Ever since Mattel released Barbie’s DreamHouse in 1962, it has served as a backdrop for young designers to play, experiment, and bring their imaginations to life. Now, thanks to a new collaboration between Barbie and Pinterest, that same spirit of exploration can come to life in real homes. With Pinterest’s Restyle tool, users can reimagine their actual interiors through five distinct DreamHouse-inspired aesthetics.

Launched last month in beta, Restyle lets design enthusiasts of all ages virtually experiment with interiors through AI-powered visual technology. Users can upload a photograph of their own space and explore different design directions.

Pinterest’s Restyle tool reimagines a dining room in the Modern Coastal Barbie DreamHouse style. Rendering courtesy of Pinterest.

“People come to Pinterest with a vision for how they want their spaces to look and feel, but it’s not always easy to imagine how those ideas will translate into their own homes,” explains Sara Pollack, VP, Global Head of Consumer Marketing at Pinterest. “With Restyle, we’re helping bridge that gap by giving people a way to experiment with different design styles, see how furniture, colors, and decor work together in their actual space, and discover products that bring their vision to life.”

The Barbie collaboration introduces five DreamHouse-inspired styles: mid-century Americana, chalet chic, superstar glam, Victorian romance, and modern coastal. Each offers a different starting point, moving beyond Barbie’s signature pink to explore a broader range of interiors, from retro influences to more relaxed, contemporary spaces.

Video courtesy of Pinterest

After selecting a style, users can refine the room by adding or swapping furniture and decorative accessories. Restyle also allows users to remove existing objects or describe changes through text prompts.

While the fascination with Barbie’s DreamHouse may begin in childhood, it’s clearly not something everyone outgrows. According to Pinterest, searches for “Barbie DreamHouse aesthetic” have increased 72%, while searches for “pink apartment ideas” and “pink dorm aesthetics” have risen 224% and 120%, respectively. More specific design elements are also gaining traction, including pink wallpaper, lighting, rugs, and decorative mirrors.

The Barbie collaboration allows Pinterest users to explore how design ideas might translate into their own spaces, rather than remaining on carefully curated inspiration boards.

Pinterest’s Restyle tool reimagines a dining room in the Superstar Glam Barbie DreamHouse style. Rendering courtesy of Pinterest.

“Our collaboration with Barbie makes that process even more playful, bringing five distinct DreamHouse aesthetics into an experience where people can explore, personalize, and ultimately create a space that feels uniquely theirs,” Pollack says.

The Barbie experience is available through official Barbie content, select Pinterest searches, curated boards on Barbie’s Pinterest profile, and even a 26-foot-long pink Barbie truck. Through October and November, the truck will stop in New York City, Dallas, and Los Angeles, where visitors can step inside to try Pinterest Restyle, explore interactive installations, and enter giveaways.

Editorial Transparency: This article was developed with the assistance of AI tools, which may have been used for research, outlining, editing, or copy refinement. Reporting, fact-checking, and editorial decisions were made by the Design Milk editorial team.

The lotus—a flower known for blooming in challenging conditions—has long been a symbol of resilience. Now, more than five decades after its original debut, another Lotus is getting a second life. Italian design brand Gubi has revived the sculptural table lamp, bringing Carlo Nason’s 1969 design back into production.

Photography courtesy of Gubi

First introduced by Italian glassmaker Carlo Nason in 1969 as the LT305, the light remained in production for only a few years. Nevertheless, it went on to develop a cult following among design collectors, who nicknamed it the “Lotus lamp,” a moniker that Gubi embraced for the revival.

“It was a very natural decision,” Gubi CEO Marie Kristine Schmidt says of officially adopting the nickname. “Collectors had already given the lamp a name that captures the design beautifully. The name had become part of the design’s identity and history, and we wanted to respect that.”

Photography courtesy of Gubi

The design’s enduring appeal is a testament to just how ambitious it was when it debuted. Growing up in a family of Murano glassmakers, Nason acquired an expert command of the Italian island’s glassblowing traditions. But while most of his ancestors and peers applied their skill to highly decorative forms, Nason was eager to move in more experimental, contemporary directions.

Photography courtesy of Gubi

Influenced by the rise of industrial product design—particularly the Space Age style popular in the 1960s—Nason developed the LT305 lamp with a bulbous, streamlined silhouette. But behind this pared-back profile is some fairly complex glasswork. The light is composed of four distinct mouth-blown shades—each one nested within the next to create an arrangement that calls to mind a lotus flower in bloom. “The four layers of mouth-blown glass give it an almost architectural presence,” Schmidt says.

Photography courtesy of Gubi

This construction method also contributes to the lamp’s carefully calibrated glow, which is free from both glare and harsh shadows. While the design’s opaque central portion, where its four shades overlap, completely obscures the bulb inside, the fixture’s outer curves—expressed with just a single layer of glass—exhibit delicate transparency. 

Photography courtesy of Gubi

Adding to the design’s dynamic sense of depth, each mouth-blown shade is produced using a Murano technique known as “pulegoso,” in which small air bubbles are blown into the glass to give it a textured, semi-opaque appearance. Originally developed in the 1920s, the method further highlights the human skill behind each element.

Photography courtesy of Gubi

“Each of the four shades is mouth-blown, and the natural variations in the glass and the distribution of the bubbles mean that no two lamps are exactly alike,” Schmidt explains. “I think that is an important part of the design’s appeal. The craftsmanship is visible, and it gives each piece its own character.”

While staying faithful to Nason’s original specifications, Gubi did make one contemporary refinement: The lamp’s steel base, which houses the bulb socket and secures the four glass shades, has been re-engineered for greater stability. The updated construction also makes it easier to disassemble the lamp for cleaning and bulb replacement.

Photography courtesy of Gubi

“These are discreet improvements that do not change the expression of the design but ensure that it works beautifully in everyday use,” Schmidt notes. “Whenever we bring a design back into production, our starting point is to understand the original intention and preserve what makes it special. We worked closely with Nason’s son, Alberto, throughout the development process.”

