A rug at its most basic exists merely as a floor cover, protecting the surface and also to provide occupants an agreeable material to tread upon. But a rug of note can be a transformative, if not an artful expression within a room. Muutoโs Relevo Rug designed by Milan-based design duo Studiopepe represents the latter, a beautifully hand-tufted sculptural wool rug with an elevated attention to detail in its color, texture, and dimensions.
Derived from the word for โreliefโ in Latin, the Relevo presents itself as an engaging sculptural plane of New Zealand wool, trimmed to differing levels and channeled widths, resulting in a dynamic geometric and graphic pattern.
Like the raked sand or gravel of a Japanese karesansui garden, the topography realized in soft wool offers an engaging visual element beyond singular color, with the rug presenting an interplay of tones dependent upon light and shadow as the daylight or interior light source changes. But where raked gravel of a karesansui garden is strictly off-limits, the Relevo invites
footfall with texture and soft touch.
Studiopepeโs Arianna Lelli Mami and Chiara Di Pinot describe the Relevo Rug as an intersection between Scandinavian and Italian design, a design born from line drawings inspired by land art and the furrowed โhypnotic paths in the soil.โ
โThere is a wonderful tension between Scandinavian and Italian design โ both emphasize simplicity with a meaning. Often, it is marked by a particular interest in enduring materials, one that we deeply relate to as we aspire to design objects made to last and only become more beautiful with time.โ
Additionally, Studiopepe imparts the design with another standout feature โ a rounded corner โ adding a subtle implied movement with the semi-circular addition, distinguishing the rug as a centerpiece feature within any space, whether in 5โ6โ x 7โ9โ or 6โ5โ x 9โ8โ sizes, and across Relevoโs four monochromatic colorway options as available at Muuto.