When interior designer Zoë Feldman began crafting the interiors of her own home, the details mattered, especially when it came to a rug for her formal sitting room. We spoke with Jennifer Manners, Founder and Creative Director, to learn more about their creative collaboration, the process behind selecting mohair, and how a simple visit turned into a pivotal design moment.
When collaborating with Zoë on creating the designs for her living room, how did you approach creating the rug that felt both bespoke and personal for her kind of interior?
We started with a Zoom meeting where we looked at fabrics and concepts across her spaces, even the ones that didn’t need rugs, to understand how the overall space was going to flow together. Later, when I travelled to D.C., I accidentally showed up at her home instead of her studio. Her daughters answered the door; they were painting the very room the rug was for, which turned out to be incredibly helpful.
Seeing the house made a big difference. The pre-war details, original floors, and quality of the space stood out. After that, we realised texture was key. Zoë and I began exploring mohair: soft, lustrous, but not too formal, unlike silk. Even though the rug was for a formal room, Zoë’s home is full of life and energy, and mohair felt right.
Zoë didn’t want a plain mohair rug, though; she wanted her own touch. We experimented with a cut-and-loop pile to create more interest. Mohair itself is rich and tactile, and its subtle sheen worked beautifully with the house.
Can you walk us through the process of integrating the rug design into the larger scheme, including mood boards, texture pairings and colour palettes?
We went with something neutral because the room already had a lot going on, including architectural details and layers. But Zoë’s eye for colour is exacting. Neutrals can be tricky; beige can turn yellow or pink depending on the tone.
We made multiple samples that might’ve looked identical to others, but Zoë was clear on what the tone needed to be. That level of precision really elevates her projects.
Were there any surprising challenges or happy accidents that shifted the direction of the design?
It was a long process, partly because designers often prioritise client work over their own homes, which is completely understandable. Also, we waited to see how the sunroom at the back was being painted - that influenced the whole palette. It wasn’t just about designing the rug; it was about letting the whole house speak to itself.
That’s the beauty of bespoke rugs, we can adapt as the design evolves. Zoë was patient and very focused on making sure every detail aligned. That made it exciting for me as a designer.
Do you think that was one of the challenges — getting it right?
When we met, I happened to bring good mohair samples. Once Zoë saw that things clicked. Mohair has a softness and bounce to it; it’s very convincing once you feel it. It’s a more expensive fibre but has incredible performance qualities due to the lanolin and natural wax.
Zoë initially came to us because of our sustainable re/PURPOSE PERFORMANCE collection. She cares about sustainability and uses vintage or antique furniture wherever she can. But once we got into mohair, we realised it was the right choice for this room — still a sustainable option because of its longevity.
So, it wasn’t a challenge, more of a journey. And Zoë’s a joy to work with. The whole process was built on trust. She let me run with ideas, but she always knew what she was doing. It made it easy.
Could you tell us a bit about the techniques and materials used in Zoë’s rug? Any special touches that stand out?
Mohair is most beautiful when left plain. We used a hand-loom technique, which is similar to weaving fabric, and is particularly well-suited for linear designs. Zoë’s rug is solid with linear detailing, some of which was trimmed post-weaving, and some achieved through loop pile.
Using a handloom allowed us to celebrate the fibre while keeping the cost reasonable compared to more expensive hand-knotted options. The rug looks like it would cost a fortune, but by leaning on craft and the quality of mohair, we struck the right balance.
I sometimes wonder what these rugs will look like in 20–30 years. The craft is so special. Watching a design come to life never gets old.
