Product watch: Kharga from Arte

The Kharga oasis was an important stop on the ancient trade route that connected various different oases in Egypt. In this collection, Arte traverses the terrain of the Sahara, bringing every aspect of the desert to life, from the dazzling afternoon sun to the star-studded sky at night and from the shapes of the dunes to the fine structure of desert sand. Even the details and materials used in the traditional carpets and robes of nomads are featured. In short, this collection is highly reminiscent of the mysterious desert life.

Image credit: Arte

The legend of Zerzura tells the story of a fertile oasis in the desert west of the Nile, of which its existence was never proven. This mythical scene of sand dunes and palm trees is brought beautifully to life on a velvet background. Zerzura is available in three colourways.

Barkhan dunes are crescent-shaped dunes created by the wind. This shape forms the inspiration for the detailed design of this Arte wallcovering, made in a tactile, soft velvet fabric and available in four colourways.

The ochre sandbanks in the Sudanese Bayuda Desert are dotted with rocks. Here, gold prospectors tried their luck in the shallow mines. The whimsical lines combined with the sparkling gold in this pattern are clear references to their source of inspiration. This design is available in three colourways.

As soon as night falls, millions of stars appear in the clear sky of the Gobi Desert, one of the coldest deserts in the world. The comparison with a magnificent starry sky is unmistakable. The contrast of the glittering dots with the deep or soft colours literally elevates this pattern to higher spheres. Gobi is available in five colourways.

Atacama is a luxurious bouclé fabric, which contains real alpaca wool. Alpacas live on the high plains of the Andean Mountains, including the Atacama Desert in Chile. This tactile design has a direct link to the traditional costumes of the inhabitants of this region and is available in five colourways.

Ténéré, an area in the southern Sahara, is known as one of the driest deserts in the world. The dehydrated and cracked desert soil forms the inspiration for the lacquered imitation leather wallcovering of the same name. Ténéré is available in eight colourways.

The final design in the collection, Moiré references the blinding rays of sun on water and desert sand, resulting in wavy, hypnotic designs and create a moiré effect on the glossy fabric. The motifs are completely random, making each wallcovering unique. A stunning textile wallcovering to which the moiré-technique has been applied in a process by which designs of wavy fluctuations and smaller or larger concentric motives are produced.

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Main image credit: Arte