For more than 30 years, Creative Matters' talented and inspired team of designers in Toronto has been working with interior designers and architects to create exceptional floor and wallcoverings for luxury hotels, boutique retailers, stylish offices, elegant homes and diplomatic missions around the world. This extensive experience has enabled the Canadian company to nurture a roster of the finest artisans - those uniquely capable of realizing the highest-quality creations. From hand-knotted rugs in Nepal to custom printed carpets in Denmark to felted wallcoverings in China, Creative Matters entrusts its designs only to the few who have truly mastered the technique. The results are a feast for the eyes - as visitors to DOMOTEX 2020 in Hannover will be able to see for themselves. One of the latest creations from the Canadian artists is being presented for the first time at the fair - "Balthazar" from the Halcyon collection.

The halcyon is the bird of Greek mythology that has the power to calm the rough ocean waves for seven days every December so she can nest. Like those calm waters, halcyon has come to mean a sense of peace or tranquility, which is what the designers felt as they first handled the samples that arrived from Nepal for the company's tenth collection. These samples measure roughly 60 x 90 cm and are sent by the mills so the designers at Creative Matters can review and edit any details until perfection is achieved. The "Balthazar" design from the Halcyon collection is a blend of eight gray tones from charcoal through to dove circulating harmoniously around pools of silken pearl. It is a mixture of gray and cream that has an oddly alluring effect, one that certainly seems strong enough to draw a judge's eye, since the design secured its first awards just a few weeks after being published. The subtle texture, which is flawlessly woven as part of an ancient tradition, comprises extraordinary wool from Tibetan sheep and the finest Chinese silk.