Deirdre Dyson’s new Paris space merges culture, history and creativity

The British artist and designer chose a sophisticated space in Saint-Germain-des-Prés designed by Remi Tessier to showcase her rug collections

Interior view of Deirdre Dyson’s Paris showroom featuring stone walls with two colourful rugs hanging on them, stone flooring and two dark coloured patterned rugs on the floor. There is also a black unit with shelves and a cupboard with a clear vase and white flowers on top
Inside Deirdre Dyson’s first Paris showroom
(Image credit: Deirdre Dyson)

Deirdre Dyson opens the doors to her new Paris gallery. Located in Saint-Germain des Prés, the space was realised in collaboration with French interior designer Remi Tessier to become a showcase for Dyson's rugs collections, merging creative output with a sophisticated take on craftsmanship.

The gallery location was carefully selected by Dyson, who chose Saint-Germain des Prés for its reputation as the area where artists and intellectuals (such as Jean-Paul Sartre and Simone de Beauvoir) gravitated in the sixties. The area later became the centre of student protests, and is now where gallery owners and antique dealers are right at home. For Dyson, this crucible of history and creativity is the very image of Parisian art.  

‘As the birthplace of creativity, I love Paris, with its history and its vibrancy,’ says London-based Dyson, who has been developing her collections since the early 2000s. As it often happens, a personal search for the perfect rug turned into a lucky encounter and a prolific business brought to life by Dyson’s colour sensibility and affinity for craftsmanship. 

The new gallery becomes a discreet backdrop to Dyson’s unique bespoke pieces, where colour and shapes come together through refined designs. Tibetan wool and Chinese silk of the highest quality are selected by Dyson before being hand-woven in Nepal (all of Dyson’s rugs receive a certification from international ethical organisation, Goodweave).

Interior view of Deirdre Dyson’s showroom featuring stone walls and flooring and a projection of her Chequered rug on the floor. There is a partial view of another room through an arch that has a dark coloured rug hanging on the wall, stairs, a round glass and wooden coffee table and a patterned rug on the floor

A view of Dyson’s showroom featuring a projection of her Chequered rug on the stone floor

(Image credit: Deirdre Dyson)

The gallery’s interiors merge simplicity and elegance, designed as ‘an oasis of calm’ with sober stone floors and walls featuring prominently throughout the space. The opening of the new Parisian space also marks the debut of the Looking Glass collection, with designs playing with transparency, illusion, light and monochromatic gradients. The abstract designs are bright and multilayered, paintings transformed into knotted pieces through Dyson’s vision and the skilled craftsmanship of her Nepalese teams.

As the birthplace of creativity, I love Paris, with its history and its vibrancy

Dyson originally trained as a fine artist and graphic designer, and her background is perfectly reflected in the unique designs of her pieces. Blending art and manufacturing, traditional craftsmanship techniques and new technologies, through her brand she has been able to give form to a pure artistic expression.

Interior view of Deirdre Dyson’s showroom featuring stone walls and flooring, an arched ceiling and a multicoloured rug hanging on the wall. There is another multicoloured rug on the floor, a round glass and wooden coffee table, stairs, a light coloured unit, a curved black sofa and rolled up rugs in a wooden recess storage area

(Image credit: Deirdre Dyson)

Interior view of Deirdre Dyson’s showroom featuring stone walls and flooring, an arched ceiling and two wine red and blue striped rugs hanging on the wall. There is also a black sofa, a white arm chair with a round black cushion, a multicoloured patterned rug on the floor, a round glass and wooden coffee table and a partial view of another room through an open door

(Image credit: Deirdre Dyson)

Interior view of Deirdre Dyson’s showroom featuring a large peach, purple and blue rug hanging on a stone wall by the stairs

(Image credit: Deirdre Dyson)

Interior view of Deirdre Dyson’s showroom featuring a grey, black, white, yellow and brown rug hanging on a stone wall. There is also a round glass dining table with black and green chairs on top of a round blue and grey patterned rug

(Image credit: Deirdre Dyson)

Interior view of Deirdre Dyson’s showroom featuring a long blue, green, purple and grey rug hanging from a stone wall in front of a mirror. The mirror shows the reflection of that rug along with a black unit and another long multicoloured rug hanging on the wall. There is a third dark coloured patterned rug on the floor which can also be seen in the mirror

(Image credit: Deirdre Dyson)

INFORMATION

For more information, visit deirdredyson.com

ADDRESS

12 Rue des Saints-Pères
75006
Paris

VIEW GOOGLE MAPS

Rosa Bertoli was born in Udine, Italy, and now lives in London. Since 2014, she has been the Design Editor of Wallpaper*, where she oversees design content for the print and online editions, as well as special editorial projects. Through her role at Wallpaper*, she has written extensively about all areas of design. Rosa has been speaker and moderator for various design talks and conferences including London Craft Week, Maison & Objet, The Italian Cultural Institute (London), Clippings, Zaha Hadid Design, Kartell and Frieze Art Fair. Rosa has been on judging panels for the Chart Architecture Award, the Dutch Design Awards and the DesignGuild Marks. She has written for numerous English and Italian language publications, and worked as a content and communication consultant for fashion and design brands.