Designer Michaela Schleypen has a love of all things extraordinary, especially the design of her rugs, which have been honored with Red Dot and Blueprint awards, as well as seven titles at the International Carpet Design Awards. Before starting her business in Cologne, the German designer earned degrees in textile design and business studies, then spent years working at the German-American Chamber of Commerce in New York, and at a textile company in Hong Kong. Her work is influenced by Chinese aesthetics, as well as by textures she sees in nature like starry skies, frozen landscapes, formations in stone and, in the case of the Beach Rug (2006) the beach. By employing a complex cutting procedure in which the pile of the carpet is sculpted and shaped, Schleypen is able to turn a decorative idea into a hardwearing carpet. "These days, when people are stressed and busy, there is no time left for a walk through the woods or along the beach," says the designer. "So I wanted to deliver that relaxed sensation in the privacy of your own home." The Beach Rug is made by hand in China.

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100% New Zealand wool; cotton-synthetic blend backing.