Global concerns are prompting a reconnection to our homes. Renewed appreciation for reconnection with home and hearth is reflected in Jaipur Living’s new rug collection Reconnext by Australian designer Jenny Jones. A renowned presence in the rug world, 2020 marks the twenty-fifth anniversary of Jones’ eponymous rug business, while Reconnext marks her second collaboration with Jaipur Living after their inaugural collection Connexions debuted in 2012. The seven patterns of the new collection are inspired by Jones’ exploration of reconnection to home, family and friends enhanced with motifs influenced by her global travels.
The Reconnext Collection features seven designs and nine rugs. The rug patterns and palettes are transitional and intended to blend effortlessly into a variety of interior designs. Each hand-knotted rug has a unique story behind the pattern. One of COVER’s favourites is Outlander. Inspired by ‘classic tartan patterns’ featured in the Scotland-based time travel fantasy television drama Outlander, Jones meticulously rubbed back each line of the grid during the design process to create a semi-erased pattern. The ebb and flow of the lines is a feature that seems to reflect the mystical nature of time travel.
<em>Outlander<em> Reconnext Collection by Jenny Jones for Jaipur Living 
<em>Outlander<em> Reconnext Collection by Jenny Jones for Jaipur Living
While Jones’ pattern inspiration is Scottish, Outlander bears more than a passing resemblance to the famed textiles of another Celtic nation—the double-weave tapestry blankets of Wales. Perhaps Outlander is both a conscious nod to Scotland and a subconscious nod to hiraeth—the Welsh word for an unbreakable bond to home? Regardless of the influence, the notion of a profound connection to home whether ancestral or the home we live in now is an emotion shared by all in the global community. The Reconnext Collection reminds us there is indeed no place like home.
Levant is Jones’ interpretation of a traditional Mamluk rug. The faux-aged antique finish of the hand-knotted rug is achieved through Jaipur Living’s expert hand-dyeing techniques.
The layered floral and foliage pattern of Madagascar reflects memories from the years Jones spent living in Africa. ‘I fell in love with the richness of paper bark textiles and the art of the Maasai people,’ Jones says. Her design process includes rubbing back elements of the design to reveal a subtle animal print behind the outlines of weathered Moroccan tiles.
Kokomo is a song by The Beach Boys—a 1960s California-based band influenced by a surfing lifestyle—and also the name of one of Jones’ Reconnext rugs. ‘My husband was a passionate surfer and a big fan of The Beach Boys,’ she says. Surfing longboards inspired the rug’s leaf-like motif in a hand-carved silk weave.
The organic abstract pattern of Byron Bay reflects Jones’ love for the land and sea of Australia. Woven in silk and wool, the pattern is enhanced by a hand-carved high and low pile surface while the palette reflects Australia’s copper earth colours and sea blues.
Kimono is a Japanese-inspired pattern that reflects the period when Jones and her family hosted two Japanese exchange students. Kimono reflects Jones’ love for Japanese culture and the ‘love shared between distant friends’.
Hamptons is Jones’ interpretation of two classic rug patterns, one Iranian and one Turkish. The result is a fresh interpretation of traditional motifs.
