Deanna Comellini

She trained in the artistic environment of Bologna in the 1970s. She studied art. She became involved the world of design. And in 1977, after some experiences with Italian masters of the time, she took a chance and started her own company, G.T.DESIGN. Deanna Comellini is the brand’s designer and artistic director. Over the course of her career, she has collaborated with major brands and names from the world of architecture, such as Maddalena De Padova, Cassina, Cappellini, Zanotta and Zaha Hadid, among others. With a philosophical and creative spirit, Deanna has designed such timeless collections as Kama and Coconutrug. But to become a timeless piece, "choosing a rug is difficult if you want to make a choice that will stand the test of time and fashion”. For the artist, rugs are "an integral part of the design of a space”, because they "give light and character to a room”. And, of course, they should stand the test of time.

When did your passion for creating/designing rugs come about?
My passion for rugs stems from a long reflection on life. After working with other objects in the house, I gradually realised that, for me, the rug was the essential element for building and experiencing an environment. 

What can people expect when they come to G.T.DESIGN?
An encounter with a world striving for authenticity. 

You work with various architects. What inspires you when coming up with the layout of each piece?
In order to create custom products, you first need to know the essence of the project. You need the technical elements (the building layout, the dimensions, the type of use it will be put to), but you also need to have a dialogue with the architect to understand the spirit and philosophy of the project. In this way, you can study solutions suited to each context and not simply "adapt” something that already exists. 

What message can a rug convey when it gets to the client?
We are a family business. For us, being a brand has never meant mass-producing objects. The rug becomes making a small dream come true, which perfectly fits in the design. Our identity originates from our passion for our work, which lies in the attention to detail, in the authenticity of our productions and in the pleasure of making products that are out of the ordinary. And the rug that the customer receives becomes the means of communicating this philosophy. We have always used artisan techniques, because we are convinced that – just as in the story of Pinocchio, material comes to life thanks to the hand of man –, our products are also full of emotion and stories to tell. Our mission is to produce objects of outstanding ethical, aesthetic and technical quality, with full respect for man and the environment. 

You have created pieces for residential, commercial and public spaces... How do you personalise rugs to best suit each surface?
Depending on the use, the same product can be made with different materials, for example, with higher performance or certified materials for public spaces, in the case of a commercial or public space. However, in general, rather than adapting a product to various uses, I like to design products ad-hoc, that is to work with structures designed exactly for their end use.

What was the collaboration that made the biggest impression on you?
Meeting up with Maddalena De Padova was without doubt the first turning point in my career. Maddalena De Padova was probably the first to understand my work and, in fact, offered to distribute my first collection. The challenge was to abandon sales under the De Padova name and to continue building my career as a designer and as a company, independently. With that first collection of coconut fibre rugs, I gained my first major international recognition and began collaborating with established design brands (Cassina, Cappellini, De Padova and Zanotta were the first brands to use my products in their showrooms and catalogues). More recently, the collaboration with Zaha Hadid’s studio was one of the greatest professional challenges I’ve faced to date. I had the opportunity to collaborate on the interior design for the 1000 Museum Miami project, and this was probably the most complex project I’ve ever been involved in because, apart from the technical aspects, the creative expectations were extremely high, as you can imagine. However, the collaboration was a success and not only did I design the floors ad-hoc together with the Hadid studio, but we designed them to be integrated as practically architectural components of the project. 

What brands or names have you had the opportunity to work with, creating iconic rugs?
In addition to Maddalena De Padova, with Coconutrug, and Cassina, with the Paglietta collection, we have also worked with B&B Italia, among many others, using the Kama collection, which was the first rug made from high-quality viscose.

"For us, being a brand has never meant mass-producing objects”

Of all the big names in architecture, who would you like to work with one day?
It’s very difficult for me to answer this question because there are many architects who I consider to be masters and with whom I would like to work. Generally speaking, I’d like to have the opportunity to work with a master who takes an interest in my journey and gives me the chance to develop a creative dialogue that is as open as possible and as far removed from role clichés as possible... 
And if I had to name a name..., recently I had the opportunity to meet Isay Weinfeld, considered to be one of the most important names in contemporary Brazilian and world architecture, and I have to say that I found a very strong resonance in his approach with the way I see design, from a philosophical and creative point of view. 

What has changed in the textile sector, in rugs, over the years?
In the 1970s, the predominant aesthetic was that of the classic oriental rug. We were the first to change the grammar of rug composition, revolutionising the way rugs were seen and made. The hugely successful Kama collection, for example, redefined taste in the industry in 2001 by introducing a new aesthetic element. The Kama collection, which is still one of our bestsellers, triggered the boom in "shimmering” rugs, which hadn’t existed until then. Now we see a shift towards natural fibres, which is very pleasing, as these are the ones I’ve always preferred. Our other bestseller was the Coconutrug in the 1990s, a collection made from coconut fibre. These will always remain my favourites. 

Is it difficult to choose a rug for the interior of a house?
Choosing a rug is difficult if you want to make a choice that will stand the test of time and fashion and that is suitable for the house in question. From the quality of the product to technical issues, such as material, shape and size, there are many considerations to make. A rug is often mistakenly regarded as an accessory to furniture, when it should be an integral part of the space’s design. Indeed, it’s not just a fashion item or a disposable object. It’s a textile surface that helps to hold the other elements of furniture together, that gives light and character to a room and, above all, that should last over time. Our team also advises architects, interior designers and clients to help them find the right rug for each project. 

Does a room lose its essence without a rug?
In the past, I’ve been asked to define a rug in one sentence and I’ve replied with the words: "on - off”. When there is a rug in a room, the room is illuminated, there is emotion, just as if there is good light. If there isn’t one, the room becomes characterless, without a connecting element. 

Can a rug become timeless?
Absolutely. It has to be a timeless object. That’s what we like to work on and it’s also my concept of sustainability. 

Combining technology with the work of the artisan results in...
our vision of the future.