Floor Show: Jakob Staron
May 1, 2018
A sort of creative wanderlust is behind the unique rugs Jakub Staron creates through his Stamford-based company.
Text by Maria LaPiana
Jakub Staron is an accidental weaver, an artist turned businessman who chanced upon a career path that led to the world of luxury rugsâfor reasons that had nothing to do with warp or weft, at least not initially.
Staron is the owner and creative force behind J.D. Staron, the custom rug and carpet company headquartered in Stamfordâs Waterside Design District. Selling to the trade only, Staron is known for its finely crafted, richly textured rugs and sophisticated, original designs. Established in 2004, the company has grown from one showroom to nine, including locations in Paris and London.
âJakubâs design vernacular was rooted in history from the beginning,â says Judy Zolt, who with her husband, Rick, is a managing member of the company. âHis designs blur the lines between timeless antique carpets and edgy, contemporary weaves.â
Rugs are his passion now. But painting was Staronâs first love.
He grew up in Poland, where he went to an art school that offered only three areas of concentration: sculpture, ceramics, and weaving. He had no interest in the first two, so he settled on weaving mostly because it seemed like âthe closest thing to painting.â After moving to the U.S., he found himself torn between following his art and enlisting in the U.S. Marine Corps. âLuckily, I heard from Parsons School of Design first,â he says.
He worked his way through school by repairing antique carpets, so after graduating (and earning an MFA from Hunter College), his rĂŠsumĂŠ was heavy on practical experience and a knowledge of antiques. But he still wanted to paint. What changed? âI finally accepted the fact that no one wanted to buy my paintings,â he says. âThatâs when I really started liking weaving.â
He began âinventing textures,â experimenting with riffs on classic, dimensional Aubusson carpetsâand found success. For years, he sold exclusively to industry leader Stark Carpet. In 2004, he opened a studio in New Canaan, selling on a small scale to established designers. His first client was Cindy Rinfret of Greenwich; his second was Healing Barsanti of Westportânot too shabby. When he outgrew the space, he opened his first showroom in Stamford. The Zolts joined the company a few years later: Judy in 2007, and in 2013, Rick, who was vice president of sales and marketing at Stark.
Staron is hands-on in every wayâfrom designing new patterns to designing new showrooms. He travels constantlyâto China, India, Nepal, Thailand, Pakistanâto visit the weavers who make his designs a reality. Today, says Judy, âJ.D. Staron rugs pay homage to traditionâthe Oushaks, Aubussons, Tibetans, and Agrasâbut with a twist.â Increasingly, clients have been drawn to Staronâs abstract and contemporary designs.
But he insists itâs not his designs that make the company unique. Unlike many manufacturers who apply designs onto a carpet (âitâs like taking a painting and throwing it at a rugâ), Staron doesnât separate pattern from texture. âWe integrate our designs into the weaves, changing the technique, depending on the texture we want to create,â he says.
Staron is determined to offer clients something they canât find anywhere else, even in the fast-changing world of interior designâor maybe because of it. âYou can get anything you want online, but thereâs still an acute need for a designer. Someone who really understands interiors, the purpose of interior design.â
An independent opinion is invaluable. âIf the only point of view delivered to you is your point of view, youâll never grow,â he says. âAnd when you have a choice between something of significance and something mass-produced, wouldnât you rather have something of significance?â
While his inspiration comes from all over, âthe truth is I am a malcontent,â says Staron. âIâm miserable, never happy with the current state of affairs. Iâm bored easily and always on the lookout for a change. Take the trend toward silver and gray. Everywhere itâs silver and gray. When 80 percent of what you sell is silver and gray, you might think weâd just make more silver and gray. No. Thatâs when I know itâs time for a change.â
Itâs that desire to keep things fresh thatâs got him planning to change things up in a big way. âYou always have to stay ahead of the curve,â he says. Next up: a collection of lush, luxe, mostly handwoven fabrics from India and Nepal. Samples of the limited-edition textiles, made of alpaca, mohair, and other natural materials, were enthusiastically previewed at a pop-up concept gallery at Maison & Objet in Paris last year. Design consultant Crans Baldwin, who is working on the new venture, says there is keen interest in what he calls ânot so much a line as a crazy collection of exotic and exquisite fabricsâ that will be available in May or June.
J.D. Staron
Stamford
203-351-1130
jdstaron.com
Share
You must be logged in to post a comment.