In 20 years Yosi Tal went from working a small factory in Sydney to running the foremost rug and carpet company in Australia.
March 19th, 2009
Yosi Tal began his custom rug and carpet manufacturing company with his father 22 years ago. With little experience in manufacturing and design, the pair began making hand-tufted designer rugs in their 3000 square foot Marrickville factory.
“We didn’t have a background in manufacturing and we went into it, I suppose, quite naively, but we were passionate and we believed in ourselves,” Yosi says.
Today his company, Designer Rugs, has grown in both size and reputation, becoming the foremost manufacturer and supplier of custom-made rugs and carpets in Australia.
“I actually wanted to be a farmer at 18, I did two years of agriculture at Sydney uni. Then I realised that you actually had to inherit it or marry into it, and I wasn’t going to do either.”
So Yosi did a business degree at UTS and travelled the world before co-founding Designer Rugs at 27. His appreciation and understanding of design grew with the company – working with some of Australia’s best-known artists and designers.
“I suppose working with inspirational people – which architects and designers are – rubbed off on us as well.”
“In a lot of ways we were groundbreakers in the beginning, there wasn’t really a rug industry in Australia when we started,” Yosi says.
The big break for the company came when they were commissioned to create a rug for St Patrick’s Cathedral in Melbourne for the Pope’s 1986 visit. “On the back of that we started getting a lot of enquiries and people started giving us work,” he says.
Yosi has since made rugs and carpets for world-renowned architects and interior designers including United States architect Eric Kuhne and Australian Harry Seidler.
His company recently held their Seidler Textured Rugs competition for rugs used in architectural projects, honouring the late architect. As well, Designer Rugs in 2008 had raised over $100,000 for a variety of charities with the Fashion Designs Rugs and The Rug Project with artists.
Yosi, who is on the Foundation of the Powerhouse Museum, is committed to supporting young designers through competitions such as Floored 2008 for TAFE students. Other events include competitions for the College of Fine Arts and the International School of Colour and Design.
“We are exporting our rugs all over the world which means Australian Design is being appreciated and accepted and for me that is very satisfying because when we started Designer Rugs in 1986 we had many detractors who said we would never succeed.”
A searchable and comprehensive guide for specifying leading products and their suppliers
Keep up to date with the latest and greatest from our industry BFF's!
Marylou Cafaro’s first trendjournal sparked a powerful, decades-long movement in joinery designs and finishes which eventually saw Australian design develop its independence and characteristic style. Now, polytec offers all-new insights into the future of Australian design.
The Sub-Zero Wolf showrooms in Sydney and Melbourne provide a creative experience unlike any other. Now showcasing all-new product ranges, the showrooms present a unique perspective on the future of kitchens, homes and lifestyles.
Channelling the enchanting ambience of the Caffè Greco in Rome, Budapest’s historic Gerbeaud, and Grossi Florentino in Melbourne, Ross Didier’s new collection evokes the designer’s affinity for café experience, while delivering refined seating for contemporary hospitality interiors.
Each piece of free-standing furniture at Louis Vuitton’s Westfield Bondi Junction store has been created specifically for the French brand by Australian designer Tom Fereday.
Joyce Wang of Joyce Wang Studio joins our 2019 INDE.Awards Jury. Here we take a look at her latest collection – Flint – which is a testament to the firm comeback of terrazzo.
The winners of the Dulux Colour Awards 2012 were announced on Wednesday 28 March at a presentation in the cavernous and slightly opulent halls of Melbourne’s The Regent. The event drew a full turnout of media, architects, designers and star judges – The Design Files’ Lucy Feagins, Colourways’ Kim Chadwick, Jeff Fearon of Fearon Hay Architects and Peter Maddison of Grand Designs Australia.
The internet never sleeps! Here's the stuff you might have missed
Archie Moore’s kith and kin unveiled in the Australia Pavilion at the 60th International Art Exhibition of La Biennale di Venezia.
2024’s theme, “Reawaken,” calls for a journey through reinvention and sustainability.