Onda Wall Tapestry, GAN Rugs.
Rounded forms, tactile materials, and a hand-worked surface define Charlotte Lancelot's contemporary design approach. The Belgian designer first drew attention with the Canevas Flower rug for GAN, which turned traditional cross-stitch embroidery into something decidedly modern. More than a decade later, that language continues to evolve.
A 2Modern favorite, Lancelot's Onda Wall Tapestry extends her signature oversized embroidery from the floor to the wall. Fifteen years in the making, the richly tactile work was selected for the Personal Structures exhibition at this year's Venice Art Biennale, joining an international dialogue at the intersection of art, architecture, and design. To celebrate its arrival at 2Modern, we spoke with Lancelot about what feeds her material curiosities and where her eye is headed next.
First things first, what's your morning beverage?
A glass of water first, then every morning, I freshly grind my coffee beans and brew my coffee with an AeroPress. It's my morning ritual before starting work.
How would you describe your personal design style: furniture, fashion, art, home?
My design style is rooted in a dialogue between emotion, function, and storytelling. I am drawn to rounded forms, softness, and objects that bring a sense of joy and playfulness into everyday life. I love working with colors that feel gentle yet vibrant, and with materials that invite touch and create a sensory experience. I am particularly interested in objects that respond to human habits, social rituals, or emotional connections. For me, a well-designed object is not only functional—it carries a story, creates a memory, and builds a relationship with the people who live with it. My work often explores the dialogue between tradition and contemporary expression. I am inspired by craftsmanship, textile techniques, and the richness of traditional savoir-faire, but I like to reinterpret them through a modern language of color, form, and use. Whether in furniture, textiles, or interior objects, I seek to create pieces that feel familiar yet unexpected, contemporary yet timeless.
During your work day, what's on in the background—music, podcasts, silence?
It depends on what I am doing. When I need to write, think, or concentrate, I need silence. It allows me to organize my thoughts and create space for reflection.
When I am designing or working with my hands, I love listening to music and letting myself be carried away by it. I often listen to Hermanos Gutiérrez. The music creates a sense of escape for me—I feel transported somewhere else, imagining myself by the ocean in Biarritz, surrounded by waves and a feeling of freedom. It helps me enter a more intuitive and creative state.
What’s your favorite material to work with, and what makes it the one?
Soft wool like mohair or felted wool, for its softness and its deep colors.
Favorite piece you've designed… if you had to choose one child?
Probably my Canevas Flower rug, because it was the first one. I was working full-time, and I spent a year designing it in the evenings and on weekends. We made many different versions before reaching the final one. It is also the rug next to my bed. I go to sleep and wake up with it every day. It is extremely durable and made from a single material, which makes it a great choice from an ecological point of view. People can interact with it by removing and redoing the embroidery. It can be easily repaired and recycled because it is made from one single material, even though it is incredibly resistant. The pixels refer to both the history of textiles and the contemporary world. It brings together all the elements I love in a product. It was not designed to follow a trend. In fact, it has remained in GAN's catalogue since 2012, as an original and timeless rug.
Is there one piece in your home, designed by someone else, that you find yourself drawn to everyday?
We have Fermob chairs from the Luxembourg collection. It is simply an incredible product: resistant, comfortable, well designed, with a beautiful color palette. I love the softness of the shapes and the quality of the touch. I also have a vintage Eames chair with a fiberglass shell for my home office. The shell is incredibly well designed to adapt to the body, even without any foam.
Do you have a favorite fashion label? Name it and tell us why.
I love the French brand Sessùn because you can find a lot of textile craftsmanship in their bags and knitwear. Their color combinations are incredible, and their stores are always beautifully designed, with the work of different craftspeople such as textile makers, woodworkers, and artisans creating cement tiles. I love also the Belgian Brand bellerose.
What's your next project?
We are working with GAN on new collections for the next catalogue. We are developing a new rug and experimenting with the subtle variations and colors that emerge when different yarns are combined.
The Onda tapestry is currently exhibited at the Venice Biennale, at the European Cultural Centre, and I would like to explore this new direction in my creative work. This piece represents a step towards a position between art and design, where I can further explore textile as a medium for unique works.
I am also interested in expanding beyond textiles, exploring how my approach to texture and color can be applied to other materials while remaining connected to the spatial experience. I find the idea of creating unique, site-specific pieces that respond to an architecture, a place, and the people who inhabit it particularly exciting.
Reversible Rug and Reversible Pouf, GAN Rugs.
