The right area rug can pull a room together, add a cozy layer of texture or impart a sense of warmth. These five modern rugs do all three.

1

KI by Illulian

With a mesmerizing concentric design, the limited-edition KI rug collection by Karim Rashid for Illulian pays tribute to the Chinese philosophical conception of the vital energy that flows through all living things, inspiring movement and change. Its irregular shape and kaleidoscopic-like patterning are enhanced by vibrant fluorescent colourways set against a rich black backdrop and injects a space with a serious amount of character and personality. 

The geometric design follows the shape of this modern rug, emphasizing its off-kilter form and creating an optical illusion of depth and movement. Crafted from wool and silk, each rug is hand-knotted by skilled artisans in Nepal, with the higher pile of the pattern contributing to a sense of dimensions. Three colourways are available – neon yellow with blue on black and neon yellow with peach on black and on white. 

2

La Geria-Lanzarote by Gan

An otherworldly volcanic landscape in the Canary Islands, La Geria on Lanzarote island is characterized by its metres-deep conical divots and semi-circular walls built with local stones that support the region’s wine production. A Protected Landscape and part of the Unesco World Network of Biosphere Reserves, it provided the inspiration for the La Geria-Lanzarote rug by José A. Gandía-Blasco Canales for Gan. 

Presenting as an aerial view of the one-of-a-kind topography, the new all-wool rug interprets the texture of the volcanic earth through a special hand-tufted wool technique that recreates the physical characteristics with a dimpled charcoal-tone surface and vibrant green plant sprouts. La Geria-Lanzarote is available in rectangular (in two sizes) and round formats and showcases precision and quality craftsmanship. 

3

Feather by Kasthall

Originally conceived by Kasthall in-house designer Ellinor Eliasson in 2019, the Feather rug brings unexpected texture with its playful feather boa-like border fringe and hand-tufted pure wool and linen bouclé construction. Now, five new exuberant yet sophisticated colourways are available that enhance the elegance of the whimsical series. 

Directly inspired by the diverse plumage of different birds from around the world and nature’s own rich palette, the fresh colourways – Blue Jay, Hoopoe, Parakeet, Nuthatch and Sparrow – introduce bolder options for the luxuriously tactile rugs (and replace four former hues, with Heron and Swan still remaining). The Feather collection by Kasthall is available in round and rectangular shapes and a range of standard sizes, with custom-sizing also available.

4

Wavelength by Aimée Wilder

Brooklyn-based multidisciplinary creative talent Aimée Wilder recently added five new modern rugs to her Superwarps & Weaves collection, each one a translation of an existing wallpaper pattern or artwork from her Shadow Wilding portfolio. Re-coloured and rendered as high-quality wool flat waves or hand-knotted silk-blends, the rugs speak to Wilder’s penchant for art-inspired experimentation through colour, material and process. 

Included in the launch is Wavelength, a “funky retro design” that visualizes sound waves as broad undulating squiggly lines in differing textures. Based on a pattern possibility of the Doozie modular tile from the Frequency collection, Wavelength is available in Merino wool/silk blend or New Zealand wool/silk blend (both hand-knotted) constructions, two colourways (the Vermilion shown and Dune, a neutral oatmeal tone) and five standard sizes with custom-sizing and commercial-grade options. 

5

Shape Rugs by Moooi

Polish artist and furniture designer Nikodem Szpunar – who founded his Warsaw-based studio with his partner Kamila Niedzwiedzka in 2012 – has applied his self-developed painting technique to the Shape Rugs collection for Moooi. Featuring three of his Big Scale designs, the area rugs subvert the traditional role of a floor covering to become dynamic and compelling canvases. 

Adorned with massively expanded brushstrokes, the painterly patterns express undeniable texture and depth, with linear gradients enriching the artistic quality of each of the three related yet original designs. Equal parts everyday object and transformative artwork, the Shape rugs are made from a durable synthetic yarn with woven textile backing and are offered in four richly toned colourways: Blue Ink, Gold, Green and Red Wine.