Ken Fulk x Pierre Frey

Interior design A-lister Ken Fulk’s recent interior collections for Pierre Frey are a sumptuous blend of historic reference and Surrealist playfulness

Who doesn’t feel the need of a bit of exuberance right now? Something elegant yet unique, with bold colour and pattern that makes your heart flutter would hit the spot, am I right? Enter Ken Fulk’s new collections for French interior design company Pierre Frey, comprising a range of dynamic rug, fabric and wallpaper designs, perfect for taking every interior to the next level of  sophistication.

Fulk’s design oeuvre is extravagant, sophisticated, multi-layered—effortlessly mixing contemporary art with antique statement pieces. In a recent interview with AD Fulk comments: ‘I do strive hard not to have a signature look, but there is an obvious DNA to the things that we create that makes the spaces easily identifiable.’ Recognised for his natty dressing and must-attend parties as well as his cool interiors, San Francisco-based Fulk has risen to A-list status in interior design with numerous hotel, restaurant and residential projects throughout the US and abroad under his belt—The ‘Quin House in Boston and ZZ’s Club in Miami’s Design District to name but a few. His ‘A Study in Optimism’ design for the recent Kips Bay Dallas Show House—marrying Art Deco with celestial glamour—was a particular highlight of the show.

Fulk’s floor coverings for Pierre Frey comprise two rugs and a carpet. The bright structural Brutalist rug, hand-tufted in New Zealand wool, is a celebration of Brutalist architecture, in particular the Velasca Tower in Milan, while Ken’s Lines, hand-tufted in wool and silk, is a softer design playing with illusions created by lines following the colour theories of Josef Albers. Axminster woven Hedgerow is a dynamic wool rendition of a repeating labyrinth referencing 18th century gardens by Lancelot Brown as well and the works of Escher. 

These floor coverings, which depict illusionary architectural spaces referencing the historical and the contemporary, complete the Ken Fulk interior look alongside Fulk’s wallpaper and matching fabric designs for Pierre Frey. While the rugs and wallpapers are titled ‘The Cult of Beauty’ the fabrics come under the name of ‘The Surreal World’. Designs such as Surrealist ball, Neoclassical and Stoned romans take us on a tasteful yet playful trip through history. Each of the Fulk designs has the sense of lavish embellishment and demonstrates a fusion of eras and cultures. This may just be the hint of extravagance we are all looking for.