It makes complete sense that renowned textile artist and designer Trish Andersen grew up in Dalton, Georgia – better known as the carpet capital of the world. “It’s where wall-to-wall carpet was invented,” she tells us. “Prior to the machinery and processes invented in Dalton – [including] the broad-loom machine – all carpets were woven. Dalton developed the ability to tuft carpet and do it on a mass scale.” It’s not as if, though, she always knew she would work in the carpet industry – even the high-art wing of it. “Everywhere you looked [was] something to do with carpet, but funny enough, I had absolutely no interest in following that path,” she says. “I always said I was going to have nothing to do with carpet. But time and again, I found myself going back to textiles – and even now, quite literally carpet. Working in that way is definitely where I feel like my authentic self. I think there’s power in going back to your roots.”
Also in this Milkshake, Trish talks us through the challenges of working in tufting and walks us through her process, from that initial flash of inspiration through the finished piece: “I am constantly thinking about ideas and sketching,” she says. “Primarily I use an app called Procreate to do all my sketches. I just sort of have a running list of ideas – some come to fruition, some don’t, but if I decide I’m going to tuft the piece, then I’ll take that sketch and pull my yarn out that I want to use in the palette, and I’ll put that all over my floor.” It’s a hugely colorful way to kick off a creative process.
Tune in for a look!
Diana Ostrom, who has written for Wallpaper, Interior Design, ID, The Wall Street Journal, and other outlets, is also the author of Faraway Places, a newsletter about travel.
Milkshake, DMTV (Design Milk TV)’s first regular series, shakes up the traditional interview format by asking designers, creatives, educators and industry professionals to select interview questions at random from their favorite bowl or vessel. During their candid discussions, you’ll not only gain a peek into their personal homeware collections, but also valuable insights into their work, life and passions.
