Inspired by Japanese rice paddies and the changing seasons. Hotta Carpet releases wool tile carpet "Tanbo" that reconfigures floor landscapes, created with Felix Conran.

Photo: Keisuke Ono

Hotta Carpet Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Izumi City, Osaka Prefecture, President: Masaya Hotta), which manufactures and sells wool carpets, will launch "Tanbo," a new product in its wool tile carpet collection "WOOLTILE for Home," in collaboration with British designer Felix Conran. Pre-sales will begin on July 1, 2026 (Wed.) on the Hotta Carpet online store and the official Felix Conran online site, with general sales scheduled to start on August 1, 2026 (Sat.) at authorized retailers nationwide.

"Tanbo" is a wool tile carpet inspired by the Japanese rice paddies and the changing seasons that Felix Conran, who relocated his base to Higashi-Yoshiino Village, Nara Prefecture in 2024, has felt in his daily life. Based on Felix's perspective, who lives next to a former rice paddy and wishes to plant rice there again someday, the carpet expresses the shimmering light of the rice fields and the scenery that changes with the seasons as 50cm square tile carpets. The four-part pattern, reminiscent of rice paddy divisions, and four colors representing the rural landscape that changes with each season, bring natural rhythm and depth to the floor.

Based on a design that divides a single tile into four parts like the character "田" (ta, meaning rice field), four patterns are offered: "1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4," with slight variations in the two-color scheme. By freely combining the tiles, the expression of the floor can be changed according to one's lifestyle and the season, from orderly layouts to rhythmic, random arrangements.

A collaboration born from dialogue, not product development

The encounter between Felix Conran and Hotta Carpet was not initially intended for product development. Through factory tours and discussions, opinions were exchanged on manufacturing and living environments, leading to Felix proposing a design he wanted to realize with wool tiles.

Felix himself conducted pattern verification using commercially available tile carpets, and the design concept of "1/4 to 4/4" already existed at that stage. The idea of creating diverse expressions by combining tiles also aligned with the characteristic of "WOOLTILE for Home," which allows users to "freely edit their living space simply by placing it on an existing floor."

Hotta Carpet saw potential in the design proposed by Felix and considered it could be developed as a product with a different approach from the existing series. The ability to freely edit living spaces by enjoying combinations, not just the pattern of individual tiles, is a major feature of "WOOLTILE for Home." While having a different expression from the series developed so far, "Tanbo" is also a collection that can be enjoyed in various combinations, from orderly tile-like layouts to random and rhythmic layouts. Furthermore, by leveraging Hotta Carpet's unique manufacturing methods, the distinctive design expression of "Tanbo" has been realized.

Felix Conran's Comment

"My home in Higashi-Yoshiino is next to a place that used to be a rice paddy, and I hope to plant rice there again someday. Since moving to Japan, I imagine looking at that rice paddy every day.

Through this 'Tanbo,' I wanted to express the lightness and connection to managing and maintaining landscapes. Perhaps our homes are also like rice paddies. Just as we sow seeds, watch them sprout, and then enjoy the harvest. I believe we should nurture our living environments like gardens.

Mr. Hotta is one of the warmest people I have ever met, and I immediately wanted to learn more about his business. I have a strong interest in manufacturing processes, so the factory tour in Osaka was a dream experience. I hope this collaboration will develop into a long and fruitful relationship."

Four colors inspired by Japanese landscapes

The colors of "Tanbo" are inspired by the Japanese seasons and the scenery of terraced rice fields and farmlands spreading along the mountainous terrain, as felt by Felix during his life in Higashi-Yoshiino Village, Nara Prefecture.

The collection features four colors: "Mizukagami (Pond Blue)," reminiscent of rice paddies filled with water in spring; "Wakakusa (Field Green)," representing the growing rice in summer; "Kareho (Harvest Brown)," evoking the harvested fields in autumn; and "Shimoshiro (Frost White)," inspired by the snowy landscape in winter. The subtle color differences created by each tile produce a deep expression, like sunlight hitting a rice paddy.

Mizukagami (Pond Blue) Wakakusa (Field Green)

Kareho (Harvest Brown) Shimoshiro (Frost White)

Photo: Keisuke Ono

Infinite patterns born from the "田" shape

"Tanbo" uses a design source of a single tile divided into four parts like the character "田" (ta, meaning rice field). With slight variations in the two-color scheme, the color blending is developed in stages through four patterns: "1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4." By freely combining these, the floor landscape can be edited to suit one's lifestyle, such as laying it like a rug in a corner of the home or changing the arrangement according to the season or mood.

When laid out orderly, it creates a calm, tile-like appearance. When combined randomly, it creates a rhythmic appearance reminiscent of rice paddy divisions and shimmering light. Utilizing the versatility unique to tile carpets, it creates new space and movement in living areas.

