è (cosi) bella

http://www.ebelladesigns.com


Nicole Linton, founder and designer of è bella, has created bridges between cultures for over 15 years. Whether it's teaching tourists about caring for the rainforest in Monteverde, Costa Rica, creating daycare services for Costa Rican mothers, working with victims of El Salvador's civil wars, or teaching ESL to young Mexican kids in Park City, UT, Nicole is a passionate woman who makes deep connections with the land and the people she visits.

This passion and respect for cultural diversity took a powerful turn on a journey through Peru in 1999.

Inspired by the colors, sights, sounds and tastes of that country, she dedicated her life to being part of Peru's cultural diversity. The result is è bella, where she has seamlessly created a relationship between her vibrant, bold and emotional designs, and the lives and hands of those that weave them.

Using the finest alpaca fibers, her rugs have an irresistible sheen and moss-like feel under foot, and her clear-cut forms and lush textures create the perfect setting for the best modern furniture. The abstract patterns and strong colors of her designs draw on the daringness of expressionist art and the functional aesthetic of modernism. This blend between rules and freedom can be seen in the contrast between the rich craft tradition of alpaca textiles and the bold self-expression of her designs.