[about]
Our practice
Seamless felt
We create contemporary felt objects inspired by Kazakhstan’s botanical heritage. Working at the intersection of craft, research and design, Alea transforms native plant species into timeless pieces for contemporary interiors and cultural spaces.
Rather than treating these materials as historical records, we approach them as living sources that can be translated into contemporary forms, objects and visual narratives.
The collection begins with the scientific archive of botanist Laura Osmanova, whose research documented rare and endangered plant species across Kazakhstan’s steppe and desert landscapes.
Field photographs, botanical negatives, publications and handwritten notes form the foundation of our research.
Field photographs, botanical negatives, publications and handwritten notes form the foundation of our research.
Merino wool carries the memory of the steppe — soft, resilient and shaped by touch.
Every piece begins with fibre. Raw merino wool is opened, carded and arranged into thin layers before being transformed into seamless felt through moisture, pressure and movement.
The steppe reveals itself slowly: rare tulips emerging from stone, seasonal poppies transforming entire fields, feather grass moving with the wind, and resilient desert plants adapted to extreme conditions.
These species form the visual vocabulary of our work, grounded in scientific research and archival records.
[materials & care]
100% Merino Wool
Every Alea piece is handcrafted from 100% merino wool using traditional seamless wet-felting techniques. The fibres are carefully layered by hand and permanently bonded through moisture, pressure and movement, creating a single seamless textile with exceptional durability and a soft tactile surface.
For centuries, felt has been valued for its natural ability to insulate, breathe and adapt to its environment. Alea continues this tradition through contemporary design inspired by Kazakhstan’s botanical heritage.
Construction
Unlike tufted or woven rugs, every Alea piece is created as a single seamless felt textile. There is no backing, stitching or glued construction — only layers of natural wool permanently bonded together through the felting process.
Specifications
Material
100% Merino wool
Technique
Traditional seamless wet felting
Origin
Handcrafted in Kazakhstan
Thickness
Rugs: 6–7 mm
Wall panels: 3 mm
Wall panels: 3 mm
Standard sizes
Rugs: 150 × 200 cm
Wall panels: 100 × 150 cm
Wall panels: 100 × 150 cm
Custom sizes
Every Alea piece can be produced in custom dimensions upon request.
Properties
- 100% Merino wool
- Seamless construction
- Naturally breathable
- Temperature regulating
- Soft and resilient
- Naturally contains lanolin
- Helps soften acoustics
- Durable and designed for everyday living
Care
- Vacuum regularly using low suction.
- Blot spills immediately with a clean dry or slightly damp cloth.
- Spot clean with a mild wool detergent if needed.
- Avoid bleach, harsh chemicals and excessive rubbing.
- Allow the rug to dry naturally.
- Professional cleaning is recommended when required.
Natural Character
Every Alea piece is made entirely by hand from natural wool. Slight variations in colour, texture and surface are a natural part of the making process and make every piece unique.
Designed to be lived with for generations.
[projects]
Tulipa regelii
Regel’s Tulip
The finished piece translates the ephemeral beauty of Regel's Tulip into a contemporary landscape.
The rippled leaf becomes a visual motif of adaptability and the river line reflects movement, continuity and life emerging from stone.
The rippled leaf becomes a visual motif of adaptability and the river line reflects movement, continuity and life emerging from stone.
In this piece, the tulip is interpreted within an imagined mountain landscape: rocks, distant peaks and a river line become a setting for memory, adaptation and quiet resilience.
Tulipa regelii is an endemic species native to the Chu-Ili Mountains of Kazakhstan. It grows on rocky, gravelly slopes, where its distinctive rippled leaf and delicate white-yellow flower create a striking contrast against stone.
[projects]
Poppy
A seamless felt rug inspired by the spring poppy fields of Kazakhstan. The piece is handcrafted by artisans using traditional wet-felting techniques.
The rug translates this fleeting landscape into a bold graphic composition inspired by the colour, movement and energy of poppy fields.
Their spectacular but short-lived flowering attracts photographers and filmmakers to the steppe year after year.
One of the most striking wildflowers of the Kazakh steppe. Each spring, for a brief period, the landscape is transformed into a sea of vivid red blooms.
[gallery]
The Flora of Kazakhstan collection
[contacts]
Get in Touch
Alea, adress adress,
London,
email
phone
London,
phone
[Contact us]
alea
+44 7879 679918
alea objects
