Co-Owner & Designer

Ugly Rugly embarked on its journey in July 2016 as an exploration of unorthodox textile methods, resulting in a whimsical collection of home goods. Situated in the vibrant neighborhood of Bushwick, Brooklyn, Ugly Rugly is the brainchild of the married duo, Lauren and Cole Hansen. Originally, the project took root in 2016 as a side venture, with Lauren crafting rope and upcycled items on her home sewing machine. Inspired by her grandmother's rag-rug making techniques, Lauren extended her craft to incorporate rope and more reliable materials, eventually creating coiled rugs, baskets, and placemats. In parallel, Cole introduced a tufting machine into their creative arsenal and swiftly became a master of the craft. The fusion of tufting and rope coiling techniques birthed Ugly Rugly, an enterprise known for its innovative and irreverently joyful textile home goods. To this day, Lauren and Cole remain hands-on in the production, inspection, and shipping of their creations, committed to exploring both fair domestic and overseas manufacturing options. Proudly represented in over 15 stores across the nation and featured in prominent print and online publications, Ugly Rugly's mission is to bring soft comfort to a challenging world, producing a variety of items such as rugs, baskets, placemats, coasters, and more, with a production capacity of up to 300 units per season using an industrial Singer Zig-Zag machine.

My roles are the lead designer, production sew-er, customer service, wholesale and retail sales, social media manager, and graphic designer!