Pendulum Magazine

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KASTHALL || Hand-Tufted Rugs Inspired by Japanese and Woven Textiles

Kasthall’s new Quilt rug has influences from Japanese Boro textiles and design icons Anna Albers and Sheila Hicks.

The idea has been to design a rug where many layers of design elements intersect. When combined, its different colours, shapes, and textures create an elaborate, genuine, and recognizable design piece.

Quilt is a hand-tufted rug in pure wool and linen, where its surface is both cut and looped to different heights that meet in patches of colour. The inspiration for the complex patterns of the rugs is partly taken from the visual expression of Japanese Boro textiles. In the 19th century, these textiles were created with a patchwork technique.

"The beauty of Boro textiles is how they can extend the lifetime and bring new life to things. Using what we already have, the originals can live on for several generations - just as we believe they should," says Kasthall's designer, Ellinor Eliasson.

Ellinor Eliasson was also influenced by Anni Albers and Sheila Hicks, particularly the beautiful and complex textiles they created and how they used colour and shape to create new nuances.

Quilt in Bronze Green.

Quilt in Terracotta Sand

The result is a complex composition with many colours, shapes and textures. A few yarn colours have been mixed with each other, which adds vibrancy, and the wide border holds everything together and gives it a beautiful frame.

"We wanted to develop an innovative rug that stands out and shows the uniqueness of Kasthall, but that is producible despite its complexity. With mathematical precision and great knowledge of the craft, Ellinor has created a rug that must be described as an innovation in Kasthall's rug production," says Kasthall's head of design, Lena Jiseborn.

Quilt is available in two colour schemes; "Bronze Green" and "Terracotta Sand".