The result is a reissue that preserves the sculptural character that has made Lotus a favorite among design collectors for decades.

Photography courtesy of Gubi

“A design has to earn its place in the Gubi Collection,” Schmidt says. “We look for pieces with a strong identity, a distinct point of view and qualities that make them as relevant today as when they were first created. Lotus has all of those qualities.”

Nason’s death earlier this year gives the revival added significance as a continuation of his legacy. Alberto is especially grateful that Gubi’s reissue will allow a much larger audience to experience his father’s design firsthand.

Photography courtesy of Gubi

“The more you observe it, the more it unfolds, layer by layer, allowing you to discover its beauty over time,” Alberto says. “There is a quiet magic to it: a softness, a depth, a tactile presence that makes the light feel almost like a material in itself.”

Like the flower it’s named for, Lotus is back in bloom.

Photography courtesy of Gubi

The Lotus Table Lamp is available at gubi.com and select retailers.

Five years after its last collection, Apparatus is entering a new chapter. The New York-based design studio has unveiled Act V: Afsaneh, a collection of lighting, furniture, and objects inspired by Persian mythology, personal history, and the cyclical nature of life. Conceived by artistic director Gabriel Hendifar, the collection is both a tribute to his mother and an exploration of the divine feminine as a source of creativity, knowledge, and renewal.

Gabriel Hendifar. Photography courtesy of Apparatus.

The name Afsaneh carries two meanings. In Persian, it translates to “fable,” but it is also the name of Hendifar’s mother. That dual significance provides the foundation for a collection structured as a modern fable, with four interconnected chapters tracing a journey from creation to connection.

Photography courtesy of Apparatus

“Life is shaped by cycles. Creation and destruction. The separation from self and the return,” Hendifar explains. “It’s in these cycles that the collection finds its rhythm. The seed becomes the flower. We gather to celebrate its dance with the sun and breathe in the gift of its scent, however fleeting. And at the center of this beauty is the divine feminine—the source, the creative force, the nurturer within each of us.”

Photography courtesy of Apparatus

Each chapter takes its name from a Persian word and explores a different stage of that cycle. “Esfand: The Seed” represents origins, fertility, and protection. Named for the 12th month of the Persian calendar, Esfand also references a seed traditionally associated with warding off the evil eye. Here, the motif appears in lacquered finishes that evoke the colors of nature, from milk and honey to pomegranate, sky, dusk, and night.

Photography courtesy of Apparatus

“Gol: The Flower” follows the seed into bloom. Its forms explore growth and transformation, with molded fiberglass used to create delicate, membrane-like surfaces. The floral theme extends beyond the physical objects through Afsaneh, a namesake fragrance combining damask rose, oud, and frankincense. Scent becomes another material in the collection, introducing an ephemeral dimension to objects designed to endure.

Photography courtesy of Apparatus

The narrative takes a different turn with “Rahvi: The Serpent,” which represents the pursuit and transmission of knowledge. Water-formed brass and blown glass trace sinuous lines, while semiprecious stones introduce color and symbolic weight. Tiger’s eye, black onyx, quartz, honey agate, red jasper, lapis lazuli, and aventurine appear as amulets, connecting the serpent’s shifting form to ideas of wisdom and protection.

Photography courtesy of Apparatus

The final chapter, “Jahaan: The World,” brings the narrative outward, toward community and gathering. Bronze and aluminum intertwine with cast glass, creating forms that reference the cosmos and the idea of shared experience. Where the earlier chapters focus on origins, transformation, and knowledge, Jahaan considers what happens when those experiences are brought together.

Photography courtesy of Apparatus

Throughout Act V, familiar materials from the Apparatus vocabulary are pushed in new directions. Brass, glass, and bronze remain central, but techniques such as water-forming and fiberglass molding introduce different possibilities for shape, surface, and movement. The resulting pieces move between the architectural and the organic, with curves, suspended forms, and layered materials giving physical expression to the collection’s symbolism.

Photography courtesy of Apparatus

That relationship between objects and the human experience has long informed Hendifar’s approach. Rather than designing individual pieces in isolation, he imagines complete environments in which lighting, furniture, and decorative objects contribute to a shared atmosphere. Act V takes that philosophy further, using a narrative structure to connect the collection’s materials and forms.

Photography courtesy of Apparatus

The story also extends beyond the objects themselves. Apparatus collaborated with the Martha Graham Dance Company on five short films that interpret the collection through movement. For Hendifar, whose work often explores the relationship between objects and the body, dance offers another way to express the ideas behind Afsaneh.

“I consider the heart of my work to be creating the envelope for human experience, and there is no more beautifully distilled expression of that experience than Martha’s language of movement,” he says.

The films will be released episodically beginning in fall 2026, allowing the collection’s narrative to unfold over time rather than through a single presentation.

Photography courtesy of Apparatus

Act V: Afsaneh premiered in New York in October 2026, with subsequent presentations planned for London later that month and Miami and Los Angeles in February 2027. Each city will receive its own interpretation of the collection, extending the idea of a story that evolves as it moves between places.

For Hendifar, Afsaneh is ultimately about the relationship between creation and experience. Its objects carry references to mythology, memory, and the natural world, but their meaning is not fixed. Like the fable that inspired them, they are intended to become part of the stories unfolding around them.

Photography courtesy of Apparatus

Editorial Transparency: This article was developed with the assistance of AI tools, which may have been used for research, outlining, editing, or copy refinement. Reporting, fact-checking, and editorial decisions were made by the Design Milk editorial team.

For Grammy Award-winning music producer Kasseem “Swizz Beatz” Dean, creativity doesn’t stop at the recording studio. An avid art collector with a longstanding interest in design, Dean has built a world where music, art, and everyday life intersect. His latest collaboration brings that perspective into the home through Casa Dean, a new furniture and accessories collection developed with CB2 and designer Evan Jerry, founder of Studio Anansi.

