The fragility and beauty of the Royal Bluebell flower inspired COFA student Anne Nguyen's winning design for the 2011 RUG UP design competition.

RUG UP, is a collaboration between third-year Bachelor of Design students majoring in textiles and Australian design company, Designer Rugs.

Nguyen was one of 60 students briefed to design a rug for an organisation or company.

She designed her rug Whispers in the Wild for the Visitors Centre at the National Botanical Gardens in Canberra.

"I was drawn to the burst of colour that the Bluebell, an emblem of the ACT, added to the Australian bushland. The splashes of orange in my design are a reflection of this lovely characteristic."

Seeing her sketches transformed into a commercial product was an invaluable experience for Nguyen.

"I have never had the opportunity to have something produced at such a large scale. I was blown away when I saw my tiny A4 design recreated as a huge rug. It was great to work on a brief that provided the possibility of real life outcomes and the opportunity to see my concept realised," she said.

Lia Pielli, Senior Designer at Designer Rugs said winners were chosen only after the designs were produced.

"Sometimes the interpretation works fantastically but when its made into a product it doesn't work as well. It's important to see the actual product before making a final decision," she said.

Pielli said Nguyen's floral inspired rug bucked the current trend of strong, symmetrical patterns and designs.

Nguyen joins the ranks of prestigious Australian artists and designers such as Akira Isogawa, Alex Perry, Catherine Martin, Dinosaur Designs and Easton Pearson who have all contributed to the Designer Rugs collection.

Nguyen's winning rug design and that of the five other finalists are on display at the Designer Rugs Edgecliff showroom and are available for purchase and re-order.

Media Contact: Susi Hamilton | susi.hamilton@unsw.edu.au | 9385 1583