The last time I wrote about a product based on a puzzle, I might have mentioned my obsessive fascination with jigsaw puzzles. Perhaps it started with George Perec’s novel Life: A User’s Manual, which is itself a puzzle—readers can put together chapters how they see fit. When I decide to put together a jigsaw puzzle, I go big. I usually work on puzzles when I have something else to do—something important such as finish graduate school or move across the country. The week of my final exams, I completed a 10,000-piece Garden of Earthly Delights that measured more than six feet wide, though I framed only a darling little piece of hell.

Puzzle Rug Imperial. Designed by Nauris Kalinauskas. Manufactured by Contraforma.

Innovative Puzzle-Shaped Carpet Tiles

Lithuanian design company Contraforma also likes jigsaw puzzles—for an entirely different reason. Convenience. In lieu of measuring twice, people can simply rely on Imperial, a collection of carpet tiles with the same interlocking, oddly shaped pieces found in a jigsaw puzzle. “Forget the moment of disappointment when the rug you chose failed to fit the place you prepared for it because it was too long, too short, or too wide,” Contraforma advises. Sold in units of ten pieces, Puzzle Rug Imperial lets you put together a stunning area rug made from separate parts. It’s such a simple solution that it’s puzzling.

Imperial tiles connect to create a freeform design. Configure it to whatever shape you like, in whatever size you need. Big loft? Small flat? Unusually shaped room? Puzzle Rug Imperial gives you a fun solution—“create whatever your imagination inspires.” Imperial pieces come in many colors: black, gray, taupe, light gray, beige, gold, orange, red, aqua, lime, raspberry, and pink. Black and gray carpet tiles work well with contemporary design while a beige and gold combination complements understated décor. But one of the best uses is for the educational market.

Puzzle Rug Imperial makes an imaginative game for students of all ages. Small children can enjoy playing on their favorite color. Bigger kids can spend some time rearranging the shapes. Even college co-eds can get their creative juices flowing. Imperial might be used to demarcate different study areas. Teachers might color-code the carpet tiles to enhance memory. There are a lot of pedagogical possibilities with Puzzle Rug Imperial—it’s a game that’s fit for a king.

About the Manufacturer: Contraforma is a design studio founded in 2000 that operates under the philosophy that “every thing can surprise you.” The company brings together products from both young and experienced Lithuanian designers and architects. Primarily, Contraforma is a design consultancy for furniture and interior design, although the company also produces a range of exclusive furniture.