A look at the Roger Oates runner chosen for George Clarke’s London home.

It’s fair to say that George Clarke is no stranger to the world of Roger Oates Design. Having first visited our Eastnor workshop back in 2019 while filming an episode of his ‘Old House, New Home’ programme, we were thrilled to introduce George to our skilled team and give him a special behind the scenes look at our workshop and the craftsmanship behind each roll of our signature flatweave. Having since chosen our Vernon Croft Blue and Kahlo Sinoir stair runners for two of the house transformations on the programme, in this article, we wanted to take a closer look at the runner George chose for something a little closer to home – his own house renovation.

Architect, TV presenter, campaigner and founder of Amazing Productions, most of you will know George Clarke from television, hosting shows such as ‘George Clarke’s Amazing Spaces‘ and, of course, ‘Old House New Home’. With such a firm footing in the architecture and interiors world, let’s take a deeper dive into why our Swanson Clay runner was the perfect fit in George’s monochrome London entryway.

Swanson Clay

An understated and elegant Classic, the launch of our ‘New Classics’ collection back in 2023 saw the reinvention of our Swanson design. Introducing five new colourways, Swanson features a herringbone body with striking central bands and a complementary, tonal border.

Standing out amongst the brighter colours in the collection, Swanson Clay features a deep grey body, rich with warming undertones and lifted by a light weft that brings both contrast and texture to the flatweave. Offering a relaxed versatility, this timeless border design works perfectly as a stair runner, hallway runner or even as a large area rug.

Swanson Clay is part of our ‘New Classics’ collection, meaning that it was one of our first runners woven with 100% traceable British wool.

Aside from the striking visual nature of the designs that make up the collections, the ‘New Classics’ collection stands as a defining moment in Roger Oates history. ‘New Classics’ marked the start of our partnership with the Woolkeepers, an initiative providing sourcing integrity and fairer wool prices for farmers, enabling us to use solely 100% traceable British wool in our flatweave.

Highlighting the importance of traceability and providing a fairer and more environmentally sustainable framework, we have since been on a mission to move our entire production over to 100% traceable British yarn. Learn more about our partnership with Woolkeepers here.

A Swanson runner for every interior

The ‘New Classics’ collection saw fourteen exciting new designs added to the Roger Oates portfolio; Cranborne, Sudbury, and of course, Swanson, all in a range of versatile colourways. If you love the Swanson design, explore it in all its glory – with a total of 9 different colours available on our website, there’s a Swanson runner to suit every interior. From the deep green of Juniper, the vibrant pink of Cranberry or the more subdued, earthy tones of Brick and Pebble, whatever your style, find your favourite colour in our collection, or even create your own bespoke colourway.

Taking a leaf out of George’s book…

George Clarke has chosen to style his Swanson Clay runner in a neutral, monochromatic scheme for his entryway, matching the deep grey and subtle warm undertones with natural wood and strong black accents to create a clean and contemporary space.

Monochrome schemes such as this have become increasingly popular over the years, and it’s easy to see why. The beauty of classic ‘black and white’ lies in its simplicity. Where colour can feel like noise, the simplicity of a monochromatic palette can bring serenity and grounding to your home – not to mention how much easier it is selecting furniture and accessories to match the room. With a monochrome scheme colour choice is simplified, making decorating decisions easier and allowing texture and shape to take centre stage.

Another benefit of this versatile palette is its ability to please everyone’s tastes. With the soft grey and delicate woven border of this runner sitting comfortably on the line between feminine and masculine, it balances different interior styles perfectly. For a home that caters to the whole family, we couldn’t recommend this design enough, acting as the blending point for both the feminine and masculine elements of your home.

While many think of a grey runner feeling ‘flat’ or ‘dull’, our Swanson Clay stands to prove the opposite. The gunmetal grey chosen for the body of this design holds depth within its fibres. From the moment this design was first woven, we noticed its beautiful ability to shift colour in different light, with the warm grey clay tones often presenting a subtle green hue on closer inspection. This beautiful shifting colour is perfectly offset by the weft colour, balancing the grey and adding vital warmth throughout.

With only a limited palette, George showcases how to achieve the perfect balance of warmth, style, and functionality within a space.

The little touches that elevate your stairs

When decorating a minimal scheme the key is in the details, and we love George’s decision to pair his runner with contrasting black stair rods. This breaks up the grey and adds a touch of elegance to the stairs. While our flatweave runners can be installed with or without stair rods, sometimes that added decorative touch can make all the difference.

Available in an array of finishes and designs, integrate them seamlessly into a scheme by coordinating stair rods with existing features and details of the home. From traditional iron hardware on a front door to antique brass metal work, matching these elements can create a subtle linking of materials throughout the home.

Another simple way to elevate your hallway is through a matching hallway runner. Showcased in George’s entryway with the Swanson Clay, the addition of a matching runner helps unify the space, drawing the eye through the room. Choose a matching design to your stair for a clean, sophisticated look or add some depth with a coordinating design.

Benefits of a neutral runner – whatever the scheme

While we love how our Swanson clay looks in a minimal scheme, neutral runners can work just as well in almost any interior design style. From farmhouse, to Scandinavian, to mid century modern, neutral colours weave their way into every aesthetic, acting as the versatile foundation that can both ground a space and highlight your favourite accents.

A big part of this versatility lies in their ability to sit well with traditional, antique interiors as well as they do in contemporary spaces. With this in mind, a good tip when decorating a space is to combine antique, one-of-a-kind pieces with more modern furniture. This not only adds personality to a space, but is a fast track way of achieving that ‘curated over time’ appearance that makes a room feel instantly more homely.