Konstantin Grcic: Since 2022 we have been working together as art directors for Mattiazzi, where you are responsible for the visual communication of the brand. This year you designed a collection of rugs called ZONA. Although the design is based on a graphic concept, you’ve now moved into the product camp. What aspect of the development did you find particularly exciting?
Annahita Kamali & Florian Böhm: Designing rugs was very different from creating artwork for a wall or publication – there’s no fixed orientation and light reflection appears differently on the floor. Since rugs are often part of a larger arrangement with furniture, the overall mood and how the rug integrates into the space were our main concerns, along with ensuring that the colour compositions work. We truly enjoyed stepping away from the computer and instead experimenting with physical mock-ups and material samples. The most exciting part here was exploring the vast colour library of yarn swatches – it almost felt like being a kid in a candy shop.

KG: In design, there is the famous axiom ‘form follows function’. It would be fairly easy to define the function of a chair or a tool, but what about a carpet? What use did you have in mind for the carpets and in terms of Sullivan, how do the colourful patterns respond to that?
AK & FB: We see colour as a mood generator, and by offering a range of colours and shapes, the rug acts as a kind of cartography for the room’s mood. It adds a deeper complexity to the arrangement, defining zones that hopefully gain meaning within the broader context of the room. One object might work best with the rug’s red corner, while another fits more naturally along the blue line on the opposite side.

KG: I can imagine that your work on ZONA has taught you a lot about rugs. Can you tell us about where and how your collection for Mattiazzi is produced – and what specific material they are made of?
AK & FB: For us, it made a big difference that the whole production is hand-made in Nepal, not only regarding sustainability and durability but also as it supports a tradition that involves knowledge passed down by generations of artisans. Made from hand-spun New Zealand wool, each piece is hand-knotted – our larger rugs feature nearly one million knots, which equals roughly one megapixel in the digital world. Another interesting fact is that all colours are toxin-free, and a dye master mixed the pigments by feel and experience to match our specifications. And of course, Mattiazzi’s commitment to ethical and sustainable practices was also applied here in choosing a facility that shares the same values.

MCA1 — ZONA