Art and Design Inspiration
Inspiring Pages: Sonya Winner Rugs in Books
Sonya Winner’s distinctive modern rug designs have long captured the attention of design lovers for their bold colour palettes, layered compositions, and joyful energy. Her work bridges the gap between fine art and functional design, making each piece both visually striking and deeply considered.
It’s no surprise, then, that her rugs have been featured in a range of respected publications that explore the worlds of interiors, textile art, and colour theory, highlighting the creative impact and lasting appeal of her practice.
From Carpets & Rugs: Every Home Needs a Soft Spot to Textile Art Around the World, and colour-focused guides like Color Studies and Color: How to Use It, Sonya’s work is recognised for its vibrant use of colour, artistic craftsmanship, and transformative effect in a space. These features continue to resonate with design enthusiasts, artists, and students alike, showing how expressive, thoughtful design can inspire across disciplines and generations.
Color Studies by Edith Anderson Feisner & Ron Reed
Color Studies by Edith Anderson Feisner & Ron Reed
Originally published by Bloomsbury, Color Studies is a widely used academic textbook in art and design programs. Edith Anderson Feisner, a respected educator and colour theorist, brings decades of teaching experience to this foundational guide, now co-authored with artist and educator Ron Reed. The book covers the principles of colour theory, perception, psychology, and application across disciplines, from fashion and interiors to graphic and industrial design.
After Matisse Rug by Sonya Winner
Sonya’s After Matisse design is a contemporary rug which uses bold, intuitive colour and is highlighted in the book for its sculptural quality, playful collage of overlapping hues, and the way it visually replicates the effect of transparent colours blending together. It’s a particularly fitting inclusion in a text that champions expressive, perceptive, and inventive uses of colour in design.
Purchase Color Studies here.
Carpets & Rugs: Every Home Needs a Soft Spot by Karolien Van Cauwelaert & Karin Van Opstal
Carpets & Rugs: Every Home Needs a Soft Spot by Karolien Van Cauwelaert & Karin Van Opstal
This beautifully curated volume offers a fresh perspective on how rugs can shape and elevate contemporary interiors. Compiled by Belgian design writers Karolien Van Cauwelaert and Karin Van Opstal and published by Lannoo Publishers in 2022, the book features a wide range of styles, from traditional to highly expressive, boundary-pushing designs. Sonya’s After Matisse Rug, Bubbles Rug, and Tree Trunk Rug are included among the standout examples, with her bold use of colour and form celebrated for its ability to transform a space.
Bubbles Rug by Sonya Winner
With richly photographed interiors and thoughtful profiles of designers and makers, the book places strong emphasis on craftsmanship, materiality, and the emotional impact of well-chosen modern textiles in the home.
Purchase Carpets & Rugs: Every Home Needs a Soft Spot here.
Textile Art Around the World edited by Ellen Bakker
Textile Art Around the World edited by Ellen Bakker
This visually stunning volume, published by Textile-link in the Netherlands, showcases the work of over 400 textile artists from around the world. Edited by Dutch curator and publisher Ellen Bakker, renowned for her commitment to contemporary textile art, the book presents a sweeping survey of innovative techniques and expressive approaches to fibre and surface design. Sonya is among the featured artists, with her work highlighted for its vibrant use of colour and dynamic composition, in the form of contemporary area rugs.
Dusk Rug by Sonya Winner
Each artist is given space to share their voice and vision, making the book both a rich source of inspiration and a meaningful record of today’s global textile art landscape. Within this volume, Sonya’s Bubbles Rug, After Matisse Rug, Dusk Rug, and After Matisse Purple Rug are featured.
Purchase Textile Art Around the World here.
Color: How to Use It by Marcie Cooperman
Color: How to Use It by Marcie Cooperman
Written by colour expert and professor Marcie Cooperman and published by Pearson in 2013, this accessible and visually engaging guide is aimed at design students and professionals alike. With practical insights and clear examples, Cooperman explains how to make effective colour choices across various design contexts, from digital to spatial environments. The book combines theory with application, teaching readers how to harness colour to evoke emotion, create harmony, and improve functionality.
Sonya Winner’s After Matisse Rug pays homage to Henri Matisse’s timeless work, as shown in these in-process images of the design coming to life.
Sonya’s After Matisse Rug is featured in a section exploring the use of transparency in design, highlighting how overlapping colour and form can create depth, movement, and visual intrigue. Her inclusion illustrates how these colour principles are expressed through real-world creative practice.
Purchase Color: How to Use It here.
These publications serve as a reminder of the enduring relevance of Sonya’s work, not only as handcrafted pieces for the home, but as vibrant expressions of colour and creativity that continue to influence and inspire customers from around the world. Whether featured in books on interiors, textile innovation, or colour theory, her luxury rugs stand out as both design statements and works of art.
We’re proud to see Sonya’s creations alongside such thoughtful explorations of design, and we look forward to seeing how her work continues to spark ideas, brighten spaces, and connect with new audiences around the world.
Explore our full Modern Rug Collection and request a complimentary visualisation service to see our award winning designer rugs placed digitally in your room(s). You’ll witness the transformational effect these designer rugs will have in your room and your home’s overall aesthetic.
If you need assistance in choosing some colourful rugs or runners for visualisation, please book a free video consultation with our design team by emailing enquiry@sonyawinner.com or call us +44 (0) 203 283 8776.
