We're Obsessed

Tufted Is Trending

It's happy, it's fuzzy, it's colorful—and we're totally here for it

May 13, 2021

When you spend much of your quarantine days scrolling through maximalist home decor on IG, your discover tab starts to look a bit like a really well-decorated acid trip. Between the disco wave mirrors, neon-check everything, and fluorescent candles emerges a particularly eye-catching trend: hand-tufted rugs of every shape, size, and color imaginable. Made in large part by novices—a new pandemic hobby for many—these rugs showed up as mirrors, wall hangings, larger than life cartoon characters, you name it. And I wasn’t the only person noticing; just last month, NPR interviewed several “renegade rug makers” who climbed on the tufting train via TikTok, where a #tuftok community has started to flourish. One of my recent follows, Tuft the World, has more than 50,000 followers and more than 30,000 tagged posts. Way back in December, when we asked experts about their design predictions for 2021, both joyful decor and squiggly home goods made the list, and these tufted rug makers embrace these trends wholeheartedly. Read on for a sampling of my favorite tufted creations.

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1/10
Tufted Scallop Histology Rug
$266
Etsy
London-based artist Ellie Pearce takes her inspiration from what might seem unlikely places: under the microscope. Her works are often studies of human organs, including the small intestine, skin, and rectum.
2/10
Mango Commission
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Justin Clarke
19-year-old Justin Clarke's portfolio includes commissions, sold through Instagram and Depop, such as the pink love hotel emoji and this cheerful textured mango, as well as original artworks.

3/10
Tufted Wavy Rug Mirror
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House of J
This Sottsass-inspired mirror is available via Manchester-based House of J, as are wavy mirrors (and rugs) in pretty much every color under the sun.
4/10
Handmade Tufted Coasters
$21
Etsy
Frankie Davies, the artist behind London-based brand Pixie Divine, fulfills all of your funky tufted mirror needs, and specializes in smaller goods–like these hand tufted coasters–as well as on-trend candles.

5/10
Wes Bechtler x Kristin Texeira
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Wes Bechtler
While this piece is a collaboration between Brooklyn-based artist Wes Bechtler and Kristin Texeria, Wes’s tufted works are often characterized by distinct color palettes, sprinklings of confetti shapes, and jigsaw like configurations.
6/10
Mushroom Rug
$120
Etsy
Described by maker Tiffany Dragon as a “gift for ravers,” we think this delightful tufted mushroom rug would also make a cottagecore devotee pretty excited.

7/10
Full-Length Tufted Mirror
$445
Etsy
Go big or go home with this full-length custom mirror, crafted in Berlin by Zeyu Studio.
8/10
Handmade Tufted Custom Rug
$65
Etsy
A melting Maggie Simpson, Catdog, and a pair of Air Maxes are all fair game for RareRuG, made in the Ukraine.

9/10
Yellow Volcano Wall Decor
$85
Clotilde Puy
Parisian fiber artist Clotilde Puy started her career in weaving, but offers floral rugs, tufted pillows, and wall hangings (like this bright yellow volcano) in her online shop.
10/10
Wavy Red Checkered Rug
$625
Etsy
Designer Sarah Waddell specializes in these wavy checked rugs that can be custom made up to five by seven feet and come in several groovy colorways. Price shown is for a four-by-six.