Michael Bargo's Beni Rugs Collection Was Made for Your Inner Beach Bum

When you think of a beach kit, you probably think of the essentials: sunscreen, a towel, maybe a foldable chair and an umbrella. If you have kids, certainly some buckets and shovels. But for interior designer and antiques dealer Michael Bargo, the go-to decorator for the stylish New York set, a beach kit means something else entirely.

Every summer, Bargo, who was born in Kentucky and now lives in New York, rents the same cottage in Amagansett. “It’s a perfect little spot, but the furniture and the interiors are quite simple and plain,” he says. “I have what I refer to as my ‘beach kit,’ three big Rubbermaid containers with textiles in them, which I drape over the furniture, the lampshades, and the existing art to make the space a bit more personal.” Only after he does this can he tap into his “alter ego,” a surfer-skater that’s relaxed, carefree, and a bit bohemian.

Bargo’s signature kit—an eclectic mix of vintage beach towels, table linens, woven tapestries, and Japanese textiles that he’s acquired over many years—inspired his first collaboration with Beni, the made-to-order, Morocco-based rug brand that blends traditional artistry with modern design. Titled Oak Lane, after a street in Amagansett, the collection includes six rugs and Beni’s first-ever woven floor pillow. On sale June 11, it’s all designed with summer sunshine and nonchalance in mind.

Beni’s founders, Robert Wright and Tiberio Lobo-Navia, have known Bargo socially and professionally for years, and the three have always wanted to collaborate. Beni’s rugs, which are soft, inviting, and handwoven by skilled artisans, felt like a perfect match for Borgo’s laid-back, beach-house vibe.

“We were inspired by vintage rugs that we were seeing in markets that have been worn down over years and years and years and years,” says Lobo-Navia. He and Wright wanted the Oak Lane collection to feel “lived-in from day one,” so they developed two new constructions—a looser version of the brand’s popular flatwoven Zahara weave called Safaa, which incorporates colors usually hidden in the warp, and a thinner, vintage knotted rug-inspired weave called Rif. Both can be draped over furniture, just like the textiles in Bargo’s kit.

“[Michael’s work] is put together without everything being super precise and new, and that really reflects a central part of our ethos at Beni, which is about celebrating individual creativity,” says Wright. “In this age of mass-produced products and instant gratification, our rugs still speak to something that's individual; each one is a little bit different from the rug that came before it.”

When it came to picking colors for the collection, Bargo had one simple criterion: Does it make you happy? “I joke that the beach kit is my version of Christmas decorations,” says Bargo. “I pull them out every year and get so excited about them. I didn't want it to be too serious. I wanted it to be a bit frivolous and fun.” Bargo was inspired by his own colorful beach towels from 1970s and 1980s French designers like Pierre Cardin and Yves Saint Laurent, as well as 1990s surf towels with bold stripes and graphic designs. The “Donny” rug, for example, brings together two bright, contrasting colors with a lightning bolt in the center. “I saw it as something a 13-year-old boy would want for his bedroom, so I was really surprised at how many people are drawn to it,” says Bargo. “A few designers and editors who saw it texted me that it was their favorite, and I was like, Wow.”

For Beni, Bargo’s palette was a welcome disruption. “Historically, our clients have gravitated toward neutral and calming shades,” says Wright. “Oat” and “Natural Wool” are some of their most popular offerings.

Whether you’re decorating your Amagansett beach house or not, shoppers are looking for a jolt of joy wherever they can find one right now. Thankfully, Beni and Bargo are already in talks to do another collection for city apartments.