INTERIOR DESIGNER JEAN LARETTE'S SPIRITED RUG COLLECTION FOR DONGHIA
Always vivacious and turned out in high style, interior designer Jean Larette has created a debut collection of rugs for Donghia that is as spirited and glamorous as she is. The Cocktail Collection features five bold looks that marry dynamic lines with urbane neutrals and shimmering metallics, each one named for a classic libation. Early inspiration struck when Larette spotted a vintage gold Art Deco cigarette case in a Sotheby’s jewelry auction catalog; its sweeping pattern inspired the Casino, a rug with radiating lines that fan out in a 1940s shell motif. The Cosmopolitan, Manhattan, Sunrise, and Flirtini round out the collection, all available Straight Up (in standard colorways) or, cheekily, with a Twist or On the Rocks (options for colorful accent hues).
Handloomed by skilled artisans in Nepal, the rugs have a weave density of 100 knots per square inch, so they’re visually crisp and feel lush underfoot. The field is pically woven from wool and the pattern from silk, and the collection is highly customizable. “There are 1,400 wools and 700 silks available to create custom combinations that match any fabric or color scheme imaginable,” notes Larette. Each is available in a square, rectangle, circle, or runner format and can be tailored to the client’s dimensions.
Herself a longtime client of Donghia, Larette enjoyed engaging with the brand’s design team during the development process. “I was very familiar with their gorgeous showrooms, which represent a number of beautiful textile, furniture, and lighting lines that I’ve sourced for my projects over the years,” says the Marin-based designer, whose recent work includes residences and commercial projects ranging from a Napa retreat to sophisticated models and public spaces for new SoMa luxury apartment tower the Paramount.
Larette says that her interior design projects often start from the ground up—literally—with the rugs setting the tone. “It’s integral to the success of a room,” she says. Fittingly, in spring 2019, Donghia will debut the Earth Collection, Larette’s second grouping of rugs, with geometric motifs that draw on satellite images. Talk about the high life.
