Rugs designed by Renate Vos are able to transform from soft, two-dimensional floor coverings into three-dimensional objects for sitting on – and vice versa. Be sure to check out her 2D to 3D material transformations. 

The transformational qualities of Vos’ rug-to-furniture design, referred to as the ‘Nieuwe Heerlyckheit’ come from the materials themselves. Square-bent aluminium cylinders are woven together with tapestry wools and finished on their ends with rubber caps. The user is able to bend and transform a soft, woollen floor rug into a comfortable object for lounging and relaxing on. Woven with vibrant orange, red or pink wool, another rug-to-furniture design called ‘Crafty’ offers a similar transformation and is ideal for children as both a soft piece of furniture and an object for play.

Renate Vos is a Dutch interior and product designer whose work is characterised by an experimental approach to materials and 3D design. Many of her ideas for these dynamic materials and product transformations stem from her experiments with textiles and weaving. It is her goal to make (hand) weaving more recognisable as a craft and to implement weaving in constructive ways that create functional interior objects and accessories.

In addition to exploring the potential of weaving as a innovative craft, Vos also weaves together contrasting materials with dramatic results. For example, her ‘Cement XL’ lamp design fuses two very different materials together: concrete and silicon rubber. A dramatic material tension is created by melding concrete, traditionally a very cold material, with the warmth of a rubber silicon material that is illuminated by the light source behind it.

Another project that explores the use of materials is called the ‘Nest.’ Here, bowls made with smooth concrete are accented with a woven rubber border that creates a rich tactile and visual contrast between the different materials.

You can read more about Renate Vos’ work and her studio here.