Rhyme Studio

Rhyme is an award winning interior design, design maker and art advisory based in New York City. Founder Claire McGovern has designed residences, spas, restaurant and office interiors, curated art and design installations and collaborated with many talented designers and artists. Born and educated in Dublin, she has worked variously as an interior designer, curator and art advisor, embracing the influences of West Coast California to East Coast neoclassical and contemporary style along with her Irish and European heritage. Formerly also a professional dj, McGovern’s first business was an acclaimed art and design gallery evolving into the multi-disciplinary practice she operates today from Brooklyn. Client & company affiliations range from brands such as Lexus, Google, Facebook, Design Within Reach to US Ambassadors and experimental, award winning lighting design manufacturers. In 2018 her studio debuted a sustainable luxury design collection made by hand in Ireland, only to uncover a collapsed Irish woolen market and a global fibre industry in need of reform. Founded upon a principle of high quality, customizable, responsible and healthy design, sustainable furnishings & lighting design will follow next.

"Designer Claire McGovern has brought her unique brand of environmentally aware Gesamtkunstwerk or "Total Design" to bear on projects from San Francisco to New York"

McGovern and her design team have over 25 years experience in designing residential to commercial interiors. Completed projects include Soho restaurants, Manhattan offices, Park Avenue residences and Brooklyn brownstones, to West Coast hotels, spas and Silicon Valley offices. With a training that encompasses fine art, lighting & furniture design, sustainability, wellness and the energy and acoustics of space, Rhyme Studio prides itself on thinking outside the box and developing design programs for projects that delight the senses and stand apart from the crowd. Clients can anticipate an exemplary standard of service and creativity founded upon an intuitive understanding of materials and their performance, storytelling, the history of interiors & design in tandem with innovative design form. Luxurious, balanced and health affirming interiors are achieved by carefully combining the needs and budgets of each client with studio expertise.

Rhyme founder Claire McGovern is a distinguished luxury design, fine art brand and business advisor with over two decades of expertise in shaping the identities of renowned design makers and artists. A multi-disciplinary designer possessing a rare talent for creative ingenuity and erudite storytelling with significant expertise in strategic business and brand development, McGovern began her entrepreneurial days with an art and design gallery in San Francisco. Borne out of a belief in total design and that art can be identified and celebrated in all media, her gallery rapidly became a hub for emerging and established designers and artists and her first foray into developing the careers and business of select creatives.

Since then, McGovern has played a pivotal role in the business and brand of various luxury furniture and lighting design makers contributing to the elevation of their brands on a global scale. Branding is more than just a logo or a tagline; it is about crafting a unique story and creating an emotional connection with the target audience. shaping the narratives that define the essence of luxury and value in design, hospitality and fine art. With a strategic mindset and strong business acumen, McGovern’s keen eye for trends, coupled with a profound understanding of market dynamics, has allowed her to craft unique narratives that resonate with discerning audiences. As a trusted advisor and valuable asset to select companies, she has successfully identified and pursued new opportunities for growth by leveraging her extensive industry connections to collectors, architects, designers and journalists with advanced market research and competitor analysis.

Over the course of her career McGovern has forged valuable strategic partnerships and secured significant art and design business deals and investments. Her background and training in the business of fine art, art history and as an interior designer managing the needs of high level clients has led to the creation of exclusive fine art and furniture programs and site specific conceptual installations for private and commercial interests. Aligning business objectives with market trends and consumer demands, she has helped companies stay ahead of the competition and achieve sustainable growth that enhances brand identity. Merging creativity with commerce, McGovern has a deep understanding of visual aesthetics and a versatile approach to design, creating impactful visuals that resonate with target audiences.

As a thought leader in the industry, McGovern frequently shares her insights at international forums, contributing to the dialogue concerning sustainability in art, design, and business. Her dedication to fostering design that is truly sustainable and regenerative has led to spearheading a luxury market for genuine Irish wool while calling attention to the unsustainable practices of a global fibre, textile and design market.

