Feats of Felt

Feats of Felt Metropolis magazine, June 2006

“The artists that inspire me blur the division between fine arts and craft,” says 35-year old Melina Raissnia, who has put a contemporary stamp on the ancient art of felt rug making. Educated as a painter, Raissnia found herself obsessed by objects and patterns—and when now-husband Dodd gave her an Iranian felt rug, she felt compelled to visit Iran to learn about the dying art. In 2005, the couple opened a workshop there, training artisans in the laborious process of felting—combing and arranging wool, sprinkling the fabric with boiling water, rolling it up, and walking on it. But Raissnia, passionate about industrial and organic shapes, designs rugs that look more like details of Fortunato Depero’s Futurist paintings than traditional floor coverings. Last winter the Raissnia’s relocated their store, Peace Industry, from remote Inverness, California, to a sweeping showroom in San Francisco’s stylish Hayes Valley. With eight designs based on Persian mosaics debuting this summer, and new techniques that produce bolder colors, Raissnia’s vision of fusing craft and artwork has found an outlet—and a swanky, spacious home. -Diane Mehta

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