studio nienke hoogvliet tufts rug from fishing net and sea algae yarn

studio nienke hoogvliet tufts rug from fishing net and sea algae yarn
all images by femke poort

presented at dutch design week 2014, ‘sea me’ is a result of nienke hoogvliet‘s exploration into looking for more sustainable solutions for the textile industry. with an old fishing net used as its woven backing, the flooring piece is tufted by hand using yarn made from sea algae — a plant that grows much faster and requires less nutrients than common fibres such as cotton; proposing the relatively new material as an alternative to what is currently on the market. in her work, the dutch designer captures the contrast between the global problem of plastic pollution in our oceans, with an aesthetic that expresses all of the beauty that our earth’s bodies of water have to offer; and proves that waste can be reused in a way that can have both a graceful appearance and practical use.

detail of the fishing net used as the carpets backing, tufted with sea algae yarn

‘sea me’ simulates the appearance of algae on the ocean floor

contrast between the plastic fish net and soft yarn fibres

‘sea me’ rug from above