Milan-based luxury rug brand Illulian has partnered with renowned Japanese designer Naoto Fukasawa to create two new rugs, Stone and Maru, that challenge traditional ideas of luxury design. For Illulian’s Bendis and David Illulian, this collaboration offered an opportunity to move beyond their comfort zones, blending their brand’s meticulous attention to detail with Fukasawa’s signature minimalism. 

“The Stone and Maru rugs represent a perfect synthesis of aesthetics and functionality, where luxury is no longer synonymous with opulence but with subtle elegance,” said Bendis and David Illulian. “This project allowed us to reinterpret the concept of luxury through a more universal lens.”

Fukasawa, for his part, did not set out to design something traditionally luxurious. “I didn’t intend to design something luxurious in this collaboration. Rather, I thought that a simple strength would stand out more for Illulian,” he explained. 

As contemporary interiors increasingly blur cultural references, the designers sought to create patterns that transcend geographical boundaries. “We both believe that design should transcend geographical boundaries, serving as a medium to convey this message,” said the Illulian design team. 

“Throughout the creative process, we aimed to create patterns that are evocative yet not confined to a specific regional aesthetic. Maintaining a constant dialogue was crucial to balancing Illulian’s artisanal tradition with Fukasawa’s global sensitivity.” 

For Fukasawa, the rugs’ patterns were less about evoking a specific culture and more about capturing a universal, environmental memory. “[They do] not evoke any specific cultural references. Perhaps the motif is inspired by a memory from somewhere in the environment,” he noted.

The evolution of quiet luxury

The collaboration between Illulian and Fukasawa reflects a broader shift in luxury floor covering aesthetics towards understated complexity, a trend that is increasingly influencing high-end residential and hospitality projects. “We are observing a growing demand for rugs that complement spaces without overpowering them,” explained Bendis and David Illulian. 

“This trend reflects the desire to create elegant, understated, and welcoming environments, ideal for both private residences and hospitality settings. In hospitality, in particular, the focus is on offering a refined, convivial atmosphere free of excess.” The Stone and Maru rugs, with their sophisticated simplicity, meet these needs perfectly, combining artisanal quality with a sense of restraint that complements modern, minimalist interiors.

This collaboration has also left a lasting impact on Illulian’s approach to future collections, particularly in the way textile craftsmanship interacts with architectural minimalism. “This collection demonstrates how minimalism can enhance the beauty of details,” said the Illulian team. 

“We conducted extensive research on textures, proportions, color nuances, and materials, adding a touch of preciousness to the rugs. Our goal from the start was to create pieces that harmoniously interact with architectural spaces.” Looking ahead, Illulian is committed to further exploring the interplay between textile artistry and contemporary design, pushing the boundaries of what it means to create luxury in a modern context.

Perhaps most significantly, working with Fukasawa has altered Illulian’s perspective on what defines luxury in today’s interiors. “Fukasawa taught us the importance of an empathetic and universal approach to design,” said the Illulian team. 

“He showed us how to balance artistic expression with functionality, creating rugs that not only decorate but enhance spatial perception while providing everyday comfort. This collaboration has led us to redefine the meaning of ‘luxury’ in modern interiors—emphasizing visual serenity, intimacy, and an aesthetic that promotes well-being and harmony.” 

Through this partnership, Illulian has embraced a more holistic, thoughtful approach to luxury that prioritizes both beauty and the lived experience.

Naoto Fukasawa’s study in subtlety and universality 

Naoto Fukasawa’s design philosophy has always centered on the delicate balance between presence and absence, a concept he masterfully brings into his collaboration with Illulian. For Fukasawa, the Stone and Maru rugs are not simply decorative objects but integral elements that subtly ground a space while simultaneously dissolving into it. 

“The base is in subtle shades of gray and beige,” he explained, “and on top of that, I aimed to create texture on the surface through varying pile lengths and embossed patterns. The pattern of the embossing is quite bold, but I believe the basic colors help it blend seamlessly into the room.” This approach reflects Fukasawa’s belief that design should not demand attention but instead quietly complement its surroundings, allowing it to feel both present and unobtrusive.

The Stone pattern, in particular, reflects Fukasawa’s unique ability to blend traditional Japanese influences with global sensibilities. While the irregular, cobblestone-like shapes of Stone evoke the aesthetics of wabi-sabi, the Japanese philosophy of imperfection, they also reference the geometric patterns found in landscapes worldwide. 

“The shape is not rectangular or fixed,” Fukasawa noted. “It evokes the image of cobblestones. These cobblestones seem to be something you could find anywhere in the world, yet they also have a distinctly Japanese quality.” In this way, Fukasawa creates a design that speaks both to a specific cultural heritage and to a universal, global audience, bridging the gap between the natural world and the built environment.

Fukasawa’s philosophy extends to the way he thinks about scale and rhythm in his designs, creating a sense of inevitability in his work. He believes that humans are part of nature, and by recognizing this connection, even man-made objects can blend seamlessly into a space. 

“I believe that by becoming aware of the fact that humans are a part of nature, we can make even man-made objects blend naturally,” he explained. “This, I feel, is what leads to them seamlessly integrating into a space.” This philosophy informed his choices in the Stone and Maru rugs, where the scale and rhythm of the patterns were intentionally designed to feel organic and harmonious, never forced or out of place.

Regarding his restrained use of color and patternFukasawa explained, “The design was intentionally created so that the patterns don’t stand out too much, blending seamlessly with elements like flooring and the furniture placed on it.”

Supernormal vs extraordinary

But Fukasawa still acknowledges that there is a place for bolder designs, emphasizing that his work is about striking a balance. “I always carry the implicit symbol of ‘supernormal’ with me, so inevitably, something unique yet normal is born.” This idea of “supernormal” refers to the design principle of creating objects that feel perfectly natural yet still stand out through their quiet originality. 

Finally, Fukasawa’s concept of “Without Thought,” which has shaped much of his work in product design, evolves when applied to spatial experiences like rugs. “Our eyes constantly gather information that becomes part of our memory, though we tend to think only what we consciously notice is stored,” he said. “In fact, our body’s sensors continuously detect stimuli, even when we’re unaware of it. This is what ‘without thought’ means—our behavior is largely driven by the possibilities our environment presents.”

By applying this concept to the Stone and Maru rugs, Fukasawa creates designs that act as silent catalysts for our experience of space, subtly influencing how we perceive and interact with our surroundings, even when we are not consciously aware of it.