In her spare time, McGovern enjoys exploring new design and art trends, attending industry conferences, and mentoring aspiring designers and entrepreneurs. She is passionate about sharing her expertise and helping others succeed in their respective fields. For more information and to request a consultation regarding services in design business development and branding, please email or call us.

"Exciting Designs in Breathtaking Colours" -- Dr. Jennifer Goff, Curator of the Eileen Gray Collection, National Museum of Ireland.

“Living History” LUXE Magazine

We believe all design worth making is sustainable and based on a great story. Composed of traditionally spun, hand knotted Irish wool, we approach carpet & tapestry creation as customizable and sculptural floor or wall art and we welcome all custom requests. With responsible craft and provenance as founding principles, we source genuine Irish wool from the spectacular landscape of Ireland. Fleece is sent for processing and spinning to historic Irish woolen mills and dyed by hand using only natural and non toxic dyes. We also prioritize the use of quality wool fiber in its most sustainable and natural state, undyed. Our master craftspeople hand knot our organically farmed Irish wool yarn into standard or custom designs with painstaking precision. One carpet can take many weeks to perfect with lead times beginning at 6-8 weeks and select inventory maintained in New York City

The debut limited edition Insula Series is inspired by 7th Century Irish Art and illuminated manuscripts, The Trinity Series celebrates the concept of “rug as sculpture” and triangular forms. Presenting air purifying wool in its most sustainable form (undyed), The OM Series is derived from a 1600 year old “tree” alphabet called Ogham and a carpet or tapestry design that can spell just about any word. The surface sculpted Modernity series is a tribute to Irish designer Eileen Gray and Kasimir Malevich. Báinín (undyed white yarn) features the original Aran Sweater yarn; a pure, organically farmed, heritage Galway wool that is not currently used in the making of this classic icon of Irish style. Black Sheep celebrates a resilient and organic fiber for carpet and textile creation that was traditionally considered worthless. Real Irish Wool is the company's first textile & cushion design collection.

Rhyme Studio began prototyping with Irish wool in carpet & tapestry in 2017 only to uncover a collapsed Irish woolen market and an environmental travesty as many sheep farmers the world over dump wool deemed unacceptable by a global fiber market that will only trade in merino or fossil fuel based synthetic fibers. Ireland today has 5 million sheep and a landscape that was once covered in woolen mills with what used to be one of the largest wool yields in Europe.

Yet over the last half century, a shift to mass production of petrochemical based synthetics and resource draining cotton have transformed the global fiber market, largely driven by the whims of an unregulated fashion industry. Within the European Union alone, there is considerable wool waste and a failure to recognize the multi-faceted renewable and biodegradable qualities of this earliest known natural textile.

At Rhyme Studio it is our wish for the design world to put nothing out that does not give back in equal measure. We call attention to the unnecessary waste, the decline of the global market for wool and the environmental crisis facing the industry. Carbon sinking, renewable & biodegradable wool fiber is Nature’s way and has a multitude of uses not limited to our customizable surfacing and textiles. Irish wool is a precious resource that can make a luxurious, high quality and timeless heirloom design and we welcome all designers to create with our wool.

The only design studio actively promoting the use of native Irish wool for carpet, Rhyme Studio’s ultimate goal is a circular production model for a genuinely responsible design collection. Following years of research into sustainable materials, we made our first hand tufted Irish wool prototype only to discover that while this is a durable yarn perfectly suited to carpet, tapestry and textiles, it has been forsaken by contemporary Irish carpet & knitwear makers.

Something of a miracle fiber, Irish wool is antimicrobial, naturally water resistant, naturally flame retardant and air filtering with an ability to purify indoor air quality. It is sound absorbing and breathable, contrary to common misconception that wool must always feel hot and coarse. Our Irish wool is traceable. We source high quality fleece from small supplier organic farmers who raise happy sheep that frequently graze upon land not viable for agriculture. Please inquire further for our recently released scientific report on the benefits of bringing our Irish wool into your interior.