The Beat That My Heart Skipped – A blog dedicated to daily design inspirations. By Rohini Wahi.

I love my clean wooden floor, the way that it looks under all of my furniture [and the way it photographs so beautifully] and would gladly rip out all the carpet from the bedroom if permitted. What I do start to crave during these autumnal months is a striking rug or two underfoot. These beauties from The Rug Company would do quite well!

First up is the ‘Ponti Brown’ rug by Suzanne Sharp. I love its contemporary design and classic colour that will surely never grow old or tired. The rug also comes in a red colourway and a silk weave.

Next is a subtle number by Neisha Crosland, ‘Diagonal Bead’ in blue, who’s silky weave adds an air of old world charm. I think this rug is the perfect style to tie a modern home with classic furniture together [the picture is a good example of this].

Finally another beauty by Suzanne Sharp, the ‘Chiesa Rug’ in yellow – a graphical eye popping pattern and colourway that is complemented by tones of grey and taupe. This would look great in a cosy corner. These rugs are all handmade and crafted by weavers in Kathmandu.

I’ve never been one to take much notice of floor and wall tiles, simply because I never thought I could commit and live with one design for the rest of my life. However that all swiftly changed when I came across Popham Design! Wow, wow, wow. Their simple and striking tiles reveal possibilities suited to modern living, I can just as easily imagine their bold tiles creating a striking central dining area in a London living room as I can in a Moroccan palace.

Caitlin and Samuel Dowe-Sandes lived and worked in New York and Los Angeles for over a decade before moving to Marrakech in June 2006.  Samuel, a filmmaker, and Caitlin, a public relations executive specializing in design businesses, fantasized for some time about living in an exotic place together and starting a creative venture. The move to Marrakech delivered on both of those promises. An appreciation for the flexibility and practicality of cement tiles in their new home, as well as the medium’s design possibilities led the Dowe-Sandes to found Popham Design. Made by hand by skilled artisans in their Marrakech factory, the Dowe-Sandes’ designs bring a modern design sensibility to the tradition of Moroccan cement tiles. See here for your nearest retailer or email Popham Designs to discuss a custom order.