Top Floor’s new Script collection by Esti Barnes launches today at the Goldsmiths Centre, London. It draws directly and accurately from the Arabic calligraphy of Hassan Massoudy with whom the carpet designer collaborated.
Top Floor’s new Script Collection by Esti Barnes launches today, 6 November at the Goldsmiths Centre, London. It draws directly and accurately from the Arabic calligraphy of Hassan Massoudy with whom the carpet designer collaborated.
Launch of Top Floor Calligraphy Script Carpet Collection by Esti Barnes
‘As a designer, and having grown up in Istanbul, I have always had a fascination for the classical forms of calligraphy,’ says Barnes. The characters used have been selected both for their aesthetic value and their poetic meaning. It was a difficult task to narrow down the thousands of works to the final few that feature on the nine rugs of the Script Collection: Patience, Peace, Dream, Earth, Fire, Water, Roots and Oh Friend! Each motif is tagged with a short proverb or line of verse, in a stylised Arabic script, words taken from the different cultures that inspired the original work. The rugs can be produced with the inclusion of these, or, to create a more abstract effect, without.
It was necessary to find the most talented of weavers to translate the patternation of ink on paper to that of knots in wool. Esti’s personal favourite is the subtle Roots. Subscribe to COVER to read more about the Script Collection collaboration in the upcoming Winter issue.
Roots – ‘Although you may not know where you are going, remember where you came from’ African saying, wool and silk
Earth (detail) – ‘Earth doesn’t belong to Man; it is man who belongs to the Earth’ Chief Seattle (1708 – 1866), wool and silk
Earth (detail)
Launch of Top Floor Calligraphy Script Carpet Collection by Esti Barnes
Colour and carving samples at the Top Floor showroom preview
Water – ‘In a fight between fire and water, fire always dies’, Spanish saying, 100% silk
Launch of Top Floor Calligraphy Script Carpet Collection by Esti Barnes
Peace runner, wool and silk
Advertisement
Advertisement
Advertisement
To mark 20 years of COVER magazine being at the centre of the rug industry, our Autumn issue will be a special COLLECTORS' EDITION. The covetable printed issue of COVER 80 will be accompanied by a FREE digital edition, available on the websites of media...
The second edition of COVER Connect New York drew to a close at lunchtime on Tuesday 13 September after an action packed two and a half days of business at the Metropolitan Pavilion in Manhattan. There was an incredibly positive atmosphere for the duration of the...
Artist rugs Heirloom quality Inspiring Design Library Golden Glints, All at Sea collection, Deirdre Dyson ‘During lockdown I was stuck on my boat for about three months. I had the sea all around me for...
Launching on 18th January 2022, COVER Curates is a new way for leading handmade rug brands to present their latest collections, developments and designs to buyers worldwide online. The concept has been specifically developed in consultation with key...
Ancestors, 2026, Faig Ahmed. Biennale Arte 2026. Image Courtesy of Faig Ahmed Studio. Photo by Riccardo Banfi Stages for the global art scene do not come much more revered than the Venice Art Biennale. Azerbaijan has been appearing on that stage since 2007. A line-up...
Casa del Aire project bedroom Interior design and rendering by Callies Design In 2025, the use of private jets hit record highs, meaning the need for luxury aviation design is a thriving business. Having fallen in love with planes at an early age, Pavina Callies-Papé...
Coral 103 with Lux finishing from Origins collectionSantos Monteiro Known as 'Carpet Tailors', Santos Monteiro has spent decades developing bespoke textile solutions for residential, hospitality and contract spaces, combining Portuguese textile savoir-faire with a...
Azerbaijan’s contribution to this year’s Venice Biennale is a stunning installation by Faig Ahmed. COVER Editor Lucy Upward takes a look at the installation and speaks to the artist
Blurring the boundaries between indoor and outdoor living, Portuguese brand Santos Monteiro unveils a new visual narrative for summer through its latest editorial photoshoot, captured at the breathtaking West Coast retreat Areias do Seixo
Whether inspired by Japanese philosophy, Mediterranean landscapes, modernist geometry or centuries-old weaving traditions, these new launches demonstrate how craftsmanship and innovation continue to shape the future of contemporary interiors
This week in COVER News: Igshaan Adams at the Guggenheim Bilbao, COVER 83 out now, registration opens for COVER Connect New York 2026, and a curated look at rug highlights from 3daysofdesign 2026 in Copenhagen.
This week in COVER News: Nourison Hospitality’s award recognition, ICFF’s move to November, Liberty Oriental Carpets’ departure, a preview of this year’s 3daysofdesign and a teaser for COVER 83
From romantic florals to Mediterranean-inspired textures and bold graphic designs, these six new rugs highlight the summer’s most exciting directions in contemporary craft and interiors
Drawing inspiration from the timeless beauty of the French Riviera, La Manufacture Cogolin’s latest collection, captures the atmosphere and landscapes of the Mediterranean through a series of richly textured, artisanal rugs
This week in COVER Weekly News, we highlight new showroom openings, leadership appointments and upcoming exhibitions at Venice Biennale and London Craft Week 2026
Denna Jones finds herself lavished with the newest form of maximalism in Palm Beach
DOMOTEX asia/CHINAFLOOR 2026 in Shanghai offers buyers a unique chance to discover the latest flooring innovations, connect with global suppliers and explore emerging Asian markets
