Some people are born with an innate sense of color and pattern. I’m not one of those people. But thank goodness designer Malene B is. She has been wowing me (and the rest of the design industry) with her bold carpet designs for years, and at this past year’s ICFF, I had to take a moment to look through every single sample to really appreciate how gorgeous they were. Drawing inspiration from her international travels, cultural icons, landscapes and her African Caribbean heritage, Malene is constantly creating patterns and color combinations that make you stop and look closer. Whether she’s designing a flat-weave or thick, tufted wool carpets, Malene also makes sure her work is as socially conscious as possible by supporting Goodweave and Aid to Artisans. Inspired not only by her design talent but also her commitment to the people behind her craft, Max and I decided to visit Malene’s beautiful home studio in Brooklyn’s Bedford–Stuyvesant neighborhood yesterday to get a closer look. Malene sat down with us to talk about all things design, and we had so much fun learning about color samples, her habit of designing patterns on the subway and all the places and people that inspire her. Thanks so much to Malene for welcoming us into her home. I hope you’ll enjoy her interview as much as I did! xo, grace
All photographs at Malene’s home by Maxwell Tielman
Image above: ARS color yarn samples (a fiber-specific system similar to Pantone), and Malene’s sketches for designs, made on the train ride home.
age above: Malene’s sun-filled kitchen is the perfect place to browse new samples.
The full interview and more photos continue after the jump . . .
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