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. Originally from Dublin, her diverse career spans roles as an interior designer, curator, and art advisor, blending influences from California's West Coast to East Coast neoclassical and contemporary styles along with her Irish and European roots. Previously a professional DJ, McGovern’s first venture was an acclaimed art and design gallery, which evolved into the multidisciplinary practice she leads today from New York City. Her past and current client roster includes Fortune 500 companies and experimental, award-winning lighting design manufacturers. In 2018, her studio introduced a sustainable luxury design collection, handcrafted in Ireland. Built on a foundation of high-quality, customizable, and responsible design, the studio is set to expand into sustainable furnishings and lighting design.

"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"

With over 25 years of experience in both residential and commercial interiors, McGovern and her design team have successfully completed a wide range of published projects, from Soho restaurants and Manhattan offices to Park Avenue residences, Brooklyn brownstones, hotels, spas, and Silicon Valley offices. Their training spans fine art, lighting and furniture design, sustainability, wellness, and the energy and acoustics of space. Rhyme Studio takes pride in thinking outside the box, crafting design concepts that not only engage the senses but also stand out from the rest. Clients can expect exceptional service and creativity, grounded in a deep understanding of materials, their performance, storytelling, and the history of design, while embracing innovative forms. Luxurious, balanced, and health-enhancing interiors are achieved by aligning each client’s needs and budget 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.

The Story of Irish Wool

Rhyme Studio innovates sustainable and regenerative design from natural fibres such as Irish wool that are renewable, biodegradable, anti-microbial, carbon sinking, sound absorbing, air filtering, purifying, inherently flame retardant and traceable. With the appropriate care our carpet & tapestry designs can last for generations.

We began working with Irish wool in 2017 only to uncover a lost woolen market and what amounts today to a global environmental crisis within the textile & carpet industries. Many sheep farmers around the world cannot sell stronger wool deemed worthless by an industry ruled by synthetic fibers made from fossil fuels. Current estimates put the production of synthetics at about 90% of global fiber market share while it is estimated that 90% of wool harvested globally every year goes to waste. Today about 90% of all carpet produced on the planet is made of synthetic fibers; carpet that generates micro-plastics, has no credible recycling concept, will not endure but will off-gas and outlive us all in landfill for generations to come. 

And in 2020 the Irish wool market officially collapsed…again. 

Ireland, home to almost 5 million sheep, historically once boasted a landscape full of woolen mills and was known for having one of the largest wool yields in Europe. Yet in the past sixty years, a global shift toward mass production of petrochemical-based synthetics such as nylon, polyester and resource-draining cotton have taken over, largely driven by an unregulated fashion industry. Within the European Union and the USA alone, this has led to the complete decline of wool as an industry, a significant amount of wool waste and a failure to recognize one of the world’s oldest natural materials and its extraordinary ability to support health and wellness.

At Rhyme Studio, our creed is that good design makes our lives healthier. Wool is a true miracle fiber and has so many untapped applications in addition to our customizable floor, wall surfacing and textiles. Naturally stain resistant, antimicrobial, naturally water-resistant, flame-retardant, and air-purifying, wool improves indoor air quality by filtering the air with inherent natural sound absorbency and breathable attributes, contrary to the common misconception that wool is always hot. The science now shows that our resilient Irish wool carpet fiber from one of the most beautiful landscapes, is healthier for the interior and will last much longer than softer wool. Our wool is also traceable, sourced from small, organic farmers who raise healthy sheep on land unsuitable for agriculture. 

We are working against the tide of an unsustainable global market standard and establishing a circular production model for our growing design collections. We invite all designers to work with us and incorporate Irish and other sustainable sourced natural fibers into their creations. For more details on our custom program and our scientific report on the benefits of incorporating our design into your interiors, please get in touch!