The curious story of our Kimsa

Sarah and I have always turned to nature for design inspiration. We draw upon the organic lines, neutral color palette and imperfect grace. Being raised in the mountains, we really seek solace in the wilds of nature every chance we get. Even Sarah, now based in Manhattan, finds it deep in her heart, as I do in my bones.

Not long after we founded Sefte Living - an idea that was born on a father/daughter trip to Peru - we headed to Egypt to learn more about the embroidery craft that would ultimately grace our sheeting. We were told of a small Egyptian town close to the Libyan border that had a strong embroidery tradition. This town was Siwa, a literal oasis in the middle of the desert. 

It was in Siwa where we found ourselves adrift in the sand dunes of Northern Africa, that our Kimsa design was born. We had set off on an adventure on a jeep speeding through the dunes. We were mesmerized by the undulating sea of unending sand dunes. There was an almost perfect pattern drawn by the wind. 

 These dunes were shifting and mostly serene, but at times providing a powerful reminder of mother nature’s force. We were enthralled, truly awestruck and inspired. We took this idea of the dune ridges and their poetic lines to Peru, and worked with our artisans to create the Kimsa design, which means ‘two’ in the indigenous language of Peru.

Our first renditions of the Kimsa were in sand and cream, and black and white to reflect the sand dunes under the midday sun and the full moon. Eight years later it continues to be one of our very best selling designs and we’ve carried the design to an infinity scarf, as well as pillows and a baby blanket.