Avant Graphite Hand-knotted Rug by Kelly Wearstler

When Kelly Wearstler started her namesake business, in 1995, she worked alone out of her Los Angeles apartment. “Sixteen-hour days, seven days a week,” she recalls. “The studio has truly grown organically over the years.”

​​Wearstler’s work in the early 2000s was classified as the new Hollywood Regency — much to her dismay. It’s easy to understand her reaction. Although the glam quotient of her projects jibed with the style, her aesthetic was far more sophisticated than that of the many wannabe designers who were merely peddling Dorothy Draper and William Haines retreads.

Today, Wearstler presides over a behemoth, many-tentacled enterprise. One part is involved with residential interior design for such high-profile clients as Cameron Diaz, Gwen Stefani and Ben Stiller. There is also a team dedicated to hospitality design, including for projects like the recently opened Proper Hotels’ properties — developed by her husband, Brad Korzen’s Kor Group — in Austin and Santa Monica. Then, there are her ever-expanding product designs in a multitude of categories: In 2019, she added new carpets and runners to her collection with The Rug Company, collaborated with Georg Jensen on a tableware and centerpiece collection and partnered with Ann Sacks on a line of encaustic tiles and with Lee Jofa on a line of fabrics and wallcoverings. Each season sees fresh additions to Wearstler’s lighting lines, as well.

Wearstler is drawn to furniture that is boldly scaled and, often, graphically patterned, mixing such pieces with one-off creations by artist designers like Roland Mellan, Lindsey Adelman, Katie Stout, Misha Kahn, Entler Studios, Susan for Susan and Anton Alvarez.

“For me, it is the power of the line,” says Wearstler. “I think it goes back to my love for graphic design. There is so much strength and beauty in the simple line. Pair this with geometries and artisanal fabrication, beautiful materiality and you have exceptional pieces of furniture. In essence, furniture as sculpture.”

Of course, no matter how distinct in style, both the early and most recent work springs from the same impulse. Wearstler’s signature approach to interiors has been described as marching right up to “over the top” then taking a step back. In that sense, Wearstler is doing what she has always done, albeit in a more confident way, with bigger budgets, a larger proportion of important furnishings and art and more of her own designs. The Hollywood glamour that got her noticed decades ago toed the same elusive line of good taste that her blend of blue-chip pieces, Memphis Group furniture and challenging works by emerging artist-designers does today.

Find Kelly Wearstler furniture on 1stDibs.

The Rug Company — a New York-based luxury rug brand — is a leading name in contemporary handmade carpets. Combining exceptional quality with original designs, their skilled weavers employ heritage techniques to create superb carpets that are both precious and unique. Each rug is handmade by accomplished artisans in Nepal — a country renowned for its textiles — and involves the finest of materials. The studio collaborates with over 40 of the world’s most visionary designers, such as Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen and Paul Smith.

The Rug Company — also known as TRC — was founded in 1997 by British interior designer Suzanne Sharp and her husband, Christopher. In the early 1990s, the couple spent time in Saudi Arabia while Christopher was making commercials and documentaries. They visited the local marketplaces and were impressed by the artfulness of the hand-knotted carpets. They realized that the rug industry was ripe for innovation. Upon returning to London, they launched the company to produce Nepalese hand-knotted carpets in a contemporary style while utilizing traditional rug-making skills and ensuring superior and consistent quality.

Suzanne recognized the potential for enriching the company through working with acclaimed designers. TRC’s first collaboration, in the late ’90s, was with fashion designer Marni, which resulted in the company garnering several industry accolades. In 2000, TRC created its Designer Collection and teamed up with ten leading designers, like Nina Campbell, Nicky Haslam and Cath Kidston. The brand has now worked with an unparalleled list of designers, including some unexpected contributors such as art glass designer Dale Chihuly, ceramics designer Eva Zeisel and industrial designer Tom Dixon.

TRC has an impressive client base, from luxury hotel chains like the Four Seasons and Claridge’s to private commissions for dignitaries and celebrities, such as former British Prime Minister David Cameron, former American President Barack Obama, Madonna, Sarah Jessica Parker and Courtney Cox.

On 1stdibs, find The Rug Company’s Western European rugs, Central Asian rugs, carpets and more.