FLOOR_STORY in collaboration with Kangan Arora

East London Rug company and design house, FLOOR_STORY will open the doors to a new showroom and studio space during the London Design Festival 2022. This multi-functional space, which will also be home to Workspace Designers Trifle*, will welcome events, workshops and collaborations as well as being a home to the two businesses, both born and bred in the East End. To coincide with the opening, FLOOR_STORY has collaborated with textile designer and internationally renowned creative, Kangan Arora on two striking and sophisticated collections which were developed and honed during lockdown. The meticulously thought-out patterns and colour combinations seen across the 10 new rugs, are borne from what Kangan describes as ‘often mathematical’ processes. The rugs are produced in 3 different constructs (Hand Knotted, Tufted and Hand Woven), each made with New Zealand wool and are influenced by architectural shapes and references, from both Indian and Japanese ancient traditions.

Arora, who was born in India and now lives and works in London says, ‘I feel I’m on a permanent quest to explore, understand and re-contextualise the Indian visual vernacular; The act of creating is highly intuitive and emotional on the one hand; and very logical and mathematical on the other, so my design ethos lies somewhere in between the two’. Arora’s use of colour is often unexpected but leads to unique designs befitting of a wider edit from FLOOR_STORY, where collaborations are almost always colourful and with exceptional use of pattern. In-keeping with her ongoing output across design, brand work and within her role as Lecturer at Central St Martins, the latest collections named ‘Cosmic Check’ and ‘Falling Shadows’ feature patterns which are both linear and graphical. The colours used in each rug balance the bold patterns to produce an overall synergy that allows each to sit comfortably in a range of settings.

Arora has collaborated with several prominent brands asides from FLOOR_STORY including IKEA, Heals and TATE, creating textiles as well as large-scale installations. The new collections stem from the brand’s very first design-led collaboration with Arora 15 years ago, making this the most fitting collection to reveal, during the opening of FLOOR_STORY’S first standalone space. ‘FLOOR_STORY has grown a lot over the last 3 years and so quite simply a new showroom was needed. To have our own dedicated space where we can really showcase what we can do for our clients, from initial idea to full production – is amazing. We have a dynamic and multi-functional set-up including spaces which will open new ways of connecting with our community. Our design process will be very much at the forefront of this with 5000 colours on show, many additional yarn qualities and a sample wall which allows us to present a far more extensive range of rug combinations’.

‘Kangan is a good friend of mine and one I love to work with. She has strong ideas, is an absolute colour genius and works with pattern so well, so we were delighted to work together again. We are absolutely blown away with the final rugs and very excited to reveal them, as we open the doors to our new home!’ Simon Goff, Founder – FLOOR_STORY