Photography by Frank Frances/Art Department

Launched this month, the collection takes its cues from what Dean calls the “Creative Home,” a space where living, making, and gathering are intertwined. Inspired by the way Dean and his family use their own home, Casa Dean translates that philosophy into sculptural furnishings designed to accommodate both creative expression and everyday life.

Photography courtesy of CB2

“The ‘Creative Home’ is something everyone should have, especially people who express themselves through the arts,” Dean says. “I’m thrilled to have partnered with CB2 and Evan Jerry to bring Casa Dean to life. I hope people feel the energy in this collection and are inspired to make it their own.”

Jerry, a member of CB2’s Designer Collective, worked closely with Dean to translate his influences into a cohesive collection. The resulting pieces draw on a mix of design references, from Brazilian modernism to the visual language of music and collecting, with an emphasis on expressive silhouettes and rich materials.

Photography courtesy of CB2

“As a long-standing design partner and member of CB2’s Designer Collective, it was exciting to work with Swizz to translate his ideas, cultural influences, and lifestyle into a collection that felt true to his creative point of view while also working naturally within the CB2 world,” Jerry explains.

Photography courtesy of CB2

Throughout Casa Dean, a moody palette of deep greens, warm woods, and earthy neutrals creates continuity across furniture, lighting, textiles, and decorative objects. Rich green leather, inspired by Dean’s affinity for British racing green, is a defining element, while New Zealand wool rugs introduce softness and texture. Lighting combines swirled white glass and linen shades with textured metal and wood, balancing sculptural forms with a warmer, more atmospheric quality.

Photography courtesy of CB2

Among the collection’s standout pieces is the Kindred Olive Green Velvet Curved Sectional, whose rounded silhouette and modular construction create a sculptural centerpiece for living rooms. The Brainstorm Chair takes inspiration from Brazilian modernism, pairing a boxy wood frame with soft leather upholstery. Meanwhile, the Lam-Louie DJ Console offers a more direct connection to Dean’s musical background, combining tambour-detailed burl wood, deep green leather, and stainless steel with concealed storage and locking casters.

Photography courtesy of CB2

Other pieces include the Baza Ivory Velvet Sectional, Baza Black Leather Sofa, and Dean Inom smoked glass drinkware. Commissioned paintings by artist Megan Gabrielle Harris extend the collection into wall art, reflecting Dean’s interest in collecting and the relationship between art and interiors.

While the individual pieces draw from different influences, the collection is united by an approach that treats furniture and objects as opportunities for personal expression without sacrificing function.

Photography courtesy of CB2

The Casa Dean Collection by Swizz Beatz is available at CB2 stores nationwide and online at cb2.com.

Editorial Transparency: This article was developed with the assistance of AI tools, which may have been used for research, outlining, editing, or copy refinement. Reporting, fact-checking, and editorial decisions were made by the Design Milk editorial team.

Green has become a familiar fixture in the annual color forecasting cycle, but Benjamin Moore is looking beyond the latest trends for its 2027 selection. Webster Green (HC-130), the paint brand’s Color of the Year, draws on the enduring appeal of a classic, mid-tone green, offering a shade that feels equally at home in historic interiors and contemporary spaces.

The paint brand’s choice reflects a growing interest in colors with staying power. Webster Green has a muted, slightly gray quality that softens its richness without diminishing its presence. It’s substantial enough to envelop an entire room, yet restrained enough to work alongside architectural details, natural materials, and other colors.

Photography courtesy of Benjamin Moore

“For 2027, our focus centered on the green color family,” says Andrea Magno, VP of brand, color, and integrated marketing at Benjamin Moore. “When we looked across the past, present, and future of color trends, variations on green consistently demonstrated remarkable staying power.”

Magno describes Webster Green as a color that balances familiarity with a sense of possibility. “Its composed nature feels both rooted and forward-looking, while enhancing spaces that feel distinctive, collected, and continually new,” she says.

Photography courtesy of Benjamin Moore

In one setting, Webster Green envelops a traditional library, unifying its shelving, paneled walls, and fireplace surround. Elsewhere, it brings a more contemporary sensibility to a bedroom when paired with crisp white trim and a pale blue ceiling. The color’s versatility lets it move comfortably between traditional and modern interiors.

Photography courtesy of Benjamin Moore

Webster Green anchors Benjamin Moore’s Color Trends 2027 palette, a collection of eight hues selected from the company’s library of more than 3,500 colors. The seven accompanying shades include White Down, a soft off-white; Nelson Blue, a pale, watery blue; and Shakespeare Tan, a golden neutral. Wild Aster introduces a muted pink with gray undertones, while Antique Copper brings a warmer, reddish-brown note. The deeper end of the palette includes Durango, a dark neutral with olive undertones, and Townsend Harbor Brown, a burgundy that leans toward brown. Together, the colors offer opportunities for both subtle combinations and more expressive contrasts.

Photography courtesy of Benjamin Moore

Benjamin Moore also commissioned illustrator Tanu Vasu to create a series of hand-drawn illustrations exploring the palette’s inspiration, reinforcing its connection to historical design and personal expression.

With Webster Green as its 2027 Color of the Year, Benjamin Moore makes the case that a color doesn’t have to be new to feel relevant.

Photography courtesy of Benjamin Moore

Editorial Transparency: This article was developed with the assistance of AI tools, which may have been used for research, outlining, editing, or copy refinement. Reporting, fact-checking, and editorial decisions were made by the Design Milk editorial team.

“Warm, moody colors dominated the aisles of Cersaie 2026 and the windows of almost every storefront in Bologna,” notes Danielle McWilliams, principal at Novità, the communications agency for Ceramics of Italy. “Just like in fashion, Italian tile manufacturers debuted collections in deep burgundy, luxurious browns, earthy terracottas and vibrant reds and yellows.”

Era by Faetano mimics the look of terracotta and comes in six natural and neutral colors. Photography courtesy of Del Conca.

