Armed with her background in illustration and graphic design, Katie Ford was one of the many bold and clever creatives who channeled their energy into new business ideas during the pandemic.

She had already ‘dabbled’ in making her own wares – from leatherwork to sewing clothes – long before she found herself gravitating towards furniture design.

‘I had thought about turning my illustrations into rugs for a while, but it was honestly the Covid-19 lockdowns that made me completely obsessed with the look and feel of a space,’ Katie explains.

‘Before then I rarely even spent that much time at home, but then suddenly all I thought about was how to make a space feel more fun and aesthetically pleasing, given we were living inside 24/7.’

But the real light-bulb moment came while she was moving house and hunting for second-hand furniture online.

‘I really started to think about the pieces I wanted but couldn’t find. For some reason high quality, unique rugs are really hard to come by! So then when I started to think about what we might want, it all kind of snowballed from there.’

Katie recently launched her new side hustle, Objects By Kit, with her first two rugs; Check Mate and The Wiggle. Both styles bring a happy, playful pops of colour, which Katie hopes will brighten up people’s homes.

The rugs are made from New Zealand wool and hand-tufted in Morocco by Katie’s suppliers – a family-run business that has been making textiles for three generations.

‘Their skill is evident in the quality of our rugs which are incredibly plush, but a big reason for choosing them is they create our rugs on a made-to-order basis, so we don’t have to over produce and hold stock,’ Katie notes.

Sustainability has been kept front of mind when it comes to the production chain for Objects By Kit, ensuring the rugs are made from premium materials, and made to last.

‘They aren’t a trend or meant to be replaced within a year – they are meant to be a staple piece that lives with you for a long time,’ Katie says.

You can shop Objects By Kit here, and follow the brand here to keep up to date with new furniture drops!