Inspiration often finds you in the most unlikely places. This time it lay right beneath my feet, in Milan – a manhole lid. An innocuous utility object made of cast iron and concrete.

My eyes celebrated the quirky shadow play created by the sun, metallic bead-heads and the vertical jaali. The colours were understated luxury - the earth, cast iron and concrete greys and dust shimmering like gold.

To bring this design to life, we collaborated with HANDS and their years of expertise in creating handcrafted carpets. Together our teams spent hours researching textures and working with the highly skilled craftsmen. The result? A hand woven rug, we call – Ombre Sulla Strada, shadows on the street.

​

- Rupesh Baid, Founder and Principal Interior Architect.