Besides color, large-format tiles, texture and dimension, intricate digital printing, and natural material effects were top trends at the 43rd edition of Cersaie, held for five days at the end of September in Bologna, Italy. The annual trade show brings together manufacturers, architects, and designers to explore the latest innovations in ceramic tile, architectural surfaces, and bathroom furnishings. This year’s show drew more than 90,000 visitors to see ceramic and porcelain surfacing materials from 600 exhibitors across 24 countries.

There was an energy to this year’s fair, and not just from the bustling crowds. That palpable buzz was reflected in the temporary showrooms displaying bold, exciting products.

Photography courtesy of Antiche Fornaci D’Agostino

1. Color Makes a Comeback

While stark white and neutral tiles will always be in fashion, ceramic makers did not shy away from richer, more saturated hues this year. “We are certainly seeing a renewed confidence in color,” says Benedetta Borghi, of external affairs at Atlas Concorde. “There is a much greater willingness to use stronger colors as part of the architectural palette.”

Photography courtesy of Atlas Concorde

Combining bright hues with neutral and warm white tiles offers a refreshed aesthetic. Atlas Concorde’s Boost Hux pairs warm natural tones with accents of green, red, blue, and ember, while Vivia features vivid glazed colors inspired by Italian ceramics. “For us, color is increasingly becoming a design tool rather than simply a decorative accent,” Borghi says.

Cristina Faedi, tile trend expert, consultant to Confindustria Ceramica, and founder and art director of Infinite Possibilità, agrees: “There are Italian companies that have even doubled the colors in their range, and others have made three densities of the same color.”

Photography courtesy of Ceramica Fioranese

2. Green Takes Root

Could the popularity of rich-colored tiles be the pendulum swinging back after muted tones and neutrals have been in favor? Maybe. But Faedi also sees the chaotic state of the world influencing tile palettes, citing the seven chakras, which correspond to the colors of the rainbow. Green, for example, represents empathy and emotional healing.

The Eterea collection by Gardenia&Ariana includes onyx-inspired tiles for floors and walls, plus a complementary 3D fluted wall tile called Righe. Photography courtesy of Gardenia&Ariana.

So it makes sense that green is having a moment. “It’s a color that clearly gives a lot of calm and is inspired by nature,” Faedi says. “It’s a narrative of landscapes, of places, of wild herbs, but also of thermal waters and even of oceans.” Along with shades ranging from deep forest to pale sage, earthy palettes of terracotta and other natural tones also stood out.

Plinth by Terratinta Group’s Sartoria, shown here in Moss, Stone Green, and Off Stone. Photography courtesy of Terratinta Group.

Glossy finishes amplify the colors and make them pop. Plinth from Sartoria, part of the Terratinta Group, comes in two shades of green, Moss and Stone Green, and features a 3D surface that adds texture and dimension to walls.

3. Playing with Perception

“Ceramic is no longer simply reproducing a material: the surface itself is becoming an architectural element,” Borghi says. “That’s an interesting evolution.”

Photography courtesy of Marca Corona

Marca Corona’s Multiforme Mira wall tiles complement its concrete-effect porcelain floor tiles. The Tassello decorative variant features small, three-dimensional tesserae arranged to create the appearance of a continuous mosaic, with glossy and luster-glazed details set against a matte background.

Photography courtesy of Cerasarda

As part of The Nesting Room collection, Moooi Ceramic Surfaces, in collaboration with ABK, designed Hypnotic Owl, a floor and wall tile with a tactile 3D-relief surface created using ABK’s 3DTECH technology. This proprietary process digitally applies glazes and textures to porcelain stoneware.

Photography courtesy of Moooi Ceramic Surfaces

Gruppo Bardelli brand Appiani introduced Lamiere, part of its Pastelli Strutture collection. Inspired by sheet metal, the through-body ceramic tiles use the chiaroscuro effect to create the illusion of a 3D surface. I found the interplay of light and reflectivity particularly impressive, even mind-bending: the tiles look dimensional but feel flat to the touch.

Photography courtesy of Appiani

4. Nature, Reimagined

When real stone or marble isn’t durable enough for a project, or is simply too expensive, ceramic offers the aesthetics of natural materials and the performance of porcelain. While this has been a trend for years, advances in technology have made the effects increasingly realistic.

Magma by Flaviker features the look of slate and lava stone in its color-body porcelain stoneware; it comes in indoor and outdoor versions up to 48 inches. Photography courtesy of Flaviker.

“We are talking about controlled chaos,” Faedi says of tiles that mimic natural stone. “Technology can create this apparently chaotic mix of colors, hues, and shapes, but with a great visual impact, thanks precisely to modern techniques.”

Photography courtesy of Verde

Gruppo Romani brand Verde introduced Essenziale, a glazed porcelain stoneware that mimics the materiality of limestone. Its Contour Tech 3D printing process colors the ceramic body at different depths to reflect the irregularities of sedimentary stone.

It’s hard to believe the Marble Boutique collection from Del Conca isn’t actual marble or onyx. The line includes three finishes—Shine, Natural, and Structured—and six new material options with enhanced colors and veining. Its large-format slabs, measuring 48 by 110 inches, are also on trend.

Photography courtesy of Del Conca

5. Sizing Up

Large-format tile stood out at the show, even though it has been trending larger for years. “We see large slabs as a way to create greater continuity across different elements of a space, from floors and walls to kitchen countertops, islands, and furniture,” Borghi says.

Photography courtesy of Cotto D’Este

European manufacturers, particularly in Italy and Spain, pioneered oversized formats in 2001 by using advanced pressing techniques that moved beyond the traditional 12-by-12-inch tile.

In the U.S., the American National Standards Institute officially defined large-format tile in January 2025 as tile with a facial dimension of 23 inches or larger. Many exhibitors at Cersaie showcased extra-large formats, including several collections featured here. Solaris by Cotto D’Este is one of them; it comes in formats up to 24 by 128 inches.

