We are proud of the company we keep here at Lulu and Georgia, and so we are ecstatic to present our new Nina Freudenberger Rug collection. Nina is an interior designer and bestselling author based in Los Angeles, renowned for creating unique, refreshing, and comfortable spaces. Inspired by the women of the Bauhaus movement, she has created a rug collection featuring bold, geometric patterns and lush high-low texture. Exclusive to Lulu and Georgia, these four styles reflect both the work of these artists and Nina's favorite color palette with tonal, muted, soft, and sophisticated hues. In her own words, read on for Nina's exploration into her creative process, how she hopes customers will style these pieces in their own homes, and how these rugs serve as an homage to the four women Bauhaus artists they are named after.

Meet Otti, Benita, Marli, and Anni

The Bauhaus holds such a significant place within my work. So, when concepting this line of rugs with Lulu and Georgia, I found myself exploring and taking inspiration from the work of the women of the movement. Whether as teachers, students, or active artists, they played such a vital, if often overlooked, role in the school. The four artists I was drawn to were Otti Berger, Benita Koch-Otte, Marli Ehrmann, and Anni Albers. I consider the Otti, Benita, Marli, and Anni rugs as a way to honor their incredible contributions.

Nevertheless, They Persevered

My inspiration for the collection comes from the determination shown by these four women. The Bauhaus ideal of equal standing amongst was not true in practice. The school's manifesto stated “any person of good repute, without regard to age or sex” was welcomed—however, women artists were often encouraged to pursue weaving rather than painting, sculpture, and architecture. But these women persevered, were fundamental to the school, and created art and designed for years to come. Let’s continue to be inspired by these strong women and celebrate them!  

  

Tailored to You and Your Home

I honestly designed these rugs for everyone, meant to be loved by designers and homeowners alike. I wanted to create versatile accents to work with different aesthetics and in many spaces throughout a home. I am a firm believer in the layering process, and I hope these all feel like they add that little extra to any room. Each rug layers in a beautifully tailored and comfortable style into your space. Also, for the moms out there, these patterns will probably hide some spills (which is mostly what’s happening in my house!). 

 

"I wanted to make a collection that had the flexibility to work in multiple styles and multiple rooms. My personal style centers around simplicity, and I love the idea of adding one item to complete the look of a room."

- Nina Freudenberger

 

 

Inspired Beginnings

My first step in designing these rugs was that I grabbed my paints, brushes, and a large block of paper and got to work! I focused on mixing specific colors—those blues and greens and rich earth tones—that felt like they could sit in a room designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe. I spend most of my time in design mode but rarely get to sit down and just paint, so this was a true luxury for me! It also really comes from the heart, and creating with my hands is so fulfilling.

Elevated and Dynamic Neutrals

The color palette of this collection istonal, muted, soft, and sophisticated. These shades are a play on neutrals, not really true neutrals, yet are used that way. The color palette is just enough to give a subtle vibrance to any room. I love the greens and browns and tans and nude colors—those are my favorite and the palette I design with every day.


I would describe my style as: I would say my style is warm, modern California mixed with Nordic. I fell in love with the California design sensibility the moment I moved here, and the Nordic portion comes from my heritage. I also have been studying how people live in their homes through the last two books I authored, Surf Shack and Bibliostyle, and so it is important to me that we as designers create not just a home that is visually beautiful but also comfortable, tailored, flexible, warm and falls in line with how that family lives in their own home through their daily domestic ritual and with their families.

As a designer, what inspires me most is: Traveling is what I pull inspiration from the most as a designer. For both of my books, I was able to travel around the world—12 countries in total, over three and a half years. Seeing how other people lived in other countries, stepping inside real homes and not just hotels, really inspired me and continues to fuel my work.

I hope that my collection inspires people to feel: Stylish, comfortable, and creative.