This groovy rug collab is bringing ’70s design back to life
Don’t sweep this timeless collection under the rug
If you hadn’t noticed, we have a deep appreciation for modern rugs that are bursting at the seams with personality. Jenny Kaplan, Chris Corrado, and Tai Coombs' Pieces has been a longtime favorite of ours with refreshing designs that are unapologetically loud with bold colors and funky shapes. (Among the range of unique statement pieces, the wavy rug is the most popular by far.) Today, Pieces is dropping the ultimate power collaboration with the vintage furniture and home goods store Home Union. The timeless rug collection features four styles in three patterns (Fortunato, Giglio, Salerno, and Vespucci) with a range of complementary color combinations.
As Home Union founders Meghan Lavery-King and Daniel King explain, there’s a bit of something for everyone within this assortment “be it with a bold print in a neutral colorway, or a simpler design with bolder colors.” Meghan adds, “We wanted bold, contrasting colors that can liven up your beige Togo sofa, or a neutral pattern that will complement your baby blue Camaleonda sectional.”
Pieces won’t hesitate to tell you that so much of what they design comes from their own needs or desires. The same can be said for the Home Union crew, who believe that “we know our customer well because our customer is just like us.” This series is a true collaborative effort between both companies and has been in the works since January, when the concept was fully locked in. From there, the idea was to “nod to tradition while taking some license in unconventional shape, along with marrying colors that aren’t often seen on rugs.” Going back and forth on Zoom calls, they began to build a vision out of drawings and mood boards.
In addition to bonding over common design tastes, both of the Brooklyn-based brands share a mutual love for their Williamsburg neighborhood. This product design collaboration was deeply inspired by the world of Italian vintage modern design in the ’70s and ’80s, a well-known specialty for Home Union. (Some of their personal favorite local Italian American spots include Fortunato Brothers, Il Passatore, and Pecoraro Latteria.) “We’ve always been fans of the overstuffed sofas, peculiar lighting, the undeniable beauty of these pieces, while somehow always maintaining functionality,” Daniel says. “We looked back to old Poltronova and Superstudio advertisements and admired the use of negative space, pattern, and contrast.”
Pieces personally found inspiration in the “boldness of colors and abstractness of shapes that designers of that era demonstrated the courage to use.” The goal was to find the balance of collaborative design intent and create something that spoke for both brands in equal measure. For example, the Giglio rug is the merging of Home Union’s checkerboard pattern with the signature Pieces wavy design. “Across each design we combined elements of our design past to form totally new ideas,” Jenny adds. “Taken on their own, these rugs could seem abstract, but when placed in situ they ground a space in a very elevated and elegant way.”
Starting at $1080 and ranging from 4x6 to 9x12, the Home Union x Pieces collection is currently available to purchase online and in-store at 319 Graham Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11211. Trust us, this will totally be worth the splurge, so cop the drop while supplies last.
Original article appeared on Architectural Digest | Author Sydney Gore