David Rockwell X The Rug Company

Flow as Form- A Visionary Design Collaboration

In the world of contemporary design, collaborations often come and go. But when two visionaries with enduring influence come together, something more lasting is created: objects that transcend trends and enter the realm of timeless luxury. Such is the case with Flow as Form, the latest rug collection from celebrated architect and designer David Rockwell, realised in partnership with the globally renowned The Rug Company. 

This series of three hand-knotted designs captures the serene strength and ever-changing beauty of water. It is a poetic translation of an element we often take for granted, transformed into tactile landscapes for the home. Yet to fully understand the significance of Flow as Form, one must appreciate the legacies behind both collaborators—legacies steeped in narrative, craftsmanship, and innovation.

David Rockwell – A True Design Legacy

Few figures in design command the breadth of influence that David Rockwell does. Founder of the Rockwell Group, the New York-based studio with outposts in Madrid and Los Angeles, Rockwell has redefined the language of experience across multiple disciplines. Since its founding in 1984, the Rockwell Group has expanded into a team of over 350 designers and architects, working across luxury hospitality, cultural institutions, healthcare, product design, and set design. What unites this seemingly diverse portfolio is Rockwell’s unwavering commitment to storytelling. Every project, whether the interiors of the Nobu restaurants, the Oscar ceremony stage, or the renovation of New York’s legendary JetBlue Terminal, is guided by narrative. Design is not just form and function—it is theatre. It is atmosphere. It is memory.

That sense of narrative runs through Flow as Form. For Rockwell, water is not just an inspiration but a protagonist: endlessly fluid, ever-changing, shaping and reshaping itself over time. By abstracting the qualities of water into motifs, textures, and tonal palettes, Rockwell has once again demonstrated his ability to make design feel alive imbued with quiet drama and emotional resonance.

The Rug Company

If Rockwell brings the story, The Rug Company provides the stage. Since its founding in London in 1997, the brand has become a global leader in luxury rug design, celebrated for marrying modern aesthetics with centuries-old craftsmanship. The Rug Company is not just a producer of rugs, but a cultural tastemaker. Its collaborations with iconic designers, ranging from Alexander McQueen and Vivienne Westwood to Kelly Wearstler and Paul Smith have helped reposition rugs as central statements of interior design rather than decorative afterthoughts. For discerning clients and design enthusiasts, a rug from The Rug Company signifies not only quality but also a commitment to artistry and originality.

Hand-Crafted Mastery by Neapalese Artisans

What distinguishes The Rug Company is its craft ethos. Every hand-knotted rug is made in Nepal by artisans who use ancient techniques passed down through generations. The weavers employ a unique knotting process that is chunkier than average, creating a lush, substantial texture underfoot.

Materials are chosen with equal care: wool for resilience and warmth, and bamboo silk for its dappled lustre, which adds depth and light play to each design. This meticulous approach results in rugs that are not only beautiful but enduring—luxury that is sustainable in the truest sense, made to last for generations.

Against this backdrop of storytelling and craftsmanship, Flow as Form emerges as a natural continuation of Rockwell and The Rug Company’s long-standing collaboration. The collection introduces three new designs, each exploring the many states of water, from placid stillness to rippling energy. Rendered in elegant, tonal palettes, the rugs employ varied pile heights to sculpt light and shadow, depth and dimension. Shapes seem to emerge and dissolve as if sculpted by tide and time. The effect is both calming and dynamic, echoing the rhythms of nature within an interior.

“Throughout our creative collaboration with The Rug Company, we’ve explored an obsession with nature’s contrasts,” Rockwell explains. “These new rug designs continue in that vein, looking at all the forms that water can take—from placid and solid, to rippling and rushing. We really see the patterns as textile landscapes, and creating them with The Rug Company is a joy because their craftsmanship and intricate detailing brings the designs to life.”

Each piece is as much an artwork as a furnishing. Painterly brushstrokes, sinuous lines, and gentle curves echo the undulating rhythms of waves or the shimmer of a stream under sunlight. They are design objects that anchor a room while simultaneously imbuing it with motion and life.

What makes Flow as Form compelling is its balance of contemporary relevance and timeless appeal. For the design-savvy homeowner, these rugs speak directly to current desires: interiors that feel serene yet layered, minimal yet expressive. Yet the designs are not tethered to a passing aesthetic, they have the quiet authority of works meant to endure. This duality is at the heart of true luxury design. Flow as Form is not about ostentation or excess, but about depth, about investing in pieces that resonate, both visually and emotionally, and that continue to reveal their richness over time.

The Rockwell–Rug Company partnership illustrates the power of collaboration in contemporary design. Rockwell’s vision could only be realised through the technical mastery of The Rug Company’s artisans, while The Rug Company’s ethos of innovation and craftsmanship finds new expression through Rockwell’s storytelling lens. Together, they create rugs that are neither purely decorative nor merely functional, but experiences—immersive, narrative-driven design statements that transform the atmosphere of a room.

Each rug is entirely handmade, ensuring that no two pieces are precisely alike, further testament to their individuality and artistry.

A Reflective Collection

In an era where design often succumbs to the pressures of speed and trend, Flow as Form stands apart as a collection born of reflection, artistry, and respect for craft. It exemplifies David Rockwell’s mastery of narrative-driven design and The Rug Company’s unrivalled dedication to luxury and tradition. Together, they have translated the quiet drama of water into a tangible form—a surface that grounds us, inspires us, and reminds us of the beauty in nature’s most essential element. For those who see their homes as canvases of culture, creativity, and comfort, Flow as Form is more than a collection of rugs. It is a meditation in texture, tone, and timeless design.

The Flow as Form rugs are available in a range of sizes, beginning at £2,902 / €3,237 for 1.83x1.22m, or £1,300 / €1,450 per m².

Discover the collection at therugcompany.com