Carpet Design Awards 2009: Rewarding quality, creativity and innovative design in handmade carpets

– 140 products submitted from 18 countries

– Competition with a high international profile

– Prize money totalling 10,000 euros

Hanover. The 2009 Carpet Design Awards (CDA) were presented on the evening of 18 January 2009 under the aegis of DOMOTEX HANNOVER. Worth a total of 10,000 euros, the Carpet Design Awards are given in recognition of exceptional design, creativity and material quality in the “Handmade carpets and rugs” market. This year saw 140 carpets from 18 countries entered for the Carpet Design Awards. A panel of experienced and well known judges selected thirty carpets for a shortlist of finalists, allocating three carpets to each of the competition's ten categories. The winners were announced at the award presentation by Stephan Ph. Kühne, Member of the Board at Deutsche Messe AG, and Sebastian Ghandchi, Managing Director of Hali Publications. The high level of participation and the keen interest shown by exhibitors and visitors alike demonstrates that the Carpet Design Awards have come to be regarded as an important and vibrant element of DOMOTEX.

“The Carpet Design Awards are growing in importance from year to year. Once again, this year's competition was an improvement on last year in terms of the level of international interest. This underlines the fact that the Carpet Design Awards have been embraced not only in Europe but also on a worldwide level”, said Matthew Bourne, Chairman of the Judges.

Ben Evans, Editor of “HALI” and “modern carpets & textiles for interiors”, commented: “All 30 carpets that made the final round excelled in terms of innovative design and craftsmanship. The Carpet Design Awards demonstrate the talent and skills within our trade, and are therefore of particular importance for the handmade carpet segment of the market.”

Winners of the CDA not only gain financially, but also benefit from the opportunity of having their award-winning products presented in a special publication that is made available to contestants as well as interested representatives of the trade and the media. In other words, the manufacturers and designers of the winning products are promoted as trendsetters and enjoy the attention of the trade. All 30 products which reached the final round of the Carpet Design Awards remain on display until Tuesday in a special exhibition housed in Hall 15. Visitors to the exhibition can also vote for their favourite product and take part in a special competition. Visitors who vote for their favourite exhibit by Monday evening stand the chance of winning a hotel voucher for a stay in a hotel belonging to the Marriott Group.

The winners

Category 1: Best Modern Design < €100 m²
Zollanvari AG, Deco Gabbeh

Comment: Beautiful colour, design and modernity... great architectural balance… dynamic and harmonious

Category 2: Best Modern Design €100 m² – €250 m²
Zollanvari AG, Broken Waves

Comment: Very easy to place and sell… beautiful colours, design and quality

Category 3: Best Modern Design > €250 m²
Werner Weber, Noor

Comment: The chromatic combination is fantastic… to create this kind of movement is not easy… it's wonderful!

Category 4: Best Traditional Nomadic Design < €150 m²
Heidarian Carpet, Setareh

Comment: The clear winner… the nomadic tradition is truly expressed in the diamonds… well controlled colour and exceptionally woven

Category 5: Best Traditional Nomadic Design > €150 m²
Aghamiri Persian Rugs, Tacheh: Bakhtiari

Comment: A beautiful interpretation of a truly traditional nomadic design… the quality is incredible!

Category 6: Best Traditional Workshop/Formal Design
Heidarian Carpet, Sarvy

Comment: Wonderful movement… very well drawn and balanced… they have gone a step further in perfecting the quality of this production...

Category 7: Best Antique Carpet
Bereket Hali, Tulu

Comment: The genuine thing and very rare… a real old Tulu full of charm and character with even the old restorations intact

Category 8: Best Collection Modern
Zoe Luyendijk Studio, Inc., City Collection

Comment: They work as real rugs… a lot of subtlety and visual texture… beautiful variety of colours...

Category 9: Best Collection Traditional
Jan Kath Design GmbH, Le Maroc Blanc

Comment: A sensitive, innovative and cohesive collection... it is hard to successfully reproduce this simplicity… beautiful wool and texture…

Category 10: Best Innovation
Zollanvari AG, Pointillism

Comment: A wonderful innovation... a total eye catcher... it's fantastic!