After hosting Top Chef for 16 years, starring in docuseries Taste the Nation with Padma Lakshmi, as well as a slew of other food-related endeavors (including writing a cookbook, memoir, and children’s book), entrepreneur Padma Lakshmi has conquered the worlds of TV and food in a stylish one-two punch.
Today, she has set her sights on interior design for the first time. Through a new collaboration with Rugs USA, Lakshmi is exploring a new storytelling medium across 17 designs that each reflect a different facet of her ethos.
“I’ve always had a deep love for hunting and gathering rugs from all over the world, and I have done so since my early 20s when I started traveling the world as a model,” she says. “I’m from India, and our culture has a long tradition of creating all different kinds of silk and woven rugs.”
Suzani rugs and plush textures are cited as key muses for Lakshmi’s diverse collection, unified through an embodiment of “quality, comfort, and tactile luxury,” she adds. “I wanted to make sure I had a collection that was wide enough to appeal to a variety of home décor tastes.” The series also touts durable materialities of luxe wool, hand-braided jute, and polyester for softness and comfort.
The Vale Global Trellis washable rug, shown in khaki, is inspired by carved stonework
“A rug is a very intimate part of your home. The materials you use to build that home are crucial, especially because as a family, we tend to sit on the floor, play on the floor, sit by the fire on a rug, kids play with toys on the floor,” she says. “I’m often barefoot in my home. We are a shoeless house, so the tactile feel of rugs is important to me.
Gradients, grids, botanicals, and classic folk flourishes are woven through the collection, oscillating from soothing abstractions to statement patterns. The handtufted Botanica rug, for instance, depicts a neutral flora motif that evokes warmth, while the geometric Tessera boasts velvety textures in a tonal palette ideal for minimalist interiors. Mysore stands out with a modern, organic shape inspired by moments of inner calm and features contrasting cotton accents. The aptly named Shangrila brims with effervescence in a bold color story befitting its plush texture.
With both appreciation and practicality in mind, Lakshmi weaves an expressive collection celebrating the immense potential of textiles to serve, not as a finishing touch, but a statement within a visual narrative all their own. “A well-chosen rug can pull a room together,” she says. “It’s also the easiest way to freshen up the look of a room that needs some finesse.”
This article originally appeared in HD’s November 2025 issue.
