Capel welcomed its newest designer, Kevin O’Brien, into the Capel family with a launch party at last month’s High Point Market. The initial group includes six tufted designs and two braids.
The collection marks O’Brien’s first area rug collection, though he has been in the design industry for more than 20 years, beginning his career as an architect and painter. O’Brien broke into the home category with hand-painted fabrics and branched out into top-of-bed products, pillows, furniture, wall art and accessories.
“As a textile designer, rugs are the ultimate goal,” O’Brien told HFN. And they are less disposable than other categories; a rug purchase “is meant to be for life.”
His transitional designs for Capel are nature- and geometric-based, in soothing colorways. And because Capel is known for its braided business, not only will two braids be a part of the collection, but O’Brien plans to include a micro braid for upholstery, which would be a new category for Capel.
The braids are available now, and the tufted rugs will be available to ship in January.