By Lissa Wyman

TROY, N.C. -- Capel Rugs and  fabric designer Kevin O'Brien have entered a  partnership to create a line of rugs based on O'Brien's original designs.

The partnership represents a merger of fine art with home decor and contemporary design with traditional structure. O'Brien, who is an architect as well as a designer, often uses traditional references such as antique kimono fabrics as a starting point for his fabric designs. (He is well known for both apparel and home furnishings fabrics, including one-of-a-kind pillow series that use antique kimono fabric).

"The Kevin O'Brien rugs represent a new fashion direction for Capel," noted John Magee, president. "Our October introductions reflect our updated approach to lively color palettes and contemporary design."

While the Philadelphia-based  Kevin O'Brien Studio is well known for its apparel and home textiles designs, rugs are a new category, O'Brien told Rugnews.com in an exclusive interview.

"I am looking forward to exploring the rug genre. Rugs are the foundation for the room and as such, they provide the ultimate canvas," O'Brien told Rugnews.com in an exclusive interview at the recent High Point Market. "Rugs are also the most serious home textiles purchase that a consumer makes."

While O'Brien brings a strong artistic point of view to his work, he is also fascinated with the technical aspect of design. After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania School of Architecture, O'Brien began his  design career in apparel fabrics. "I started by hand-painting fabrics and later figured our how to use screen-printing techniques," he said. "I then began experimenting with burnt-out velvet and then to hand-painted burnt-out velvet."

The work with burnt-out velvet led to a love affair with antique Thai and Nepalese fabrics. "I am always interested in exploring new ideas in a broad range oif product categories," said O'Brien.

"Working with Capel, I have also become extremely interested in braid techniques. Although braided rugs are an Early American craft, I think the construction can be updated to reflect contemporary trends," he said.

 "I am also working with C.R. Laine to explore new ideas using fine-gauge braids in upholstered furniture applications," he added.

Ombre, one of O'Brien's rug collections uses the classic American braid construction. However, the fine-gauge wool-blend braid is crafted into a rectangle rather than an oval, and the coloration reflects subtle gradations of tone rather than the clearly-defined colors usually found in braided rugs. The new Ombre rugs have a suggested retail price of $499 for 5x8 size.

"Braided rugs are often associated with traditional and Early American designs, but I think we have created a more contemporary approach to this construction," said O'Brien. 

O'Brien's partnership with Capel is his first official licensing venture in the  rug industry.

Kevin O'Brien-designed products include bedding, robes, decorative pillows, furniture, wall art,  lighting and stuffed animals as well as the new Capel rug collections. The products are made in workshops in Nepal, Guatemala, Vietnam and the US. Rugs are made in India, China and at Capel's manufacturing facilities in Troy, NC.


O'Brien's products are currently carried in stores such as Anthropologie, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, ABC Carpet & Home, Bloomingdales, Gumps and Barneys as well as gift and lifestyle stores.
 

Kevin O'Brien top of the bed products were shown in the Capel High Point showroom with pattern from the Kevin O'Brien  Daisy Climber rug collection

A selection of rugs from Capel's Kevin O'Brien collection:

Zanzibar collection is hand-tufted in India of wool and viscose. Suggested retail price range is $549 to $599 in 5x8.

 
Droplets is a 70-line wool hand-hooked collection that is made in China. Suggested retail price is $399 in 5x8.

Daisy Climber is hand tufted in India of wool Suggested retail price is $449 in 5x8

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