6. From Paint to Pixels

Other products that resonated with me at Cersaie were colorful, intricate decorative tiles made using both high-tech processes and traditional hand-painting. I appreciated the juxtaposition of new technologies and traditional techniques.

Photography courtesy of Ceramica Bardelli

Ceramica Bardelli’s Tulipani, designed by Ronald van der Hilst, features floral decoration in three patterns created using different technologies, from cold digital printing to laser engraving. The brand also introduced the eye-catching Searcus, designed by Riccardo Capuzzo, with two patterns inspired by the sea and the circus, made using cold digital printing.

Photography courtesy of Ceramica Bardelli

In direct contrast, Ceramica Francesco De Maio’s Three Elements, One Matter collection was designed and hand-painted by architect Kengo Kuma. “I sought to let nature emerge through the hand, where each tile carries a continuous human gesture, sometimes as light as rain, sometimes as soft as mist, sometimes as grounded as earth,” Kuma says. “Material, movement, and landscape quietly become one.”

Photography courtesy of Ceramica Francesco De Maio

In contemporary interior design, the rug has quietly transcended its conventional role as a soft buffer between furnishings and hard floors. Today, recognizable names across architecture, design, and fine art are embracing the medium, reframing the floor as the room’s proverbial fifth wall: an expansive, horizontal canvas ripe for visual expression.

For both designers and homeowners, rugs offer a relatively low-risk way to experiment with bold colors, complex geometries, and rich textures. While painted feature walls or custom cabinetry can feel daunting, a removable floor covering can introduce depth and personality without requiring a permanent commitment. A rug can anchor an entire room or introduce an unexpected visual element, transforming the floor into a space for cultural and personal storytelling.

What makes this movement so compelling is the diversity of designs and production methods available, from bespoke, research-driven one-offs and small-batch heirloom weaves to scalable, high-performance collections. Across these 10 recent releases, historic ornamental details, personal memories, and traditional craft techniques meet computational design and innovative fiber technologies. Whether translated from works on paper, inspired by microscopic structures in nature, or knotted using techniques once reserved for royalty, these collections demonstrate that rugs can hold as much artistic and aesthetic weight as any framed piece on a gallery wall. Given the centuries-old tradition of hanging tapestries, perhaps they always have.

10 New Artful Rug Collections

Photography by Harry Crowder

1. Beni x Colin King: The Chelsea Collection

Morocco-based BENI’s ongoing collaboration with artistic director and self-described “placer of things” Colin King has produced The Chelsea Collection, an interpretation of heirloom construction once reserved for palace interiors. The eight designs are the first to feature Royale, Beni’s adaptation of an ancient hand-knotting technique historically practiced for Moroccan nobility. Requiring months of work by skilled artisans, the exceptionally dense weave allows for intricate patterns and a refined, tapestry-like surface.

Drawing inspiration from the hidden gardens of European cities, the collection translates architectural motifs such as wrought-iron gates, garden layouts, and ornamental details into contemporary compositions. The palette of deep blacks, browns, and greens further emphasizes the designs’ intricate geometries, demonstrating how centuries-old craftsmanship can produce something distinctly contemporary.

The Chelsea Collection from Beni x Colin King is available at benirugs.com.

Photography by Matthieu Lavanchy

2. Nordic Knots: Dancing Flower & Matches

Stockholm-based Nordic Knots introduces Dancing Flower and Matches, two expressive rug designs that draw inspiration from Swedish Grace, a design movement that emerged in the 1920s and combined classical proportions with modern simplicity. Crafted primarily from wool, the designs translate botanical silhouettes and geometric motifs into rich, tactile surfaces.

Dancing Flower features a playful, organic pattern, while Matches takes a more structured approach with rhythmic geometry and touches of bamboo silk. Balancing soft backgrounds with bold linework, the designs bring warmth, artistic character, and visual rhythm to contemporary interiors while celebrating Sweden’s decorative arts heritage.

Dancing Flower and Matches from Nordic Knots are available at nordicknots.com/us.

Photography courtesy of Armadillo

3. Armadillo: Venezia

Marking a material milestone, Australian rug maker Armadillo introduces Venezia, its first collection crafted entirely from pure silk. Inspired by the shifting light of Venice and the way it plays across surfaces, each piece is hand-knotted in India to create a single, uninterrupted field of luminous color.

Defined by a low pile and refined profile, the collection shifts subtly in response to ambient light and perspective. Offered in five stocked colorways—Biscuit, Rosewood, Vermilion, Caper, and Serpentine—alongside 15 made-to-order hues, Venezia demonstrates how monochromatic silk surfaces can anchor living spaces with subtle warmth and visual depth.

The Venezia Collection is available at us.armadillorugs.com.

Photography courtesy of The Rug Company

4. The Rug Company: Silk Textures

Part of The Rug Company’s

Part of The Rug Company’s Colour in Residence series, Silk Textures explores the expressive qualities of silk and nuanced tertiary color palettes. Comprising 20 handmade rugs across two distinct finishes—Vara (a handloomed wool-and-silk blend celebrating gentle irregularity) and Caliche (a luminous 100% silk weave)—the collection was fittingly photographed at Malta’s Baroque Villa Bologna.

The rugs feature individually developed colors inspired by mineral tones, from earthy clay to tranquil sage. Through subtle variations in texture, sheen, and color, Silk Textures offers an exploration of how a seemingly simple surface can influence the atmosphere of a room.

Vara and Caliche from the Silk Textures collection are available at therugcompany.com.

Photography courtesy of Patterson Flynn

5. Patterson Flynn: Abstraction

Expanding the possibilities of natural fibers in rug design, Patterson Flynn introduces Abstraction, a series crafted from durable abaca. Reframing the material through a contemporary lens, the collection reinterprets traditional decorative arts and artisanal techniques—such as Italian marbled paper and straw marquetry—through bold, graphic designs.

Conceived as individual works of art rather than conventional repeating patterns, each piece makes use of abaca’s natural sheen, dimensional texture, and interaction with light. The result is a collection that transforms a material often associated with more traditional interiors into something distinctly contemporary.

