3 QUESTIONS TO…
Michaela Schleypen — EDIDA YOUNG DESIGNER OF THE YEAR winner 2007
We interviewed previous EDIDA Young Designer of the Year Michaela Schleypen, founder of Floor to Heaven, to find out about her passion for design and interiors.
A YOUNG DESIGN TALENT 2007, Schleypen is an interior and fabric designer with her own brand of handmade rugs called Floor to Heaven, made entirely from the finest materials.
Michaela turns carpets into fascinating objects; private interiors into areas of desire, yachts into swimming beaches, and hotels into real homes. Born in Germany, she started her career aged only 18, and studied art, design and marketing whilst spending time living in both Hong kong and New York. Her first success came with her breathtaking design ZEN, a hand-tufted and hand-carved carpet resembling a Japanese sand garden. After more than ten years as head of creative development for an internationally acclaimed label, Schleypen then established her own label "Floor to Heaven" where she is now able to create her own floor couture supervising every step of development, production and marketing.
1 - What did winning the EDIDA award Young Designer of the Year mean to you? To me its the best award ever, since you can not enter by yourself!! You are choosen by the ELLE DECORATION worldwide judges! Awarded with Young Designer of the Year gave me the needed self confidence to found my own company Floor to Heaven!
2 - Who are your mentors? In my early days, Camille Claudel, today I would say my mentor isn't a real person, it's "INSPIRATION" and the freedom to work off it.
3 - What are your upcoming projects? We just launched our Floor to Heaven brand new 10th Anniversary Rug Collection. Crowned by a special limited edition of photorealistic rugs coming out in April! Called the 'AQUARIUM'.
It's a wonderful job to be able to launch every year a full new package of rugs & carpets filled up with my very own soul & inspirations. Our next show will be Design Days Dubai in March.
'Aquarium', 10th Anniversary Collection:
