Redlif

Wool is an animal fibre, most often derived from sheep fleece. Wool was already being spun as early as 5,000 BC. In Roman times, wool, leather and linen were the main materials used to make clothes. With the progressive development of mechanical processes and the evolution of breeding techniques, wool became the economic lung of several countries in the Xth century, and again in the XIIth. Renowned for its thermal and sound insulation properties, wool also offers the advantage of absorbing moisture. It is a noble and timeless material, used from time immemorial for its strength and durability. PINTON uses local wool with shorter carded fibres, which make it fluffier and give it more volume, or a specific type of wool from New-Zealand with long combed fibres that are more resistant to heavy traffic. Both types of wool are spun (carded or combed) and dyed in the spinning plant located in Felletin. Whether they are made in 100% pure virgin wool or blended with other materials like linen, silk, bamboo, leather or many others, PINTON wool rugs and carpets bring comfort and quality.

Julien Colombier is a French artist born in 1972, living and working in Paris. A self-taught painter, he never studied in a traditional art school. He draws his inspirations from diverse horizons, from Japanese art to Matisse, to the world of graffiti and Keith Haring. For him, profusion gives their shape to things and the artist obsessively repeats geometric or floral patterns in bright colours. Julien Colombier’s vegetal and organic universe is magical and occasionally disturbing. He usually works with acrylics and oil pastels, on paper, canvas, wood or ceramics, occasionally on walls or in installations. He collaborated with major brands such as Chanel, Cartier, Dyptique or Bulgari for events, scenography or installations. Julien Colombier is represented by Thierry Kauffmann.

Very quickly PINTON wanted to collaborate with Julien Colombier, loving his unusual graphics and his talent as a colourist. As for the painter, he was immediately seduced by the craftsmanship and the know-how of the Creuse-based business. This mutual attraction gave birth to a deep bond.

The hand tufting technique is a process combining centuries-old skills and modern weaving tools. The canvas is perfectly stretched over an upright loom and the craftsperson transfers by hand the future design of the rug with the utmost precision. Threads are inserted manually, one by one, working with a gun on the back of the canvas, following the colours, the drawing and the different tuft heights. PINTON was one of the first manufactories to use the gun tufting technique to produce some of its rugs and carpets and is the only French workshop offering very high quality tufted rugs. With this technique, production times are reduced compared to the knotted stitch weave or point noué. Finally, hand tufting offers a large range of possible depths. Carving is the technique that consists in sculpting the wool and creating textures within the woven rug. Since the early 1990s, PINTON has been specialising in the production of hand tufted rugs for which it also collaborates with famous designers and artists.