Nani Marquina: The art of the everyday rug
Nani Marquina is the founder of nanimarquina, a Spanish textile company focusing on designer rugs.
Who: Nani Marquina
Barcelona-based industrial designer who founded nanimarquina in 1987, pioneering the concept of designer rugs.
Among the first to bring contemporary design and traditional craftsmanship together, moving production to northern India in 1993.
Recipient of the Spanish National Design Award (2005) and multiple international entrepreneurship awards.
Former President of the FAD (Foment de les Arts i Disseny), Barcelona’s leading arts and design organization.
In recent years, she has returned to her creative roots, leading nanimarquina’s design team and developing some of the brand's most celebrated collections.
“Lately, I’ve been back to my roots – focused on the creative side of the business,” says Nani Marquina.
NOT MANY BRANDS can claim to have genuinely reinvented an everyday object, but nanimarquina has done exactly that with the rug. Founded in Barcelona in 1987 by designer Nani Marquina, the Spanish brand has spent nearly four decades elevating textile design into something more personal, more considered and more lasting.
With a commitment to traditional craftsmanship, natural materials and a bold use of color, nanimarquina has attracted collaborators from Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec to Ilse Crawford, and earned its place in over 80,000 homes worldwide.
In this exclusive interview, Nani Marquina talks to Design Stories about her creative rituals, her Mediterranean home, and what she envisions for the brand’s next chapter.
“Being surrounded by nature inspires me deeply,” she says.
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Nani Marquina, it’s lovely to talk to you. Could you tell us where you live and how would you describe your home?
“I live between Barcelona and Esclanyà, a small village on the Costa Brava. I spend most of my time in Esclanyà and this is where I usually design. It is a renovated 60s house that is nestled among the fields but has sea views, as it’s located only 1.5 km away from the coast. The style is Mediterranean, with simple decor that connects with the surroundings. We used noble materials like wood and picked colors inspired by nature, like white and earthy tones.
My favorite part is the lounge area on the ground floor. It has a huge window that overlooks the fields and it allows me to sit down and read quietly. Many years ago I fell in love with the Polder sofa Hella Jongerius created for Vitra, and it is placed in this space. Below there is one of my favorite rugs, Losanges. I like to spend hours here getting inspired, reading magazines or just taking in the scenery.”
What does a typical work day look like for you?
“When I am in Barcelona I spend time with my team to shape projects and to follow their development, and also to meet with the management team. On the other hand, I use my time in Esclanyà to investigate, experiment and try new ideas. I find colors by observing stones, leaves and the landscape in general. I use these surroundings as a constant source of inspiration. Sometimes I also knit to test out my ideas and to translate them into the textile world.”
Books, objects and artworks fill the shelves of Nani Marquina’s studio in Esclanyà.
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Do you have any daily rituals to fuel your inspiration?
“In my case, creativity happens when I have an idea in my mind and I keep thinking about it. The solution can appear at any moment so I have to be conscious that I am looking for an idea, a concept or an answer. Then it usually appears unexpectedly: working, reading, or doing something else. The key is to keep your mind open and receptive.”
“The key to creativity is to keep your mind open and receptive.”
Is there a special place that you like to escape to during summer?
“I like to change the scenery and spend some time in the mountains, especially in Cerdanya. That said, I spend most of my summer near the sea, in the Costa Brava.”
The Sunbirds rug by Lucia Eames brings a sun-soaked warmth and natural texture to any interior.
The butterfly was a recurring motif in the work of Lucia Eames, who often found her inspiration in the wonders of nature.
The collection with Lucia Eames has a very playful, graphic quality to it. How did it come to be?
“It turned out to be quite a complex process because her work is very extensive and we had to make a selection. Furthermore, her creative universe had never been translated to rug format. Her language is based on collage and reusing daily elements: envelopes, used papers, magazine clippings and found objects. Our challenge was to transform this world into rugs.
We also looked for the fiber and technique that best fit each design to give each piece its own personality. Our aim was to highlight the richness of her work and to reflect her creative universe in a complete way, from her butterflies to her flowers, clouds and birds.”
Where do you imagine these rugs living? What is their ideal home?
“The Butterfly rugs are perfect for entryways and hallways because they transmit a connection with nature in a very spontaneous way. I imagine Rooted rug in front of a sofa, bringing warmth, serenity and comfort thanks to their tones. On the other hand, I would place Sunbirds in a semi-exterior setting because of its materials and natural inspiration.”
Hayon x Nani tapestry is a captivating blend of shapes and shades.
If you could create a collection with any artist, who would it be?
“I would have loved to create a collection with Joan Miró, the legendary Barcelona-born surrealist who died in 1983. Also with Hella Jongerius, a designer I deeply admire because of her sensibility towards colors, materials and artisanal processes.”
“I would have loved to create a collection with Joan Miró.”
Of all your career achievements, what are you proudest of?
“What I’m most proud of, perhaps, is everything I’ve learned beyond design itself. To be able to do what I am passionate about, I had to learn to run a business. Now my daughter Maria, who has a more rational and business-oriented vision, has been able to give the project continuity. I am also very proud of having reached 40 years of experience while preserving the same values with which we started.”
Garden rug is, as its name suggests, specially designed for gardens, terraces and other outdoor spaces.
Inga Sempé’s Colorado rug gives ancient weaving techniques a contemporary form.
Where do you see nanimarquina in 10 years?
“nanimarquina has managed to become a leader in the rug world. Now we are starting a new path to complement them with selected furniture and accessories, but always keeping what has defined us from the start: an obsession for color and textiles, and a way to understand design linked to craftsmanship and human processes.”
Lastly, what advice would you give to young designers starting out?
“Being a designer is not an easy career. It requires a lot of tenacity, perseverance and trust in oneself. When you design, you are exposing your world view and creativity, so it is very important to trust your judgement and not be afraid of being judged. There are many constraints and external voices, so you have to feel free, listen to yourself and trust what you are trying to express.”
Nani Marquina with her daughter Maria Piera Marquina, who serves as Managing Director in the company.
What: nanimarquina
Founded in Barcelona in 1987 by designer Nani Marquina, the Spanish brand has built an international reputation for elevating the rug from a functional object into a work of art.
Nani's father, Rafael Marquina, was a pioneering Spanish industrial designer, best known for inventing the iconic Marquina oil cruet. Today, the company is led by Nani's daughter Maria, who serves as Managing Director.
All nanimarquina rugs are handmade in countries with deep textile traditions, including India, Pakistan and Nepal.
The brand is Climate Neutral-certified and has collaborated with designers such as Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Ilse Crawford and Jaime Hayón.
See also:
• All products by nanimarquina >
Photos: nanimarquina
Published on 23 Jun, 2025
