Sophie Cooney

Having moved house recently, my mind has turned to interior inspiration and researching new homeware brands. There is a long list of things to buy and jobs to be done. One priority is the stairs. Currently bare floorboards, painted partly in a very very dark green, they have a lovely old Victorian authenticity and are in great condition. I wouldn't want to cover them completely, but adding soft furnishings to an otherwise hard space does have benefits, not least simply a feeling of cosiness and warmth, and quieter sounding underfoot.



I have been looking at stair runners as a great mid way option without making the commitment to lay carpet fully. Having always loved the ethnic patterns and colours of Kilim, I came across Sophie Cooney who has an amazing range of striking contemporary stair runners using hand-dyed cotton and New Zealand wool.



In 2014, when Sophie was searching for a stair runner for her West London home, she couldn’t find what she was looking for. She liked the classic striped look, but like me, was hoping for something with more character and colour. Drawing on her artistic and design background, Sophie decided to make her own runner using traditional weaving techniques.



Once it was installed and looking beautiful in situ, repeated requests came in from visitors to her home for their own so Sophie decided to design her first collection.

Available in both cotton and wool, the company say that both runners wear well, however they are different fabrics and will change with time. The wool stair runners are incredibly durable and will last a lifetime. Cotton is a less durable fabric and will fade gradually, but has the benefit of being moth resilient and easy to wash and care for.



From the Amulet wool collection, I love the ‘Eye’ and ‘Tribal’ Design which comes in various colours combinations. From the Raw Cotton collection, the ‘Thora’ pattern is beautiful and so is ‘Rudis Via’.



Luckily help is on hand because choosing just one for the home is an impossible task. The company offer advice and bespoke design solutions and welcome clients to their West London Studio to view the full collection and share ideas and samples.

Don’t expect to be walking on your runner before Christmas as leads times are up to 18 weeks. All the pieces are handwoven in Turkey or India by skilled and passionate craftsmen. I don't mind, it will be worth the wait!

By Anna Bance
December 2021