The Abstraction collection is available at pattersonflynn.com.

Photography courtesy of Christopher Farr

6. Sara Story x Christopher Farr: Hill Country

Interior designer Sara Story’s collaboration with rug maker Christopher Farr draws deeply from personal memory. Titled Hill Country, the three-piece collection—Spider, Landscape, and Grid—translates the sun-washed terrain of Story’s Texas upbringing alongside references to Louise Bourgeois’ monumental spider sculptures.

Hand-knotted in wool and silk, the collection balances architectural geometry with painterly abstraction. Spider, for example, uses raised lines to suggest the form of an arachnid, referencing Bourgeois’ work without reproducing it literally. Rooted in both personal history and artistic influence, Hill Country demonstrates how rugs can introduce a narrative element into contemporary interiors.

The Hill Country collection is available at christopherfarr.com.

Photography courtesy of Nanimarquina

7. Nanimarquina: Lucia Eames Collection

Spanish brand Nanimarquina partnered with Eames Office and Form Portfolios to adapt seven original artworks by Lucia Eames, daughter of Charles Eames and stepdaughter of Ray Eames, into expressive rugs.

Rather than simply reproducing the original graphics, designs such as Echo, Rooted, and Sunbirds translate Eames’ organic compositions into tactile surfaces using techniques including hand-tufting, hand-knotting, sculptural relief, and hand-braided jute. Defined by earthy tones and fluid silhouettes, the collection brings a lesser-known chapter of the Eames family’s creative legacy into contemporary interiors.

The Lucia Eames collection is available at us.nanimarquina.com.

Photography courtesy of Jaipur Living

8. Jaipur Living: CallaLuxe

Demonstrating how expressive design can coexist with everyday practicality, Jaipur Living’s combines performance materials with traditional craftsmanship. Spanning 75 designs, the series incorporates solution-dyed fibers to create durable, easy-care rugs with the softness and visual appeal of natural textiles.

Produced through a combination of hand-knotting, hand-tufting, and handweaving, the collection offers rich patterns, subtle gradients, and dimensional textures without sacrificing practicality. With options suited to high-traffic areas, CallaLuxe demonstrates that visually compelling floor coverings need not be reserved for spaces where durability is less of a concern.

The CallaLuxe collection is available at jaipurliving.com.

Photography by Danica Taylor

9. Nomadory Rugs: Plot

Created for the outdoor Verdant Phenomena, an outdoor group exhibition in Sonoma, California, the Plot rug by Nomadory responds to the relationship between natural growth and the geometry of the built environment. Developed in collaboration with The Bureau and artist Gigi Allen, the design takes inspiration from rectangular planter boxes and the organic forms that emerge within them.

Subtle variations in pile height and contrasting stitch patterns emphasize this juxtaposition, translating the relationship between cultivation and structure into a woven surface. Made from recycled polyester for outdoor use, Plot suggests how the visual language of a garden can be carried into other spaces through textile design.

Inquiries about the Plot rug can be made at verdantphenomena.com.

Photography by Narendra Shrestha

10. Creative Matters x RDAI: Zoometry

Melding computational design with traditional craftsmanship, Toronto-based Creative Matters teamed up with Paris architecture practice RDAI to create Zoometry. Inspired by microscopic biological structures—including butterfly wings, spider webs, and coral—the six designs translate digitally generated compositions into intricately hand-knotted rugs.

Crafted in Nepal using Himalayan wool and Chinese silk, the collection uses material contrast and subtle shifts in color to evoke the iridescence and complexity of natural forms. Each digital composition serves as a detailed guide for the artisans, with approximately 1.8 million individual knots required for a 2-by-3-meter rug. Positioned as an experimental, research-driven collection, Zoometry demonstrates how computational precision and artisanal expertise can work together to transform natural geometry into tactile works of art.

The Zoometry collection is available at creativemattersinc.com.

A compelling new body of work from Hungarian artist Boldizar Senteski has arrived at StudioTwentySeven in New York City. The Erosion Collection, a triptych of handmade mirrors shaped by oxidation, corrosion, and the passage of time, is designed not only as a reflective surface but also as a means of revealing the intricacies of transformation.

Photography by Panna Donka

“I’ve always been drawn to the urban environment; the way it carries the marks of time and holds a record of its own transformation,” Senteski says. “I wanted to capture the beauty of change with this new collection, using oxidation and corrosion as a way of allowing time to become part of the work itself.”

Photography by Panna Donka

The mirrors reflect Senteski’s enduring interest in the ambiguous space between art and design, where functional objects transcend utility to become sculptural, expressive forms. Framed in highly polished stainless steel, the collection draws inspiration from fragments of the urban environment, including Brutalist forms, architecture, raw concrete, and weathered materials. Through oxidation, silvering, and repeated layering, the surfaces gradually transform. Senteski establishes the conditions for this process, then allows the materials to play an active role in shaping the final work.

Photography courtesy of Boldizar Senteski

Handcrafted in Hungary, each of the three mirrors is a unique, signed work accompanied by a certificate of authenticity. The collection is available exclusively through StudioTwentySeven; pricing is available upon request.

Photography by Panna Donka

At StudioTwentySeven, Senteski’s work explores the shifting boundary between object and reflection, inviting viewers to encounter each mirror as an artifact shaped by time, process, and chance.

Photography by Panna Donka

For Senteski, creating the mirrors requires a delicate balance between intention and unpredictability. “I establish the conditions for the process to unfold but ultimately allow the material to shape itself. There’s something special about the way each piece finds its own form,” Senteski says. “Every mirror in the collection is unique, carrying traces that can never be replicated.”

While the concentrated light of a spotlight compels us to take center stage, the soft glow of a shaded lamp invites us to decompress and settle in. Through his new collections Touch and Strut, Coil + Drift founder John Sorensen-Jolink explores how different lighting can affect a room and its inhabitants. Presented together in Lookout, a new exhibition at Colony in New York, contrasts intentional illumination with atmospheric glow.

