Tag Archives: RAW carpet
Union 18: Beauty From the Unwanted
Posted on 06. Sep, 2009 by Wakako Takagi.
There are few features of modern life as ugly, on both an aesthetic and environmental level, as cheap synthetic carpeting. Audaciously bland in color and style, synthetic carpeting requires massive amounts of chemicals to produce, and once discarded, it can sit in landfills for 50,000 years or more.
The design house Union Eighteen has found a surprisingly beautiful reuse for these ugly ducklings, by fashioning discarded scraps into gorgeous multi-hued rugs.
Led by husband and wife team Todd and Meg van der Kruik, Union Eighteen’s “RAW Carpets” line uses the bits and pieces of carpet that manufacturers would either reprocess into carpet liner, or throw away.
What’s most inspiring about RAW designs are the vivid patterns that emerge from patching together seemingly bland cast-offs.
RAW Carpets are not a solution to the problem of carpet waste (companies are experimenting with recycling programs), but by re-purposing these toxic ingredients into objects of beauty, they’re pushing back against poor taste — aesthetic and environmental.
