These Wexford rug makers beautifully blend innovation and tradition
A heritage brand staying true to the past while striving for a sustainable evolution, Ceadogán Rugmakers’ next generation is moving forward without abandoning tradition.
Taking over an iconic business requires looking to the future, while not forgetting the past. When Ceadogán Rugmakers, founded in 1981, was passed to Colm Kenny and Martina Navrátilová, its contemporary hand-tufted rugs had garnered quite the reputation both at home and abroad. “We have both found our way to rug making along a very winding path,” Colm tells me. “Martina trained as a fine art printmaker and painter, and I as a designer and furniture maker.”
Bringing valuable skills and a fresh perspective to the family business, Colm is candid about the pressures associated with taking the reins. “Having grown up seeing the rugs, and having full knowledge of the journey of Ceadogán, there’s a sense that we need to maintain a strong and purposeful trajectory. A sense of responsibility to the history and the story of the company.”
Focusing on mapping out progression while remaining in touch with their roots, Martina explains, “We are always looking to our past here. It is hard to avoid – we are surrounded by 18th century buildings and a 15th century strong house. An old disused main road circumvents the yard, and there are the remnants of a 19th century orchard growing here too. I’m not sure who said it, but a phrase which has influenced our approach to our work has been to ‘walk backwards into the future’. We are constantly looking to our rich cultural and geographical heritage for inspiration, knowledge and resources.”
The workspace in question, based in Co Wexford, is made up of two main areas: one for the tufting, carving and overall creation of the rugs, and the other for ottomans, headboards and other projects involving woodwork. Then, the offices and design studio are situated in an 18th century loft complete with a showroom on the ground floor.
Overlooking Bannow Bay estuary, it’s no surprise that land and sea play their own unique roles in the design process. “Our studio being situated in what was once a farmyard has an obvious influence,” Colm says. “Much of our efforts have gone into further rooting our practice into the surrounding farm in recent years. Particularly with a view to its location on an estuary and bird sanctuary. It feels as though this relationship can only grow. As we further give it our attention, we feel more grounded in our intention and can see the positive impact of our actions.”
In pursuit of increased sustainability, Ceadogán has been transitioning to entirely natural, high-quality materials, and a few years ago created an alpaca farm and nature sanctuary.
“We felt so blessed to be in such a beautiful place. We wanted to collaborate with multiple artists, and that presented an opportunity to give something back to the land,” Colm explains. “We decided to create unique pieces with 12 different artists and auction them. We split the profits and donated 50 per cent to the homeless, 25 per cent to the artists, and 25 per cent to habitat support and regeneration.”
Although their relationship to the farmyard and surrounding land is not traditional, the business and land are nonetheless intertwined. “Where usually the farmyard is where produce from the land is either prepared for or gathered and delivered to the market, we found ourselves creating income in the yard and using it to build a healthy and thriving piece of land, for all the creatures there,” Martina says. “It is an incredible and privileged position to find ourselves in.”
Collaboration with visual artists is at the centre of the Ceadogán brand. Colm explains how the Our Island exhibition in 2023 highlighted the unquestionable value of this.
“It keeps a freshness and an excitement in our day-to-day workings. The added value of an external artist is one of the ways that we can make our efforts with the land here more viable. The process is quite simple: works are presented, some sampling may be needed, and sometimes an artist will be present when the tufting begins. There is almost always a certain amount of compromise when translating from one medium to another. It is our responsibility to minimise this, and to work with the artist’s wishes.”
Distilling the Ceadogán ethos into a single statement, Colm and Martina agree that it’s simply: “Be it, do it, make it”. With plans to continue doing what they do best and further rooting themselves to where they are, the pair are not constraining themselves to targets of objectives, opting instead to be present each and every day. “Our goal is to enjoy, love and live our practice, and to continue creating works that will bring beauty and joy into people’s lives, both here and all around the world.”
Photography Al Higgins
This feature originally appeared in the autumn/winter 2024 issue of IMAGE Interiors. Have you thought about becoming a subscriber? Find out more, and sign up here.
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