Four corners, four edges – that’s what you’d expect from a carpet. But newer designs are breaking convention and don’t quite fit any standard geometric shape. This comes with a set of advantages.
«Skrimsli» by Krjst Studio: full of hidden details
«Nostos» by Marta Malinverni: all about the colour
Each of the unique pieces contains memories of colours as well as tactile and compositional surfaces that the designer experienced in a foreign location on her adventures. So why are some motifs – the three-armed serpentine line below the circle, for example – more ambiguous than others? «Memories sometimes deceive you, which is why some of the shapes are vague.»
Like a cheerleader, I love celebrating good design and bringing you closer to everything furniture- and interior design- related. I regularly curate simple yet sophisticated interior ideas, report on trends and interview creative minds about their work.
At this year's Design Week in Milan, it wasn't the frayed flokati rugs that caught my eye. Nor was it the trendy chequerboard patterned rugs, like the green and yellow one Youtuber and model Reese Blutstein has. What did catch my eye were designs with twisted, sweeping silhouettes. To find out why rectangles seem to be so yesterday and the effect this has on our interiors, let’s have a look at three designs.
Erika Schillebeeckx and Justine de Moriamé of Krjst Studio paint – but not with pigment. They weave. From afar, the «Skrimsli» hand-tufted carpet resembles an oil painting of an ocean. Not just because of its shades of blue, but also because of the wave-like shapes. When I ask the designers about this resemblance, they explain that their one-of-a-kind piece is indeed inspired by nature. «This rug, like all our pieces, is meant to express colours that words cannot describe.»
«Skrimsli», made from silk, wool and Lurex, speaks volumes. For the exhibition, it was raised onto a pedestal.
According to the designers, they wanted to weave the threads in a way that would depict imaginary landscapes of a «poetic, tranquil yet chaotic realm where emotions are born that do not follow straight lines». That’s why they deliberately decided against a rectangular rug shape. They believe that rounded shapes allow our eyes to wander more in rectangular rooms. «Organic shapes make the interior less sterile and open the door to more creativity when arranging furniture.»
This design is supposed to «express colours that words cannot describe.» Source: Assab One, 2022.
Much like the designers at Krjst Studio see the carpet as a medium bridging art and design, Italian architect Marta Malinverni considers her artistic work «inseparable from her architectural practice». This is why she always explores geometric configurations of abstract spaces. The «Nostos» carpet collection is an example of this. She says it was created from the memories of her travels and represents a «mental laboratory, encompassing faraway destinations».
The «Nostos» collection consists of individual pieces like this one, which are a mixture of symmetrical and irregular shapes.
No limits: The circle on this design extends beyond the edge. Source: Assab One, 2022.
Like lush poppies peppering the outdoors, Leo Rydell Jost’s «Botánica» rugs pop in the outdoor area of the old military hospital during Milan Design Week. Certain ones are hung up on the facade, others are spread over the floor of the terrace. Regardless of placement, they always seem to belong more to the surrounding garden than the expo building. With their organic shapes, they fit right in. In contrast to most carpets, these designs are quite tiny. That may be because the designer is used to creating small-format leather goods for luxury retailers like Bottega Veneta and Loewe – or perhaps because he sees his work as functional art.
All the colours: this hand-knotted carpet from the «Botánica» collection is made from Tibetan wool. It’s the result of nature and body study.
Leo Rydell Jost aims to create visually stark objects and a pleasant atmosphere. His focus for the «Botánica» collection is a figure dancing out of line – to put it in his words, he’s «always inspired by nature and human bodies». He adds that «organic shapes add volume and fun to a space. They give the interior some personality, unexpectedness ... the energy shifts.» Still, he’s not set on avoiding more classical geometry in the future. The only thing he’s intent on keeping away from is monotone designs – colour is a must.
The pattern and shape of the rugs are the result of nature and body study. Source: Alcova, 2022.
Be it in the form of waves or the body, I certainly find nature soothing. This alone already speaks for the new carpets and their natural look being used in interior design. They may look more unpredictable at first glance, but their message is one and the same: anything goes, just no humdrum emptiness on the floor. With that, uniform designs haven’t been pushed out of the home. But they have got competition that allows you to set some new accents. Or, to be more precise, these irregular rugs allow you to cause a visual stir and break up the rigid right angles of your rooms.
