BELOVED L.A. DESIGNER THOMAS HAYES TEAMS UP WITH MIAMI-BASED ART + LOOM ON A STUNNING NEW RUG COLLECTION.

What makes a designer collaboration successful? For starters, mutual respect and admiration are key, and beyond that there’s the ability to work well together. Luckily, Thomas Hayes and Art + Loom founder Samantha Gallacher have all that and more, something that’s made their first rug collection together a smashing success. “I have been obsessed with Thomas’ furniture for a while and was so lucky when he reached out to me telling me he loved my rugs,” says Gallacher. Hayes, who typically does not carry other designers’ products in his showroom, purchased a few Art + Loom rugs to display and sell in his gallery before he and Gallacher dove into a collaboration. “I followed Art + Loom’s Instagram account closely and noticed her designs were in line with my aesthetic artistically,” he explains. From there, the duo embarked on a project together. “It was late nights of us FaceTiming and sharing artists we love and who inspire us,” Gallacher explains. “We would send images back and forth, then thomas and his fiancee, Jonelle, would tell me to take a stab at color and then we would tweak. It was a very smooth and authentic design process.” Consisting of 10 customizable styles based on California hard-edge art and abstract expressionism, the rugs—available exclusively at thomas Hayes Studio in L.A.—are true works of art. “The collection taps into the idea of simplicity and color,” adds Gallacher, who notes that they plan to expand and evolve the collaboration. “Sam is so good at what she does,” says Hayes. “She drew out of me exactly what I was looking for and helped me understand rugs as a medium for art.”