Meet Lamis Kanaan: From Interior Design to Textile Art

In the world of design, some stories demand to be felt more than explained. Lamis Kanaan's work is exactly that - a raw, vibrant conversation about identity, migration, and survival.

Her journey starts in Jordan, where rugs weren't just decorations. They were living archives - silent witnesses to migrations, losses, and quiet victories passed down through generations.

After graduating from Ringling College of Art + Design in 2014, Lamis followed the expected path. Interior design for hotels, restaurants, and multi-family condos, creating spaces that looked perfect in architectural magazines. Professional success that felt incomplete. Something was always missing.

Lamis and her stunning rug designs

In 2022, everything changed. She began rug-making as a creative outlet, discovering a way to connect her Eastern heritage with her Western influences. She wasn't just making rugs anymore. She was creating dialogues across time and space. Each wool strand became a word, each color a sentence in a language that bridged cultures.

Her collaboration with KAHHAL1871, a legendary Egyptian rug-making family with five generations of expertise, wasn't just a business decision. It was a reunion with a craft that had been waiting for her, a way to reconnect with traditions that run deeper than commercial trends.

Working with these artisans, Lamis creates more than just floor coverings. She crafts living stories - pieces that pulse with color, memory, and unspoken histories. Her designs are bold, unapologetic statements about who she is and where she comes from.

Lamis's creative process is intuitive, with designs emerging organically as she works. Her large-scale carpets feature eclectic shapes organized into vivid and striking colors, exploring what she calls "organized chaos" and fluid geometric forms.

Her rugs are an invitation - to touch, to remember, to understand that identity isn't something static. It's a living, breathing thing that can be woven, unraveled, and reimagined with every single thread.

Through her work at Atelier LAMIS, Kanaan continues to explore the intersection of heritage and modernity, creating pieces that are as much about cultural expression as they are about design.

Discover the World of LAMIS

To experience the stories woven by Lamis Kanaan, visit her website at Atelier Lamis and follow her journey on Instagram at @atelierlamis.