Sometimes the best way to understand a piece of design is to experience it up close.
During a recent visit to the showroom, Markus Benz sat with the team directly on one of the rugs to share the story behind the Legends of Carpets collection by Walter Knoll. Rather than presenting the piece from a distance, he encouraged everyone to sit, look closely, and run their hands across the surface — allowing the textures, colours, and materials to reveal themselves gradually.
The collection traces its origins to journeys through Africa, where vast landscapes, shifting light, and the raw, almost archaic beauty of the terrain left a lasting impression on the designers. The inspiration goes beyond simply reproducing nature. Instead, these impressions of land, light, stone, water, and vegetation were translated into abstract compositions — visual memories of places rather than literal depictions of them.
What emerges from this approach is a series of rugs that feel less like decorative objects and more like woven landscapes. From certain angles, subtle variations in the pile catch the light differently, moving between matte and soft sheen. These changes create layers within the surface, allowing colours to shift and reveal new tones as one moves around the piece.
But the story of Legends of Carpets is not only about inspiration — it is equally about craftsmanship.
Each rug in the collection is handmade using carefully selected natural materials, including fine wool, silk, and nettle fibres. These materials contribute not only to durability but also to the tactile richness of the rugs. Wool provides warmth and body, silk introduces a delicate luminosity, while nettle fibres add subtle texture and strength. The combination of these elements allows the surface to respond dynamically to light and touch.
Behind every rug is an intricate process involving multiple hands and stages of production. The designs are carefully translated into weaving plans, followed by the meticulous work of skilled artisans who knot and craft each piece by hand. Labelling, finishing, and quality checks complete the process — ensuring that every rug carries both the identity of its design and the mark of human craftsmanship.
This layered process is what gives the collection its depth. The rugs are not merely visual interpretations of landscapes, but the result of collaboration between designers, artisans, and materials. Every stage contributes to a final piece that carries the story of its making.
In our showroom, three pieces from the collection are currently on display: Yungiyungi, Chimbuka, and Mwamba. While they represent only a part of the larger series, each one speaks with its own voice. Their colours, textures, and patterns evoke different impressions of landscape — whether the softness of water lilies, the glow of sunrise, or the layered textures of stone and earth.
Experiencing these rugs in person reveals something that photographs alone cannot fully capture. The surface invites interaction. The texture changes under the hand. The colours deepen and shift depending on where the light falls.
In this way, Legends of Carpets becomes more than a collection. It is a reminder that great design is meant to be lived with — seen, touched, and explored over time.
And sometimes, the best way to discover that story is simply to sit down on the rug and listen.
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