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Some 3 years ago, I came across an image of a rug in the most magical artist studio. The rug was pink with big bugs and butterflies and I immediately fell deeply in love. This rug has everything a good rug needs—magic, mystique, and great color. It is both daring and has a presence that elevates the space, and I could tell someone very talented designed it. I proceeded to dream of this rug over the next 3 nights and at that point I set out to find the designer. My search led me to Rug Star in Berlin and it was an instant love affair with the most incredible body of designs that I have ever seen by any rug designer. A true couture experience!
Visiting Rug Star as soon as I could, I was starstruck by the owner and master creator of all the marvelous rugs. Jürgen Dahlmanns, an architect by trade, is the most insightful and heartfelt rug designer I have met to date. I promptly purchased many of his marvelous creations and am hard at work to share my love and passion for his rug art here in the USA. Jürgen’s work makes the floor into another wall for art and elevates the whole living experience.
Jürgen has since visited us here in Portland several times and has created some new patterns inspired by the neighborhood and its surroundings—the “Lovejoy” series.
^ from left: EDEN/GRASSHOPPER/PINK BY RUG STAR; SETTING UP FOR A PHOTOSHOOT; WATERLILY/14/LOVEJOY BY RUG STAR
His team and mine came together last June to create a wonderful series of photographs of his rugs in some of the most notable houses in Portland. The project “Intimacy Portland” was born after 6 days of incredibly hard and concentrated work. Jürgen’s attention to details and love for all things beautiful was captivating! And now we are proud to share with you this wonderful catalog, showing how rug couture can elevate a living space in so many wonderful ways.
Be it nostalgic, edgy or joyful, the wide selection of patterns in the Rug Star collection is truly inspiring!
– Christiane
p.s. Read more about the Intimacy Portland project in a recent article in Cover: Carpets, Textiles, Interiors . ("Portland Partnerships," Winter 2018)