Fungi, Cenotes & Shooting Stars Appear in Textiles by Lisa Kanning
In collaboration with Hartmann & Forbes, interior designer Lisa Kanning brings natural forms to a new line of window treatments and wallcoverings
“Birch”, a natural wall- covering (shown here in gardenia and wisteria) from the new Lisa Kanning Collection for Hartmann & Forbes, creates a beautiful accent wall. | Photography courtesy Hartmann & Forbes
Interior designer Lisa Kanning is now based in New York City, but her roots are in the Rocky Mountain West; she grew up in Montana and later lived in Colorado. Nature’s influence can be seen throughout Kanning’s designs and in her creative use of organic materials.
LEFT: Lisa Kanning lived and worked in the Mountain West before moving her firm to New York City. RIGHT: The “Sycamore” wallcovering is reminiscent of tree bark and features a captivating camouflage pattern in a complex layering of silver-painted paper, laser-cut cork, sisal and metallic embroidery.
In 2011 she was on the design team of Mountain Living’s Home of the Year, where she used reclaimed wood, birch trees and aspen log slices as wall treatments to add texture to the home in fresh applications.
Craftspeople hand-sew Mendong flowers into “Fungi” woven-to-size grassweave window coverings.
Kanning worked with Hartmann & Forbes—a leader in ethically crafted, handwoven natural shades—as a source for window treatments and wallcoverings in many of her projects through the years. During the COVID-19 pandemic, she was sitting on her Brooklyn rooftop deck for some fresh air when she received a life-changing call: Hartmann & Forbes invited her to create a line of organic window treatments and wallcoverings inspired by nature. The Lisa Kanning Collection was launched in October 2022.
“Rocks” natural wallcovering adds texture to a room; the faux suede is intricately stitched in complimentary colors to create the trompe l’oeil effect of strewn rocks.
Kanning found inspiration in mushroom caps sprouting from the forest floor, long hanging vines, shooting stars in the night sky, birch and sycamore trees, rocks and marsh. The resulting collection features three woven-to-size window coverings and four natural wallcovering series, effortlessly layering textures and natural materials to add depth to the designs.
LEFT: The bespoke natural window coverings include hand-crafted touches. RIGHT: “Zenith” window covering, available in woven-to-size grassweave, was inspired by shooting stars.
Meticulously hand-placed Mendong flowers are inserted into the weft of the “Fungi” window coverings. Faux suede creates a trompe l’oeil effect of strewn rocks. A fringed eyelash effect from embroidery evokes grass in a marsh. “The collection translates natural shapes and materials into modern forms, utilizing a variety of techniques to elevate them to high design status,” Kanning says.
