After receiving glowing reviews from relatives and friends about the patterned wrapping paper he created, Mike Dawson knew he was on to something.
In 2013, graphic designer Dawson, along with life and business partner Pete Mars, a former interior designer, began turning the digitally printed fabric into pillows. In an effort to show people how to have fun with color and pattern in their homes, the duo created Arnge, their boldly patterned pillow company.
“We’ve noticed that people in general are afraid of pattern and don’t want to commit to pattern on large levels,” says Mars. “That’s changed a bit in the last 10 years. We hope that customers see they can have fun with patterns in a room in a small way,” such as spicing up the corner of your sofa with a funky cushion.
Made from 40 percent post-consumer recycled material, the washable pillows are complete with Arnge’s trademark tag in the bottom right corner and an orange seam stitched around the zipper. They even give a nod to their home state with New Jersey map pillows and customizable zip code designs. “It lets people get something a little more personalized,” says Mars.
Getting their start at craft shows, Dawson and Mars, who live in Newark, set up a website and also sell their products at Just Jersey, a boutique in Morristown. In September, Arnge pillows will be available at TMC’s Boutique, a New Providence shop that features handmade products from 20 New Jersey artists and others from around the country. Perfect for gifts or to modernize a room, the pillows are designed to coordinate, so different patterns can work together in a room.
What’s next for Arnge? “We are looking at ways to take our yardage and turn it into table runners and napkins,” says Mars. “We would love to branch out into ceramics, surfboards and anything you can put a pattern on.”