Whether it’s the playful exploration of nature-inspired motifs that defined the vibrant Composites Collection or the bold 1980s sensibility that permeated the New Wave range, Greg Natale’s ability to communicate through pattern and colour has always found a fitting canvas in the inherently expressive planes of Designer Rugs’ surfaces. “Greg’s unique ability to translate architectural concepts into luxurious, tactile forms continually elevates our offerings,” enthuses Yosi Tal, Managing Director and Co-Founder of Designer Rugs, “and it is a privilege to bring his creative vision to life.”
Spanning nearly two decades and grounded in a shared commitment to excellence, this long-standing partnership has evolved to become one of the most defining qualities for both of these design powerhouses. And now, reinforcing this joint creative trajectory with their seventh collaboration, Designer Rugs and Greg Natale come together once again to explore an intricate dialogue between structural rigidity and supple tactility through Cruda Rug Collection.
Inspired by the confidence of Brutalist expression, anchored in the strict symmetry of Italian Rationalism, and influenced by the streamlined geometries of modernist vocabulary, Cruda – “raw” in Italian – rearticulates architectural precision through the luxuriously soothing creativity of handknotted rugs. Greg reveals that his intention for the collection is to be “understood as an expression of reductive form and modern industrial materials, translated into a softer, tactile language,” and each of the six original designs emerges as a distinct opportunity to engage with this ethos.
Terroso’s unapologetic vernacular of black and white statements sets a bold foundation for the collection. Echoing the raw geometry of Brutalist architecture, a contrasting amalgamation of deconstructed forms and confident edges is meticulously etched into the rug’s layered softness, fusing minimalist vocabulary with dynamic expression in the ultimate embodiment of Cruda’s versatile beauty.
Juxtaposing Terroso’s confident use of contrast, Dura’s gentle plane rearticulates mid-century abstraction through tonal hues and organic forms that emulate the artistry of Brutalist reliefs. Its expanse of mindful curves, interlaced shapes and tiered textures unfolds into a sculptural collage that harmoniously weaves modernist sensibility into a graceful contemporary expression. Rozzo’s asymmetrical sweeps of clay pink, warm neutrals and deep browns also evoke the mid-century reliefs’ structured geometry, rearticulating it through a disciplined, yet organic language of elongated lines and rounded forms. The rug’s distinctly layered design – accentuated through subtle, yet impactful integration of cross-hatched textures – augments Rozzo’s dynamic expression, while grounding interiors with unobtrusive sophistication.
Vivo offsets Terroso, Dura and Rozzo’s unrestrained visual dynamism with a confined rhythm of elemental geometries. Inspired by Italian Rationalist architecture and 1970s Brutalist furniture, Vivo’s compelling regularity is defined by the sculptural clarity of squares and circles, fundamental shapes that playfully disrupt the rug’s rectangular perimeter. Its geometric rigidity is tempered by the warm palette of golden sand and earthy bronze shades, which – while harkening back to the 1970s aesthetic – bring a sense of structural refinement to a modern interior.
A deliberate departure from Vivo’s reliable cadence, Freddo’s fragmented surface echoes the raw textures of distressed Brutalist materials. Invigorated by abstract strokes of gold, pale green and blue, the design intuitively blends industrial influence with uncomplicated elegance, deliberately repositioning imperfection as a facet of modern beauty. This same idea underpins Ruvida’s soothing form, which, at first, entices with the simplicity of its circular shape and delicate surface. Upon closer inspection, however, this organic design reveals unmatched dynamism. The intricate, amorphous forms guide the eye through a mesmerising landscape of varying pile heights and analogue, off-white tonality, grounding the interior with a dynamic fusion of a raw, industrial aesthetic and harmonious inconsistency.
It’s precisely this notion of irregularity, masterfully woven into each of the rug designs, that emerges as the most defining theme of the collection – and it’s in this deliberate absence of strict symmetries, exact alignments and definitive predictability that Cruda finds its singular, distinctly modern relevance. “The aim is to reveal the beauty of imperfection and celebrate irregularity as an integral part of contemporary aesthetics,” Greg Natale shares, “bringing these ideals into the home in both a symbolic and meaningful way.”
Designer Rugs and Greg Natale’s stunning range investigates this compelling duality of imperfection by fluidly mediating between two seemingly opposing realms. In Cruda, the monolithic and structural presence of architectural legacy is reimagined through delightful softness, repositioning the uncompromising rigour of modernist sensibility as a soothing and sophisticated statement that, while raw in its idiosyncrasies, is also wonderfully liveable.
Cruda Collection:
Dura
Terroso
Vivo
Freddo
Ruvida
Rozzo
Photography
Anson Smart
