Peachy the Magazine September October 2015 | Page 49

ARTISAN SPOTLIGHT ARTISAN SPOTLIGHT: WRITTEN BY Delia McMullen Kyle Bunting P Peachy is a big fan of Austin-based cowhide rug designer Kyle Bunting. His colorful, high-end designs have appeared in many beautiful homes and other venues. Peachy’s interior design editor, Cathy Austin, and contributor Holly Phillips both have used his bright and luxurious cowhide rugs in recent interior installations. According to Cathy, “These rugs are hot hot hot, and Kyle has an impressive lineup of designers creating custom designs for him.” After developing a childhood passion for cowhide as he watched his father work with the material, Bunting founded his company, also named Kyle Bunting, 15 years ago with an array of earth-toned, textured, visceral and patterned cowhide rugs. He sticks with what he knows best: “I say do one thing and do it well. For me it’s hide.”   Kyle Bunting is known for customization and flexibility in design options. The company’s website offers “any size, any shape, any color.” As this talented designer explains, “I encourage our team to innovate while embracing the obvious. We love to push the envelope when it comes to this material and always encourage custom commissions.” Kyle Bunting offers 70 colors along with 20 natural options, with all pieces handmade in Austin. The hides themselves are sourced in Italy. These cowhide products are not only “a perfect infusion of color and cool,” but they are also sustainable. As Kyle explains, “Leather is inherently sustainable, and we’re doing our part. There is no one in leather who is more efficient with their raw materials than we are.”  According to CultureMap Austin contributor Adrienne Breaux, “Kyle Bunting is a hit with top international interior designers, high-end homeowners and awesome architecture firms.” The company also offers upholstery material, pillows, furniture and wall coverings. n SEPTEMBER OCTOBER 2015 47