Small Hand Knotted "Nakshatra" Rug, Florian Pretet and Lisa Mukhia Pretet

Florian Pretet, Atelier Février creates rugs that are works of art. At Atelier Février, Florian Pretet designs Central Asian- and Indian-style rugs with big, bold patterns. He works side-by-side with his wife, Lisa Pretet, who brings knowledge and experience of traditional Nepalese techniques to the duo’s process. Each of their modern carpets seeks to redefine how we think of floor decor.

Pretet is a graduate of Studio Bercot, a Parisian fashion school. He lived in Nepal for 13 years while working as head of cashmere production for the luxury fashion house Hermès. In February (Février in French) of 2010, he met his future wife, an entrepreneur with a love of fashion and Himalayan arts. They married and became business partners, combining their design perspectives into the Atelier Février brand.

The Pretets launched their passion project in 2015, intending to create meaningful designs using both cutting-edge and traditional techniques. Every rug begins with Pretet making a detailed pencil sketch of his vision. A team of roughly 50 expert weavers then scales up and hand-knots the design, using the highest quality wool sourced from Tibet. The handmade nature of the rugs means that each one is unique.

Pretet's statement-making rugs for Atelier Février have rich details, striking color palettes and surprising shapes. Common motifs include sensuous swirls, eye-catching chevrons and other captivating geometric patterns — each serves as a decorative centerpiece.

"These are not rugs you buy casually," Lisa explained to Architectural Digest. "Very few are purely rectangular — though all rugs can be customized by shape and color. That’s because we want their intensity to become an individual stamp of your personal aesthetic."

On 1stDibs, find a large collection of Florian Pretet, Atelier Février rugs and carpets.

Galerie Philia is an international contemporary sculptural design and art gallery representing emerging and established designers and artists. The gallery is the brainchild of two brothers who share a lifetime passion for art, literature and philosophy. Their distinct academic background sets them apart from their peers, as it sees them following a rhizomatic and transcultural approach in the way they select works. This involves combining elements from multiple cultures in what becomes a network of harmoniously interconnected roots, ultimately revealing the beauty of each unique creation. The gallery’s non-hierarchical curation sits apart from the ephemerality of trends and focuses instead on the true aesthetic quality of the piece – alluring and timeless. Unlike others, Galerie Philia does not focus on a single style – whether minimalist, organic or raw – but rather embraces heterogeneity. The Galerie Philia takes pride in discovering new talents, providing them with multiple international platforms to showcase their latest creations. As well as propelling the newest generation of 21st century collectible design, Galerie Philia also works with internationally known design artists. Galerie Philia has a strong international presence, with galleries in Geneva, New York and Singapore. In addition to their permanent spaces, the gallery organizes temporary group exhibitions and artists residencies in first-class locations around the world.