Tickled Pink

'Isla' Picnic Set, by Design Haus Liberty and Yerra

- Wallpaper, Art, Design

There is more than meets the eye to ‘Isla’, the big, pink, furry outcome of a whirlwind collaboration between South American luxury rug maker Yerra and London- and Hong Kong-based architecture studio Design Haus Liberty. It doesn’t immediately look or sound like the most natural, ethical or sustainable product – and that’s partly the point. Similarly, it’s not a product that might immediately call to mind South American craftsmanship. But this soft-as-soft-can be luxury landing mat, made from the finest Peruvian alpaca, is an exercise in upending expectations.

Dara Huang of Design Haus Liberty and Yerra founder Santiago Schapira met for the first time when they were tasked with making a love-themed rug for Wallpaper* Handmade’s tenth anniversary exhibition. The result, a lovingly handcrafted rug, made from only natural materials, was fawned over and fluffed up by just about everyone who came near it, an instant happy place of tactile pleasures.

From the initial meeting, preconceptions were left at the door. Design Haus Liberty underwent a crash course in Yerra’s trade, getting to grips with everything from the origins of the palette of materials on offer to the techniques available to shape them. Meanwhile, on the other side of the table, eyes widened at the design visions Huang was laying out.