Floor Show

‘Ceremony’, by David Caon and Christopher Farr.

- Christopher Stocks

For Australian designer David Caon’s first project for Handmade, we introduced him to the British pioneer of contemporary rugs, Christopher Farr. Their response to our theme of Wellness + Wonder was predictably unpredictable, combining the very Milanese concept of the aperitivo with Japanese tea ceremonies, woven together – in this case quite literally – by Christopher Farr’s long experience at the cutting edge of textile design. ‘Ceremony’, as the final product came to be called, comprises an ultramarine rug, supported by aluminium armatures so that each end becomes half-rug, half-chair, plus a matching side table that also functions as a storage unit or ice bucket.

Caon launched his Sydney studio in 2009 after several years working in Paris with fellow Australian Marc Newson. ‘Ceremony’, though, was inspired by his design apprenticeship in Milan, where he worked with Memphis co-founder George Sowden. ‘Milan is where I was introduced to the tradition of aperitivo,’ Caon says, ‘and I found it such a lovely way to end the day. I think it’s part of Italian culture, where if you’re going to drink, of course you must eat something.