18 REPORTER Below left David Oakey
Below and right The Interface Dressed Lines carpet tile collection is inspired by post-war modernism and 1950s fashion
Bottom Oakey’s Pond Studios in Georgia, US
PROFILE David Oakey
The designer behind the Interface carpet tiles patterns discusses his latest creations and reflects on three decades of industry experience
WORDS BY TONY ROCK
DAVID OAKEY’s working relationship with Interface stretches back to 1994, and in the 30-plus years of collaboration since, the founder of David Oakey Designs has created countless carpet tile patterns for the commercial flooring manufacturer. He has also – naturally, of course –
witnessed considerable changes to the industry in that time. When asked how the process of developing
a new product has altered over the years, Oakey states it’s two to three times quicker today to move through the prototype and production phases compared with two – never mind, three – decades ago. ‘We can take an idea into a prototype really
fast – the first sample we can get would be within days. Then the actual production would go on the floor within weeks,’ he says. ‘When I [first] studied carpet design in
England, it would take me three weeks to draw a design with paint. Then it’d take me another three weeks to take that design and paint it in little squares so that they could cut the jacquards. And that would be another three months, and eventually we would get the product six to nine months from then. ‘But the problem with that was, if you didn’t
like it, you had no choice!’ Today, he continues, it’s possible to
prototype three or four different ideas for a collection before committing to one that feels
the most exciting. This, in Oakey’s view, leads to the creation of better products. Progress, however, can have its drawbacks.
He mourns, for example, the decline of the carpet manufacturing industry in his home town of Kidderminster, which he says was once ‘a bustling’ place. And later, before he launched David Oakey Designs in 1984, there was a time when technology, despite its evident advantages, disillusioned him. He explains: ‘I was so into computerised
design that there was a period when I lost my way – because we weren’t making products that I could feel and touch. It was all on the computer. We would print out the design – and yes, it was a pattern we were making – but it had no texture, no feel. ‘When I started my own company, I let go
of some of the technology and went back to actually making samples by hand. I just wanted to be able to touch and feel.’ Oakey’s latest carpet tile collection,
exclusively designed for Interface, is called Dressed Lines. Inspired by post-war modernism and 1950s fashion, the likes of Anni Albers, Charles and Ray Eames, Lucienne and Robin Day, Raymond Loewy and Florence Knoll have all influenced the approach to texture and contrast evident in the collection. ‘The patterns are sophisticated, small scale
and high contrast,’ says Oakey. ‘We wanted the carpet to styles to seem like dress fabric. They’re versatile, ranging from subtle, tailored looks to bold, black and white accents. ‘It’s intriguing how these post-war modern
looks have such staying power. Miller Knoll has the Florence Knoll chair – it’s 60 years old and they’re still selling it – and as designers we have to consider how the new designs we create complement these classic pieces. This was top of mind during the development of Dressed Lines.’ The collection features six styles with eight
complementary colour combinations, ranging from warm neutrals to, as Oakey says, high- contrast accents. It includes Goes Around and Comes Around, two foundational styles featuring patterns that build on each other, with two, distinct, pinstripe looks reminiscent of formal wear. Both products are offered in 25cm x 1m formats. Angular Times and Accent Hour feature angular patterns and pops of white
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