Montreal-based design studio Mark Krebs (founded by David Cowper in 2020) recently launched two new collections of rugs to its ever-growing portfolio – Tile and Stitch. In keeping with all of the Canadian brand’s offerings, each rug within the two new collections is handwoven in Northern India by skilled artisans on traditional looms.
A hand-woven pile rug, Tile features a “double back” loom construction that gives it incredible durability and flexibility. Once the rug has been woven by hand, the weavers will hand-carve the repeated tile pattern using shears, slightly alternating the tile heights to give the tactile surface a subtle dimensional shadow play that shifts with the changing light throughout the day.
Made from 80 per cent wool (weft) and 20 per cent cotton (warp), the Tile collection is available in two colours – Fossil and Sumac, both achieved through monochromatic dip-dyed yarns – and four standard sizes (custom sizing is also available, priced per square foot).
Taking inspiration from the traditional kilim rugs of various nomadic tribes throughout Persia and northern Africa who would link small woven strips together to form larger rugs, the aptly named Stitch features hand-woven sections (each approximately the width of a human body) in varying lengths that are stitched together to make a full-size rug.
Staggering the lengths gives a window of error to the weaver and also creates an intriguing edge detail. The 80 per cent Indian wool (weft) and 20 per cent undyed cotton (warp) Stich rug has a neutral two-tone stripe pattern with subtle variations in colour that lends an understated complexity to the design. The Stitch collection is available in two colours – Chalk and Pebble – and four standard sizes (custom sizing is also available, priced per square foot).
The Tile and Stitch rugs from Mark Krebs — and all the studio’s rugs — are hand-made using 100 per cent natural materials, meaning that slight variations in colour and pattern will occur, making each heirloom-quality piece one-of-a-kind.
