Dare to Rug is the first Romanian brand of hand-tufted rugs, combining traditional patterns with contemporary design. Behind it lies a lot of passion and two young designers, Andreea Batros and Flavia Scinteanu, who have worked in Shanghai and Milan, shaping their creative vision and learning to appreciate the rug as a decorative object.
After seeing their beautiful rugs at the Made in Ro fair, we wanted to find out more about this courageous project.
How did you come up with the idea and when?
We have known each other for many years and have always wanted to start a project together. A year ago, while we were still on different continents creating decorative objects for our projects, we discovered how diverse and creative rug making can be. Then we decided that Romania is the most suitable place to do this and promote Romanian design.
Where does the name of the project come from?
Dare to Rug encourages design lovers to show their love for rugs and have the confidence to start an interior design project right from the rug. We aim to promote the rug as a primary decorative element in a space's scheme - we want to bring it back into the spotlight.
What was the first product you worked on?
The first rug produced was Serene, which was created just before all the others. It beautified the lounge area of a cafe in Guangzhou, China.
What materials do you use? What about techniques?
We use New Zealand wool tested for over ten years in creating this type of rug, and it is the best for hand-tufting. This wool is recognized for its beauty, elasticity, light color, and durability. Natural wool rugs are biodegradable and help protect the environment.
Only eco-tested products from Switzerland are used in the wool dyeing process; we can choose colors for our designs from a palette of 1,400 options. For the back protection of the rug, we chose to use 100% natural cotton because it provides better protection and a longer lifespan.
Hand-tufting is a manual process in which, with the help of a special gun, tufts of wool are inserted onto a cotton surface according to the desired pattern. Then, the wool is fixed with a special adhesive. Using this technique, different effects can be created by cutting the wool thread at varying heights, curving it, or playing with patterns and colors.
The hand-tufted technique brings endless possibilities for design and allows the use of natural materials.
What inspires you?
Dare to Rug's first collection is called Romanian Moods and brings together contemporary rugs inspired by traditional stitches from Romania's ten historical regions. The idea for the collection came from a longing for home, which somehow led to the realization of the enormous potential that Romanian traditional culture has.
We worked as interior designers abroad and interacted with very different people and cultures. Moreover, when you are away from home, you look back and can synthesize beautiful things more easily.
