A couple of years ago, we were invited by interior design studio mr Alex TATE to create two custom, hand-knotted rugs for a project in Manalapan, Florida - an oceanside Spanish Mediterranean estate with an extraordinary past. Once home to renowned artist Orville Bulman, the house carries a lingering creative spirit, with a sensitivity to colour, composition, and expressive living still woven into its walls.
mr alex TATE is a Miami-based interior design studio led by design principal and creative visionary Alex Alonso. Renowned for reimagining interiors through a distinctly maximalist lens, the studio draws on a rich tapestry of influences shaped by years of experience across both coasts and far beyond. Their global design perspective and narrative-led approach felt perfectly aligned with our own - a shared belief in storytelling, craftsmanship, and spaces that celebrate expressive, artful living.
Following five years of creative exploration, the home is now complete. It stands as a celebration of individuality and artistry and we are incredibly proud that two Wendy Morrison designs were woven into its story. Both rugs were handcrafted at custom sizes in our luxurious hand-knotted quality, ensuring each piece not only fits the room spatially, but emotionally and visually too.
"I look for elements that I'd like to hold on to. Pieces that will become markers of time. in short, my own heirlooms. I love that sense of value that we can attribute to things we discover, that we find, that we collect."
For the home’s striking wine room, the choice was Renaissance, a design rich in symbolism and historical reference.
Renaissance draws inspiration from classical art and decorative traditions, reinterpreted through Wendy's design. Resulting in a sumptuous, hand-knotted wool and silk rug in a repeat pattern motif of butterflies and periwinkles in hues of gold, pink and teal.
Floral Waves Pink was selected for the home’s breathtaking waterfront lounge. This design is defined by fluidity and movement. A composition where stylised florals drift across the surface in rhythmic, wave-like formations.
The palette, led by layered pinks, soft teals, and tonal highlights, brings warmth and romance, while the sweeping lines introduce a sense of motion.
Placed beside expansive views of the water, the rug becomes more than a surface; it becomes a visual bridge. The undulating pattern subtly mirrors the movement of the water outside, while the organic floral elements echo the natural landscape. Inside and outside begin to speak the same language. One expressive, immersive environment rather than two separate scenes.
In this setting, Floral Waves Pink softens architectural lines, adds depth underfoot, and anchors the lounge in colour, texture, and narrative.
Projects like this are a reminder that exceptional interiors are rarely rushed. Time allows ideas to evolve, for collaboration to deepen, and for craftsmanship to shine.
From initial conversations to final installation, these rugs were designed not simply to fill a space, but to belong to it and to reflect the architecture, the surroundings, and the personality of the home itself.
Five years on, the result is a home layered with meaning, and two hand-knotted pieces that will live within it for generations.
mr alex Tate is a Miami-based interior design studio led by design principal and creative visionary Alex Alonso. Known for reimagining interiors through a distinctly maximalist lens, the studio draws on a rich tapestry of influences shaped by years spent working across both coasts and far beyond. With a global design perspective at its core, Mr Alex Tate celebrates the curious, the layered, and the expressive creating spaces that tell stories through colour, pattern, and thoughtful composition.
