Hug Rug x Sally Swannell

We've been working on something exciting... 

Introducing our collaboration with Sally Swannell, bringing a curated collection of thoughtfully designed pieces into your home. Designed to be loved, enjoyed and used, this collaboration is one of the first in our brand new Aura range, made in the UK from recycled nylon and featuring a ultra-soft finish, it adds cosiness underfoot and character to your living space. In addition to this brand new launch, we're also expanding our selection of UK Made Outdoor mats with two of Sally's wonderful designs! 

We're delighted to be collaborating with Sally, an artist dedicated to wildlife conservation and whose work celebrates the best our countryside has to offer. This month, we invited Sally to guest write on this blog, so you can get to know her and her lovely designs a little better!

Beauty for the Everyday, By Sally Swannell

A deep love for home and nature has always been my guiding north star. When I was ten years old, my parents purchased an old, tumbledown cottage that desperately needed repair, care, and attention. As part of an army family, this was our eighth move, yet it was the very first place that truly felt like home. It had thick, sturdy walls, characterful wonky floors, squirrels nesting in the thatch roof, and a large garden with undergrowth eight feet high, entangled with brambles and nettles. In my eyes, it was nothing short of magical. It was there that I first discovered my profound fascination with nature. The cottage was visited by a vibrant cast of characters: birds, field mice, rabbits, bats, owls, pheasants, and foxes, all accompanied by a cacophony of birdsong. There was also a beautiful chalk stream down the road where I spent many an afternoon watching water voles, and observing the comings and goings of ducks, swans, dragonflies, and all manner of other creatures.

I believe our connection to nature and our homes is deeply personal and different for everyone. It lives in our much-cherished objects, paintings, pieces of furniture, ornaments, plants and wildlife in the garden; in the way light filters through a window, the sounds of footfall across a floor, and that specific feeling of relief when you walk through the door. A sense of place, and everything in its place, has a unique way of grounding us. In a creative sense, I think of home as much as a feeling of what feels right, and joyful, a place within ourselves and the physical space where we live, where we can truly own our unique creative expression.

There are countless ways we can achieve this at home by bringing beauty into the everyday through art. This can happen through the use of designs on ordinary household products that we wouldn’t necessarily associate with art or beauty in the first instance. I am a big fan of William Morris, and his famous quote “Have nothing in your houses that you do not know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful” is, for me, a good adage to live by.

Hug Rug stood out to me immediately as a fantastic brand to collaborate with. They are an innovative family business, a home-grown British brand that still manufactures on their original site in Huddersfield, which is increasingly unusual in these times. I feel that shared values are paramount in any collaboration: environmental policy, thoughtful product design, longevity, family values, and a truly collaborative approach from design and sampling through to marketing, PR, and ultimately sales. These are the elements that made this partnership a brilliant fit. It is really important to me that my work sits well on a product and remains true as much as is possible, allowing for resizing, materials, and manufacturing processes, ensuring the pieces look coherent across a range. I am truly happy that we have achieved this together in the creation of this new collection.

I am fascinated by production methods and am already familiar with paper printing and how my work and colours translate onto different types of board. Now, I am learning more about how my art interacts with textiles. I love to adapt my work in different ways and genuinely enjoy the creative process. So, it was really exciting to see my work move in a totally new direction, taking on a more practical, everyday use. It was fascinating to see how this collection worked and developed, particularly with different textures and finishes. I was thrilled with the level of detail and colour accuracy that was possible. It is so good to see artwork on a practical product; it is a great way of bringing beauty and colour into the everyday. I like to think of it as part of the little joys we can create for ourselves on a daily basis. I have things in my home that I smile at regularly, and if this collection can do that for other people, I will feel that it is a job very well done.

The inspiration for this collection, as always, is home and nature. The designs in my mind are all about bringing the outdoors indoors (literally!). It is a mix of home, garden, and the wildlife that lives alongside us. The appeal lies in gentle, rural-based images and colours, for people who love the beauty of nature and also care deeply about their impact on it. This collection would appeal to those who live a rural life, as well as those who don’t but who would love to bring a piece of the beautiful outdoors into their homes.

I think Hug Rug floor mats and runners are exceptionally well-designed, featuring integrated non-slip backings, and they are fully washable! A practical, sustainable product that has longevity and also looks lovely is a no-brainer for me. Mats and runners look great anywhere, and they can add really lovely details to utility spaces like boot rooms and cloakrooms. I have mine by the front door, in the kitchen, and in the conservatory. I love runners and rugs in the kitchen, especially in front of the cooker; they can finish off a space beautifully. I also really love having softness around my home; I’ve designed it as a gentle, welcoming space. Having comfort underfoot can make all the difference when you need to relax and put the day to rest, and Hug Rug’s Soft Aura range has a beautifully soft feel. I’m very happy that my designs are on them.