Photography by Haley Birt

As a contemporary dancer turned designer, Sorensen-Jolink understands the significance of light. Whether guiding focus, capturing movement, or establishing an ambiance, lighting shifts people’s experience of a space. He explores this relationship in Touch and Strut, working with a specialized team of in-house artisans to translate his understanding of movement and space into sculptural lighting.

Photography by Haley Birt

Touch reimagines the spotlight as a domestic object, inspired by Sorensen-Jolink’s early encounters with theatrical lighting. Growing up in a home renovated by a theater worker, he was surrounded by dimly lit interiors, where recessed and track lighting cast concentrated pools of light. Though initially resistant to this dominant, impersonal light source, Sorensen-Jolink returns to the spotlight with a hands-on approach in Touch.

Photography by Haley Birt

Constructed primarily from brass or steel, Touch features adjustable, cylindrical shades and slender stems that allow users to pivot the beams, while wooden accents emphasize tactility. Rather than remaining fixed, Touch allows light to shift in response to the room, balancing mechanical precision with the intimacy of human touch.

Photography by Haley Birt

“When you’re in a pool of light, you’re on, you’re performing,” Sorensen-Jolink explains. “When you step out, you can sort of disappear.”

Photography by Haley Birt

While Touch fosters focus, Strut introduces a quiet ambiance intended to support the everyday rhythm of a home. Inspired by the exposed wooden frameworks of fire lookout towers across the Catskill and Rocky Mountains, the collection translates this quiet utility into wooden lighting fixtures with subtle metal detailing and intentional use of negative space. Elongated linen shades, inspired in part by Sorensen-Jolink’s collection of vintage cloth-shaded lamps, emit an enveloping glow reminiscent of an ember or campfire.

Photography by Haley Birt

Together, the collections embody two contrasting approaches to illumination, informed by the changing light surrounding Sorensen-Jolink’s Catskills studio. Through their distinct forms and materials, Touch and Strut balance focused illumination with softer, ambient light, introducing the natural rhythms of sun and shade into the home.

Photography by Haley Birt

Lookout is on view until Oct. 21 at Colony Gallery in New York City.

Kohler unveils a new Artist Editions collaboration with AERIN founder and creative director Aerin Lauder, introducing the Fleurette Collection. Inspired by the heritage of traditional Delftware, the collection brings hand-applied floral motifs to three iconic Kohler fixtures.

Photography courtesy of Kohler

Crafted in white vitreous china and rooted in the tradition of Delft tiles, the collection comprises three Kohler classics: the Memoirs Stately toilet, Memoirs Stately pedestal sink, and Caxton rectangle sink. Offered in two colorways, a traditional blue-and-white palette and a soft green-and-white option, the trio transforms functional fixtures into decorative bath forms. The green variation offers a fresh interpretation of Delftware, drawing on Lauder’s growing appreciation for the color and bringing what she describes as a garden-inspired sensibility into the home.

Photography courtesy of Kohler

Lauder’s vision for the collaboration stems from the blue-and-white ceramics that filled her grandmother Estée Lauder’s home. “My grandmother taught me to appreciate beautiful objects and the stories they carry,” she says. “I wanted to create pieces that feel timeless, objects that could become part of a family’s home and be enjoyed for years to come.”

Photography courtesy of Kohler

Having long admired the way Kohler elevates everyday spaces through design, Lauder was particularly drawn to the opportunity to work with its Artist Editions collection. Celebrating the intersection of art and craftsmanship for more than 40 years, the initiative combines precision manufacturing with decorative techniques executed by skilled artisans in Kohler, Wisconsin. The partnership not only reflects Lauder’s deeply personal perspective on the collection, but also underscores Kohler’s commitment to luxury design innovation. 

Photography courtesy of Kohler

Despite its centuries-old tradition, Lauder feels there is “something incredibly fresh about Delftware.” As bathrooms increasingly become opportunities for individual style and expression throughout the home, the collaboration between Kohler and AERIN merges heritage with enduring design, creating what Lauder describes as a “natural way to blend artistry, craftsmanship, and nostalgia, while creating something that feels modern and timeless for today’s interiors.”

“A passionate Mexican risk-taker” is how Mexican-born designer Alfonso Verduzco describes his creative point of view. Now practicing in Scottsdale, Arizona, Verduzco is still deeply influenced by his background, upbringing, and the art, culture, and traditions of his homeland.

“I want to honor the richness of Mexico, its materials, craftsmanship, architecture, and cultural history, and translate those influences into a new language of sophistication and innovation,” he says. “I never want to interpret those references literally; I want to understand their essence and reimagine them in a contemporary way.”

Photography courtesy of Alfonso Verduzco

Looking back, Verduzco recalls growing up in Mexico surrounded by artisan communities, which he visited with his family. “I remember seeing objects being made by hand and developing an appreciation for craftsmanship long before I understood it as design.”

His training in Italy and visits to factories like Poliform, B&B Italia, and Minotti reinforced that appreciation. Masters like Antonio Citterio and Piero Lissoni also had a lasting impact. “It made me want to represent my own Mexican heritage with that same level of pride, elegance, and global relevance.”

Once introduced to high-end furniture, craftsmanship, and manufacturing, Verduzco immediately “felt connected to that world,” he says, “and knew this was the path I wanted to follow.”

Photography courtesy of WVH

But the road was not exactly linear. Verduzco earned a degree in accounting in Mexico before moving to the United States at age 18, without speaking English. He began taking various design courses before finding his way to architecture at the University of Colorado in Boulder.

“This country has given me so much, but Mexico is where my roots are, and I think starting over made me even more aware of how important those roots are to me,” he says. “Today, they are an essential part of my identity as a designer and something I want to represent with pride through my work.

Alfonso Verduzco joins us for today’s Friday Five. We spent five minutes with him discussing the inspiration behind ALMA, an acoustic wall panel collection he designed in collaboration with WVH.

