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Since 2010, Phoebe and Peter have been designing colorful, abstract rugs and bath mats that double as works of art. Nearly every collection is informed by old movies, either in composition (they print out stills and trace shapes over them) or palette (think retro hues). \u201cThere was one series of films that we were really inspired by that were all set in the desert, so the colors were very chalky and powdery but still saturated,\u201d Phoebe shares. \u201cWe still use a lot of peaches and mints and citrons and tans.\u201d<\/p>
What?<\/h2>
The couple\u2019s 1910s Ridgewood, Queens, home is filled with their own creations, including a HAY sofa (the Mags Soft Low sectional<\/a> to be exact) that they reupholstered using hand-tufted rugs after the sofa\u2019s original pink tweed got ruined. \u201cWe were trying to think of what kind of upholstery we could actually live with and the rugs are pretty durable,\u201d Phoebe says. \u201cWe thought that something a little bit heartier with a lot of color and design would survive our family.\u201d<\/p> For the sofa\u2019s seat and back cushions, Phoebe and Peter chose designs from their Beau Travail collections, which are an homage to the Claire Denis film of the same name. But instead of using the handmade, high-low pile wool rugs that are sold on the Cold Picnic website, Peter tufted the rugs himself\u2014twice. \u201cHe bought a frame and a gun and he watched all these videos, but we used the wrong glue backing, so it was too stiff and he had to do it all over again,\u201d Phoebe laments.<\/p> Peter undertook this grueling project at home in 2021\u2014injuring his back in the process. \u201cEverything he does, he does very intensely. He just wanted to finish it, but then he put his back out and couldn\u2019t walk or get out of bed for a week after. He paid for it, but it was worth it,\u201d Phoebe says, adding that a local upholsterer<\/a> then covered the HAY sofa in the hand-tufted rugs and a greenish-mustard wide wale corduroy.<\/p> In addition to being durable and stylish, the one of a kind sectional holds lots of sentimental value for the couple. \u201cI actually had a mustard corduroy sofa growing up, so it\u2019s nostalgic, but it is our take on it,\u201d Phoebe explains. \u201cAnd that\u2019s how we think about designing. That\u2019s why we always use old movies and these \u201970s powdery palettes. It\u2019s exactly our personal style, which is hard to encapsulate.\u201d<\/p>Where and When?<\/h2>
Why?<\/h2>