Inspired by the changing colours of the seasons, architects Michele Romani and Mauro Saccani designed their vision of Foliage rugs, which is the latest collection produced by Carpet Edition. With the idea of encapsulate the beauty of leaves, these four rugs make up the product line where each of it resonates with one season of the year. The collection also represents the debut of Romani Saccani Architects in the area of textile design. Collaborating with Carpet Edition, a collection has been created which intertwines fantasy and concreteness, and does not sacrifice a fresh, young pop spirit, even in the quality of the fibers and craftsmanship.
From botanical cataloging to their actual form, leaves are the inspiration of the designs. Stylized profiles of different leaf varieties trace the contours of the rugs, different from each other in their margins, geometry, sizes and colours. The latter, selected with care and attention, evoke the different shades and hues that slowly, with the changing of the seasons, transform the vegetation.
WINTER
Winter evokes, in its form, the angular silhouettes of typically winter leaves, like holly or ivy. The colour palette is in cool tones, which recall snowy winter vistas. From white to green, with various grey and taupe tones, the colours are soft and sober. As in all the rugs in the collection, Winter is produced with two different techniques within the piece, velvet and boucle. The difference between the first, which gives a softer aspect to the pile, and the second, which almost seems rippled, is more compact and consistent, is well evidenced by the central line of the rug, a perfect replica of the main vein of a leaf.
The wool used, exclusively from New Zealand raised sheep, is particularly soft and resistant and retains all of the characteristics of this natural fiber – it has excellent thermal properties, is fire resistant and sound absorbent, and is ideal in both residential and commercial high traffic areas.
SUMMER
The profile of the rug is reminiscent of the typical leaves found in lush virgin forests and its saturated and contrasting colours recall the warm climate of summer. The central axis, like a leaf’s median vein, becomes a border for two different methods of workmanship, which is necessary to give two opposing textures.
The right side is pile in New Zealand wool, while the left side is boucle. The contrast between the softness of one and the consistency of the other, knowingly designed and produced, is a fundamental detail to transmit the same tactile experience as when you touch a leaf, smooth on the top and rough or rippled on the back.
AUTUMN
Stylized contours, which evoke the shape of typically continental vegetation, define the profile of the rug which is handmade out of New Zealand wool and characterized by a pleasant material effect. Just as on leaves, crossed by veins, a median line separates two different types of fleece: velvet on one side and boucle on the other, which give the rug two equally different textures, one softer and the other more consistent.
With this design, in addition to the colours, reference to the natural world is also suggested through the tactile experience which replicates that which one experiences when touching the smooth and rippled sides of leaves. The colours, typical of autumn, are intense and enchanting with an elegant juxtaposition of warm red, brown, green and yellow tones as extraordinarily it evokes the feeling of walking on a real carpet of leaves in a park or in the woods.
SPRING
A stylized shape defines the border of the Spring rug, which is clearly inspired by the botanical world, while the vibrant tones emanate positive energy. As is the case with Summer, Autumn and Winter, this final piece in the Foliage collection is produced in New Zealand wool using two different techniques: a central line which recalls the main vein on a leaf separates the velvet from the boucle pile workmanship, giving distinct textures to the piece. The result is a refined tactile experience, due to being softer and smoother on one side and more compact on the other, just as it is when touching a leaf, smooth on the front and rough on the back.
Inspired by the grazing technique used in watercolours, architects Romani and Saccani opted for a series of degrading shades of orange and green. Bright and delicate colours harmonise throughout the rug, recalling a varied and fresh palette typical of spring blossoms encompassing the buds, flowers and leaves that bloom on plants.
Image credits: Carpet Edition