Photography courtesy of WVH

ALMA

Launched at NeoCon earlier this year, ALMA was inspired by the material, architectural, and cultural heritage of Mexico, translated into contemporary surfaces using natural materials, including volcanic stone, copper, obsidian, and wood veneer.

“When I started ALMA, I wanted to challenge the idea of what an acoustic panel could be,” Verduzco says. “Yes, it had to perform, but I also wanted it to create an emotional and sensory connection with the person experiencing it. I began looking at materials, places, and architectural details from Mexico that have stayed with me throughout my life and sought to reinterpret them abstractly without losing their essence.”

Photography courtesy of WVH

What Inspired ALMA?

ALMA was conceived as a family of nine designs, each with its own story and identity, reflecting a cultural, architectural, material, or historical reference from Mexico.

The first three designs of the line—SENDERO, SAGRADO, and REFLEJO—reflect Verduzco’s own journey. “Mexico gave me the roots and the story,” he says. “My education and career in the United States, together with my training and exposure to design in Italy, gave me a different perspective through which to interpret them. Bringing those worlds together into something that can now be experienced in interiors here and internationally has been incredibly meaningful to me.”

Even at the highest level of design, the human hand, the material, and the attention to detail are what give an object its soul.

Below, Verduzco describes his distinct and vivid sources of inspiration for the ALMA collection, which won a Best of NeoCon award and a MetropolisLikes2026 recognition.

Photography courtesy of WVH

Historic Volcanic Stone Streets

“SENDERO (meaning pathway in Spanish) was inspired by the historic streets of Mexico, where large volcanic stones have been shaped over generations by rain, footsteps, horses, and carts.

“I’ve always been fascinated by how every stone develops its own character and carries a sense of time and history. I wanted to capture that feeling in an abstract way, translating the irregular rhythm of those streets into the composition of the panel and creating a contrast between the warmth of natural wood veneer and the raw presence of solid volcanic stone.”

Photography courtesy of WVH

Traditional Mexican Cathedral Doors

“SAGRADO (sacred in Spanish) was inspired by the monumental wooden doors found in historic Mexican cathedrals—particularly the decorative iron and copper nails that have aged alongside the wood for generations.

“I was drawn to the contrast between the metal, its natural patina over time, and the character of the surrounding wood. I abstracted those details using solid end-grain larch treated with the Shou Sugi Ban technique, paired with copper elements that reinterpret the original metalwork in a contemporary way.”

Photography courtesy of WVH

Mexican Obsidian

“REFLEJO (reflection in Spanish) celebrates Mexican obsidian, a volcanic glass valued for centuries for its natural beauty and later used in jewelry for its deep black color and reflective qualities.

“I was intrigued by the idea of taking something we normally experience at the scale of a precious object and translating that feeling into an architectural surface. By combining real Mexican obsidian with the beautiful grain of a gray maple wood veneer, the design reimagines the wall almost as a piece of jewelry, allowing light, reflection, and material contrast to become part of the experience.”

Green continues to have a moment in interior design, but Sherwin-Williams is taking a lighter approach for 2027. The paint company, alongside HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams, has named Celery its 2027 Color of the Year: a soft, herbal green with subtle yellow undertones that feels fresh without being overly vibrant.

Photography courtesy of Sherwin-Williams

Unlike the deeper, moodier greens that have dominated interiors in recent years, Celery (SW 6421) leans into a more understated interpretation of nature-inspired color. Its muted yellow-green character brings warmth to a space while maintaining an airy quality, making it an approachable option for those looking to introduce color without overwhelming a room.

Photography courtesy of HGTV by Sherwin-Williams

“Celery was chosen as the 2027 Color of the Year because it reflects today’s priorities: wellness, balance, and connection,” says Ashley Banbury, color marketing manager at Sherwin-Williams. “Homeowners and designers are increasingly prioritizing wellness at home, seeking soothing environments that support mental health and overall well-being.”

Photography courtesy of HGTV by Sherwin-Williams

Selected by the Sherwin-Williams Trendsight Team, Celery is part of the company’s 2027 Colormix Trend Forecast, Rewild. The broader forecast reflects a growing interest in interiors that feel comfortable and lived-in rather than meticulously styled, with colors that draw from the natural world without relying on obvious botanical references.

Photography courtesy of Sherwin-Williams

That balance between soothing and energizing is central to Celery’s appeal. The shade has enough yellow to keep it from feeling cool or subdued, while its muted green base offers a softer alternative to more saturated hues. It’s a combination that lends itself to contemporary and transitional interiors as well as spaces with a more traditional aesthetic.

Photography courtesy of Sherwin-Williams

To complement Celery, Sherwin-Williams has developed a palette that moves between earthy neutrals, deeper greens, and more expressive accents. White Flour and Woven Wicker provide a neutral foundation, while Artichoke, Cocoon, and Georgian Bay introduce greater depth and contrast.

For a bolder combination, Kirsch Red and Plum Brown bring warmth and richness, while Potentially Purple and Cosmos offer softer, more unexpected pairings. The palette also includes Minwax Pickled Oak—the wood stain brand’s own 2027 Color of the Year—extending the nature-inspired approach to wood finishes.

Photography courtesy of Sherwin-Williams

“[Celery] shines as part of a thoughtfully curated palette of rich, grounding hues designed to layer depth and dimension,” Banbury explains.

Rather than making a dramatic statement, Sherwin-Williams’ 2027 selection suggests that even a relatively quiet shade can noticeably shift the atmosphere.

Photography courtesy of Sherwin-Williams

Celery is available as SW 4621 through Sherwin-Williams stores and as HGSW6421 through HGTV Home by Sherwin-Williams at Lowe’s.

Editorial Transparency: This article was developed with the assistance of AI tools, which may have been used for research, outlining, editing, or copy refinement. Reporting, fact-checking, and editorial decisions were made by the Design Milk editorial team.