ABOUT CUSTOM RUGS BY MIRANDA BROWN
Looking for a recycled nylon carpet solution for resi or light commercial? FIND OUT ABOUT ECONA
