Home decorating, interior design ideas, garden design - Homes and Gardens

Helen Amy Murray was born in 1980, and has a degree in Textiles from Chelsea College of Art and Design. Brought up in the rural surroundings of Somerset, she now lives in east London where she has a studio. “I draw inspiration from both nature and the city and its architecture, and like to fuse the two,” she says. Helen's distinctive and very personal style is to create “pattern in relief”, so that a design is delineated without drawn lines or colour but simply through outlines of texture. She has previously applied her techniques to leather, suede and a variety of woven fabrics, including silk, and has often presented her work as upholstery.

Helen's passion for surface relief was developed during a three-month study trip to India in 2001. Inspired by carvings in wood and marble, she perfected her own methods for translating these effects into textiles. Her latest design – and the winner of the Homes & Gardens Award – is the Peony rug in New Zealand wool.

In keeping with the rest of Helen's work, the rug's stylised design creates an almost abstract effect. The Peony rug's “pattern” of full-blown flower heads nestling close together was achieved using various pile heights to create pattern. The result is a soft, cream-coloured rug that is sufficiently low key to suit a range of settings, making it very versatile. Yet on closer examination, it has a rich depth of detail.

“This award is for the shortlisted piece that combines superb design values with an innovative, decorative quality. It is a truly remarkable design and there couldn't be a more worthy recipient than Helen's rug,” says Deborah Barker, editor of Homes & Gardens.