Samantha Gallacher on Art + Loom: Rugs as Art for the Floor
people • MAKERS
Samantha Gallacher, founder of Miami-based rug studio Art + Loom, is redefining what it means to create art for the floor. With a background spanning interior design, marketing, and textile innovation, she has become known for her ability to merge functionality with collectible design. Gallacher works fluidly across residential interiors, commercial projects, and gallery-level commissions, positioning Art + Loom as a go-to brand for bespoke, hand-crafted rugs that double as statement pieces.
Alongside her role at Art + Loom, Gallacher is also the co-owner of IG Workshop, a Miami interior design studio that reflects her multidisciplinary vision. Her work has been featured in Architectural Digest, British Vogue, and The New York Times, and showcased internationally at leading design fairs in New York, Milan, and beyond.
This November, Art + Loom will make its Dubai debut at Downtown Design 2025, introducing Middle Eastern audiences to the brand’s bold collaborations, one-of-a-kind textile artistry, and contemporary approach to luxury rugs. In this exclusive Designeers interview, Gallacher shares insights on the craft of bespoke rug-making, her creative inspirations, and the lasting impact she hopes to leave on contemporary interiors.
Words: designeers
OCTOBER 2025
WEBSITE: artandloom.com
INSTAGRAM: @artandloom
DESIGNEERS
You’ve described Art + Loom rugs as "art for the floor". If one of your rugs were exhibited in a museum of contemporary design, which piece would it be, and which artist would you hang it next to?
Art + Loom
If one Art + Loom rug were to be exhibited in a museum, it would be the Stone Henge Rug. The design captures how abstract forms can also feel calming, balancing positive and negative space with sculptural precision. I would place it between works by Anni Albers and Pablo Palazuelo.
Albers revolutionised the perception of textiles, elevating weaving from craft to fine art, a trajectory we continue by pushing hand-knotted rugs into the realm of contemporary collectible design. Like Albers, we use strict geometries and rhythmic structures to explore proportion, repetition, and balance.
Palazuelo, meanwhile, investigated hidden geometries and abstract languages that felt both architectural and spiritual. At Art + Loom, we extend that dialogue into the tactile world, translating line and symmetry into fibre, shifting geometry from wall to floor and reimagining rugs as immersive works of contemporary textile art.
DESIGNEERS
You’ll be showcasing Art + Loom at Downtown Design Dubai 2025. What makes this fair important, and what do you hope Middle Eastern designers and collectors will take from your work?
Art + Loom
Downtown Design Dubai is such an important platform because it brings together a truly global design community in one of the world’s fastest growing creative hubs. The Middle East has a deep appreciation for craft, storytelling and innovation, values that are at the heart of everything we do at Art + Loom.
We see rugs as art for the floor, and we hope that designers and collectors in the region will experience our pieces as both functional and expressive. Each rug is conceived as a one of a kind statement, adding individuality, texture and contemporary beauty to any interior. For us, Downtown Design is not just about showcasing product, it is about dialogue, collaboration and building connections that celebrate the role of bespoke rugs in contemporary design.
Terra Cotta Tiles Rug
Totem Runner
DESIGNEERS
In many interiors, rugs are background players. How do you create bespoke rugs that become the centrepiece of a room?
Art + Loom
At Art + Loom each rug is conceived as a canvas that anchors the entire space. By combining unexpected shapes, rich textures and carefully developed bespoke palettes, we design rugs that command attention rather than fade into the background. Every piece is tailored to its environment, turning the floor into the focal point and elevating the room into a work of contemporary interior art.
DESIGNEERS
As co-owner of IG Workshop and founder of Art + Loom, how do these practices influence each other?
Art + Loom
There is a natural synergy between the two practices. Approaching rugs from an interior design perspective allows me to create pieces that are as functional as they are beautiful. Having real interiors to showcase our rugs also enhances the way they are photographed and experienced, allowing the designs to come alive in context. At the same time, beginning with a distinctive rug often sparks the entire interior concept, shaping the rhythm, texture and energy of the room. In this way Art + Loom and IG Workshop constantly inform and inspire one another, bridging bespoke rugs with holistic interior design.
DESIGNEERS
From New Zealand wool and Chinese silk to embossed leather, which materials excite you most right now?
Art + Loom
At the moment we are especially drawn to Merino wool. It is soft, luxurious and incredibly refined, making it a beautiful foundation for bespoke rugs. We also love working with linen, particularly for the contrast it creates against richer fibres such as silk. Looking ahead, we are eager to experiment with metallic threads, bringing a new sense of luminosity and contemporary edge to our pieces.
The Scallop Rug
The Quill Rug
The Reverse Paper Edge
“Working from an interior perspective helps me design rugs that are as functional as they are beautiful. ”
Art + Loom
DESIGNEERS
Your work has appeared in British Vogue, Architectural Digest and The New York Times. Which feature meant the most, and where would you love to appear next?
Art + Loom
Being featured in Galerie Magazine during Milan Design Week was an incredible highlight. They selected our installation at Alcova among the nine must-see exhibits, which felt like a true honour from a publication so deeply dedicated to art and design. Looking ahead, my dream would be to land a cover story in Rum Magazine, as their storytelling, editorial voice and aesthetic sensibility align perfectly with the Art + Loom brand.
DESIGNEERS
You’ve worked in Miami, New York, London and Dubai. If each were a rug, what would they look like?
Art + Loom
Each city I’ve worked in carries its own rhythm and palette, which naturally weave their way into my rug designs. Miami would be soft and natural, woven in Allo, linen, and wool to capture its coastal ease and airy calm. New York would be bold and urban, layered with mohair, silk, and deep earthy tones that mirror its energy and depth. London would take on a daring, dramatic character, with strong contrasts and statement patterns inspired by its history and edge. Dubai, by contrast, would shine with jewel tones, geometric shapes, and vibrant compositions, celebrating its dynamism and sense of luxury.
The Ondula Wallpaper
The Ondula Rug
DESIGNEERS
How do your rugs hold their own alongside major artworks?
Art + Loom
Our rugs are not meant to sit quietly on the floor; they are designed to hold court. Each piece enters into dialogue with surrounding artworks through bold colour, rich texture, and sculptural form, creating spaces that feel curated, layered, and alive rather than simply decorated.
DESIGNEERS
What do you hope people will say about Art + Loom in 50 years?
Art + Loom
I hope they’ll say that Samantha Gallacher redefined what a rug could be, transforming the floor into a canvas as thrilling as the walls. That Art + Loom created bold, collectible pieces that shaped interiors and challenged expectations of design. And that the brand carried a distinct, recognisable voice that made spaces feel personal, daring, and unforgettable.
The Kolaz Collection; Photo by Andy Gallacher
PHOTOGRAPHY CREDITS:
PROFILE Image: Andy Gallacher, Background rug: Calyx
