Behind the Design: Hattie Kolp

Hattie is a home and lifestyle content creator based in New York City. A former elementary school teacher, Hattie discovered she had a passion for restoring old homes and reviving traditional design when she began fixing up her family’s prewar apartment on the Upper West Side. Currently doing the same to a historic farmhouse she purchased in the countryside, Hattie shares details of the process on social media.

How would you describe your overall design aesthetic, and how does that sensibility guide the choices you make for your home?
Living in old homes my entire life, and raised by history and antique-loving parents, it's no surprise that my design aesthetic is pretty traditional. I’m particularly drawn to old pieces that tell a story. When considering something new, I tend to look for things that have a lived-in feel to them, the type of find that blends right in with my style even if not necessarily a true piece of the past.

When you're selecting foundational pieces like rugs, what qualities or design principles do you consistently look for to ensure they feel true to your style?
When shopping for rugs, I always have my traditional style in mind. I seek decor that looks right at home in an old house, like it could have always been here. I have a strong pull toward rugs that look and feel like heritage items — this speaks not only to their appearance, but also their quality. Rugs that are subdued in color are my absolute weakness. They're super versatile, so when I change around my decor (which I do often!), they still fit perfectly.

Tell us about your journey with Ernesta – from discovering the brand to the moment your custom rug was installed. What drew you in?

Ernesta offers something that other companies don't — the ability to completely custom size a rug without sacrificing quality. That's pretty amazing. There are extensive stylistic choices, whether you like more traditional-looking rugs like I do, something more modern and fun or something minimal and barely there, there’s a rug for everyone and every home. The fact that you can choose your own size is great because a standard size rug that other companies offer simply won’t work in every space, especially if you’re in an old home like I am. There are so many quirks to work around! 

What made you opt for custom-sized rugs for your space? Was there something specific you were looking to solve or enhance in the space?
I had a very funky, yet lovely room that drove me absolutely insane. A fireplace off in a corner with a hearth that jutted out into the room, beautiful bay windows at a different width than the rest of the space, an unusual length-to-width ratio (it’s a long and skinny room), several air vents in the floor — the list goes on. I think I tried three or four different rugs in here, and sooooo many different furniture layouts. No matter what I did, I just couldn’t find something that made sense. Each standard size rug I tried was either too big or too small; the too-big ones covered the floor vents and fireplace hearth, and the too-small ones just looked dinky. Finally, I realized the best thing to do was to split the room into two sections and just focus on one at a time. The area with the bay windows is where the floor vents are located. The room narrows in front of the windows, so an 8" x10" rug was too big, while a 6" x 9" was too small. So, Ernesta to the rescue!

Tell us about your choice of a Persian rug in the space – from samples to finally laying the rug down.

I knew right away I’d choose a rug from The Persian Edit. It aligns the most with my style and compliments my vintage rugs so nicely! What’s great about the sample boxes is the samples are quite large, so you can lay them down on the floor, and really get an understanding for how they’re going to look in the space. You’re also able to see the quality for yourself for the first time. When my rug arrived I was so happy. Seeing it come to life in the space and fit perfectly was such a relief! I've also been very pleased with its durability. We’ve had it for a few months now; it holds up very well against pets (cat claws), and vacuums easily. It really is heirloom quality. I can tell that this will last us a very long time.

Were there particular elements of Ernesta’s Persian rug assortment (palette, motif, material) that helped you pinpoint the right style for your home?
Yes, so many! The thing I love the most about The Persian Edit is the traditional look and feel. You’d never know it’s not an antique rug! They are tight-woven, durable, and all-around super high-quality. I love the neutral palette and how it compliments my decor. I also am a big fan of the motif. Ariana and Dalia both have a really old-world look to them. The Persian Edit is so pretty, down to the smallest details.

Once the rug was installed, how did it transform the feel or function of the space?

It just looks right at home! Being custom-sized, and going through all the trials and tribulations I went through to land on the current design of this room, I couldn’t be happier with how it turned out.

Were there any design challenges – scale, room proportions, layout, etc. that a custom rug helped you address?
Yes, a lot! The floor vents, bay windows, etc. They were all a challenge.

What would you tell someone who’s choosing between a standard-size rug and going custom?
So often we feel constrained to just make it work with standard size rugs so many other companies offer. By doing that we can be sacrificing both style and quality, ending up with a rug that just doesn’t quite fit. In my experience, when I buy something that’s “good enough” I’ll live with it for a bit but never feel truly happy with it. I always wind up buying the right thing several months or years later, essentially spending the money twice. My advice is, if you have a room that’s just not working, one that has a funky layout or limitations like mine did, and you're thinking a custom-sized rug might be your answer, go for it! You could by five different standard size rugs and try to force them to work, or one custom rug and be happy with it.