Photo: Keisuke Ono

Two types of yarn with different textures

At our suggestion, "Tanbo" uses tweed yarn and frieze yarn to create a more complex surface texture when expressing nature.

Tweed yarn is made by twisting two thin yarns of different colors into one. It expresses a deep color palette through the difference in color and brightness between the two yarns. Frieze yarn is made by bundling two thin yarns of the same color and twisting them tightly into one. The randomly curled pile creates natural movement and makes the seams between tiles less noticeable.

While previous series expressed plain colors in solid tones, "Tanbo" uses tweed yarn to create complex color overlaps that resonate with natural landscapes, expanding the expressive range of the entire WOOLTILE for Home series. This is an important element in expressing rice paddies and the changing seasons.

Hotta Carpet's Unique "Axminster Loom" - The Only One in the World

"Tanbo" is manufactured on an "Axminster loom," which Hotta Carpet exclusively owns worldwide. The company inherited this manufacturing technology by acquiring the machinery from an Axminster production company that went out of business in 2017.

Conventional tile carpets are manufactured by piercing yarn into fabric on a large 3.64m wide tufting machine to create long rolls, applying resin to the back, and then cutting them into shape with a die. If there is even a slight distortion in the fabric, it is difficult to cut straight according to the pattern, so designs are generally created with the assumption that the patterns on the tiles will not connect.

In contrast, WOOLTILE for Home, manufactured on the "Axminster loom," produces 50x50cm tile carpets one by one. This allows for intricate patterns to be expressed on each tile and is adept at designs with borders and geometric expressions. The design of "Tanbo," which divides each tile equally into four parts like the character "田," is also an expression that can only be achieved with the Axminster loom. This precision and expressive power support the free combination of "Tanbo."

Product Specifications

Product Name: WOOLTILE for Home "Tanbo"

Colors: Shimoshiro (Frost White), Kareho (Harvest Brown), Mizukagami (Pond Blue), Wakakusa (Field Green)

Pattern Variations: 1/4, 2/4, 3/4, 4/4

Size: W50cm x H50cm, Thickness 15mm

Price: 7,700 yen (tax included) per tile

Release Date

Pre-sale: July 1, 2026 (Wed.)

*Limited to Hotta Carpet Online Store and official Felix Conran online site

General Sale: August 1, 2026 (Sat.)

Product Page URL: https://hdc.co.jp/wooltile/tanbo/

Designer Profile

Felix Conran

A British designer active in a wide range of fields including product, furniture, and architecture. His design philosophy of "simplicity, ease of use, and comfort" is built upon the foundation of his grandfather Sir Terence Conran's design legacy.

After studying at Central Saint Martins in London, he co-founded the furniture brand Maker & Son in 2018. The brand was an early adopter of using 100% natural and ethical materials for upholstered furniture. The brand was sold in 2022. In 2024, he relocated his base to Higashi-Yoshiino Village, Nara Prefecture, and established the architecture and product design studio "Ha Partners." He is serving as a judge for the 2026 Good Design Award.

https://felixconran.com/

About WOOLTILE for Home

"WOOLTILE for Home" is a wool tile carpet collection developed by Hotta Carpet.

Its characteristic is that it can be partially incorporated like a rug on an existing floor by freely combining colors and designs. It offers a wide variety of designs, including those that create new patterns when laid out and vibrant colors that serve as accents, allowing for easy redecoration according to the season or mood.

So far, the collection has included "Puzzle," which creates a modern impression with orderly geometric shapes, and "Lines," which features the appealing irregularity of rough drawings. "Tanbo," the latest addition, is a new collection that incorporates natural landscapes and seasonal changes into the floor while leveraging the "enjoyment of combination" characteristic of WOOLTILE for Home.

About Hotta Carpet

Bringing carpet culture to Japanese living

Hotta Carpet was founded in 1962 with the vision of "making carpets a Japanese culture." Since its establishment, the company has been committed to manufacturing high-quality wool carpets. It possesses Wilton looms at its head office factory, which are owned by only a few companies in Japan, and delivers high-quality fitted carpets to diverse spaces such as luxury hotels, high-end brand stores, and private residences. While continuing this manufacturing approach amidst changes in the carpet market, the company strives to convey the appeal of carpets so that they become rooted as a rich Japanese culture, closely accompanying each customer's life.

President: Masaya Hotta

Locations

Head Office Factory: 531 Kannnonji-cho, Izumi City, Osaka Prefecture, 594-0065

Nakatsu Factory: 1211 Funezu, Hidaka River Town, Hidaka District, Wakayama Prefecture, 644-1111

Employees: 44

Official Website: https://hdc.co.jp