Classic Rug Collection reveals Manhattan rug by Swedish artist Bo Lundberg

“Take me back to Manhattan, Take me back to New York. I’m just longing to see once more, My little home on the hundredth floor!”

Cole Porter’s lyrics sum up the magnetic pull of New York city – Manhattan and the boroughs. And whether or not you live on the hundredth floor or in a home far from New York’s fabled attractions, New York real estate can be under the feet of fans everywhere with the newly launched hand tufted wool, silk and linen “Manhattan” rug by Bo Lundberg for Classic Rug Collection.

Manhattan by Bo Lundberg for Classic Rug Collection. Photo courtesy Classic Rug Collection.

If you aren’t familiar with Lundberg’s name do a quick image search. His commercial, editorial and artist output have appeared internationally and you will instantly recognise his distinctive and appealing style. Your COVER scribe asked Lundberg to provide the background to his Manhattan rug, and in his own words:

I visited New York for the first time in 2006 and everywhere I went I saw maps of Manhattan. I decided to do my own version of the map once I came home to Stockholm. I ended up doing three images as a thank you card to my agent in New York, Stephanie Pesakoff, and the map was one of them. I remember that I was still jet lagged when I did it. In January this year Stephanie started the company Stampa, that sells limited edition prints online, and we both thought that the Manhattan image would be perfect. I decided to do some new color options and I picked one of them that I thought would work as a print. And I believe that’s where Barbara Barran at Classic Rug saw it. I had been doing a lot of sketches for textile patterns for a while, just for my own satisfaction. I didn’t quite see this one as a potential rug, but I am glad that Barbara did. I did some textile patterns for a company in the UK a few years ago, but this is the first time any of my designs have been translated into a rug. I have several designs laying around so I hope to be able to see some of them produced at some point. I love doing products, I think it brings an extra value to my images.

Barbara Barran is the founder and chief designer for the Classic Rug Collection. It’s no surprise she spotted the rug potential for Lundberg’s design. Like Cole Porter she “happens to like New York”. So if like your scribe a part of your psyche longs to be a New Yorker, snap up this rug and revel in a bit of New York (and Swedish) magic. DJ