SILK ISSUE • n° 34 • 2023
Hand-tufted masterpieces
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by Désirée Sormani - ph. Tim Marquardt / teamfoto-marquardt.de
Treading an OT carpet can feel like walking along Carribbean beach, through the leaves of an Amazon rainforest or even a shaol of darting fish....there are literally no limits to OT’s creative scope. Renowned across the luxury yachting sector for its sublime craftsmanship, the German bespoke carpet specialist only uses the highest quality natural materials. This year, however, the company has taken its byword of “Design and Nature” to new levels. “It means never forgetting to have an eye for all the wonderful details Nature gifts us everyday. This has been part of our ethos for decades. Our job is to constantly draw on this huge library of endless possibilities and solutions,” says Oliver Treutlein, who founded the company in the town of Meerbusch in a region of Germany where the textile industry is very much part of life.
Made by OT’s craftspeople from luxury natural fibres, such as pure silk, cool linen and ultra-fine New Zealand virgin wool, OT’s carpets really are unique hand-tufted masterpieces. They have been adding the ultimate finishing touch – the perfect dash of flair - to the largest and most spectacular yachts plying our oceans since OT first entered the nautical arena nearly 40 years ago. “It grew out of my passion for sai ling and yachts,” confesses Oliver Treutlein who now works mostly with the leading international custom-build shipyards. When he started out in 1985, he made the carpets to order himself with the help of just two employees for interior designer and architect clients. Creating those custom designs for custom projects laid the foundations for OT’s subsequent focus and success. “From the beginning, we were very different from our competitors,” continues Oliver. Everything is the highest quality from the very first sketch to the installation phase. “Our carpets are a natural handmade product,” adds Elke. “We have always produced a sustainable product as we do not use any chemical ingredients.” Collaborations with renowned international designers have yielded collections that chime perfectly with the needs of highend interior designers.
Remaining a tightknit family business has also played a pivotal role in the OT success story. Indeed, Treutlein now runs the firm with his wife Elke, their daughter Julia (who joined five years ago and now works on client relations) and her partner Max (who joined it after completing his studies in finance two years ago) “The next generation is on the starting blocks, and together we can continue to develop our family business with their fresh ideas and inspiration!” concludes Oliver. www.olivertreutlein.com
Shoals of fish following the ocean currents, coral reefs, whales – all motifs from OT’s new Sealife collection. The company was founded 43 years ago by Oliver and Elke Treutlein, who are now flanked by the next generation, their daughter Julie and her partner Max
Returning again and again to nature to create the perfect motifs and geometries as well as to source of the very finest materials. Before skilfully crafting them into masterpieces of design. That’s the OT way....
questions to Olivier Treutlein
Founder
Feeling and flow of emotions. Design and Nature. What does it mean?
To learn and never forget to have an eye for all the wonderful details in nature. That means any design that is based on or follows the rules nature teaches us. Clients always love the result even though they may not know why exactly. Does it mean that respecting the planet is one of your goals when making your bespoke carpets?
This was never an issue for us. We have made our carpets in the most ecofriendly way for over four decades, using only natural yarns and materials. The inspiration for our designs comes from the bottomless basket of possibilities that nature provides us with. This is the most sustainable solution and gives clients a real feel-good environment. The main and highest quality material we use is 100 per cent pure New Zealand Wool which we source through special contracts over there. We also offer clients five different qualities of silk as well as cotton, cashmere and natural fibres of all kinds.
From the design point of view, which images and colours most closely reference nature in your opinion?
Regardless of what we are working on, we base our design on the client’s dreams and desires. The result is that it can be subtle, very ton-sur-ton, or full of life and colours like nature itself. However, we can never compete with nature because nature is perfection. We try our best to learn from nature, to understand the beauty of that perfection, and then put it to use.
What are owners asking for nowadays onboard their yachts?
We work all over the world and our international clients come to us for their yachts, homes and planes. They want outstanding design and solutions. We honestly get asked for all kinds of different designs – everything from contemporary to modern, classic, Art Nouveau, Bauhaus, etc. Our ultimate aim is to never sell or create our own tastes. Our only goal is to use our experience to make the client’s dreams and wishes come true.
What’s next?
Whatever challenge life holds for us!
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OT’s bespoke designs laid the foundations of its success. Everything from the very first sketch to the installation phase is of the highest quality. Crafted by hand from luxury natural fibres, such as pure silk, cool linen and ultra-fine New Zealand virgin wool, these carpets really are unique hand-tufted masterpieces
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