OBEETEE LAUNCHES DIFFA COLLECTION, NEW QUICK SHIP EXPRESS PROGRAM
The Obeetee team and the designers of the DIFFA collection pose with their designs at the launch party and silent auction on Oct. 19. |
NEW YORK -- Obeetee celebrated the official launch of its new DIFFA collection on Oct. 19 at a silent auction hosted in its spacious 12th floor loft showroom on 25th Street here.
Proceeds of all sales at the auction as well as 10 percent of future production sales will benefit DIFFA (Design Industries Foundation Fighting AIDS). At the same time, the company used the event to announce its new Quick Ship Express program, which allows custom rugs to be completed in six to eight weeks, Gretchen Auer, Obeetee sales manager, told RugNews.com at the auction.
The new DIFFA rugs are part of Obeetee's premiering Quick Ship Express Program.
"The auction is a great way to highlight our Obeetee Express program," Auer added, noting that the DIFFA rugs are available on a dedicated Obeetee Express. "We are bringing in a lot of designers and making the design community more aware of our express program. Traditionally, we are very business-to-business but the new program is more user friendly for architects and designers."
The made-to-order DIFFA collection rugs, crafted from New Zealand wool, are hand-tufted and 10 percent of all proceeds go to DIFFA.
The 17 made-to-order DIFFA designs, crafted of New Zealand wool with an accessible price of $35 per square foot, were created by a 17 interior designers and architects. The talented lineup includes Asler Valero Interior Design LLC, Arlene Angard Designs, M Moser Associates, Antonino Buzzetta, Reeta Gyamlani, Patrick J Hamilton, Marks & Frantz Interior Design, Dash Design, Tina Ramchandani, Darrin Varden, Christopher Thomas Trujillo, Wesley Moon, Studio O+A, Michael Tavano, V Starr Interiors by Venus Williams, William Rue and WUNO.
"I've always imagined some of my patterns on designs as rugs and I am super excited by the final translation," said Verda Alexander a co-founder or San Francisco's Studio O+A. "The biggest challenge was coming up with a color palette because with my designs I use color to create the push and pull between two patterns."
Above, Verda Alexander a co-founder or San Francisco's Studio O+A poses in front of her Pill area rug (detail below).
Alexander overlaid two patterns -- a classic diamond line pattern and the old-fashioned rag coil to create Pill in a vibrant palette of pinks and purples.
Other designers drew inspiration from nature, including designer Tina Ramchandani of New York's Tina Ramchandani Creative. Ramchandani's abstract Vik rug was inspired by the black sand beaches in Iceland. In contrast, furnishings designer Reeta Gyamlani, founder of Farrago Design, turned to rose petals laid out on the path to the alter at Indian weddings for the framework of her abstracted Compassion design.
New York designer Tina Ramchandani was inspired by the black sand beaches of Iceland for her Vik area rug by Obeetee.
Other rug designs featured linear and geometric looks, water inspired styles, reworked florals, brush stroke designs and more. During the launch party and auction, Obeetee had 3x5 rugs on display and proceeds from the Oct. 18 auction will benefit DIFFA. Bidders could also place special orders, including wall to wall and stair runners.
Inspired by the rose strewn path to the marriage alter in India weddings, Compassion by furniture designer Reeta Gyamlani has an abstract look.
Obeetee Express' color bank is comprised of 194 stocked colors and the carpets will be hand-tufted using 100 percent New Zealand wool. The dense quality of the construction makes the DIFFA rugs appropriate for commercial use, but luxurious enough for the home. In fact, the DIFFA collection will be on display at both the upcoming NeoCon East and BDNY, Auer said.
The DIFFA rug collection is also available through online furniture purveyor
Dering Hall.
The DIFFA rug collection will be on display at the upcoming NeoCon East and BDNY commercial design shows.