I grew up in the wall-to-wall carpet generation. My parents had teal carpet installed in our house built in the mid 90s! I find it odd how popular carpet still seems to be for bedrooms, even in interior design-heaven Australia. As an alternative, solid surface flooring like polished concrete or wood or stone can be more durable and healthier for indoor air quality. But these are hard surfaces—what if you want something soft or cozy or need sound absorption? The answer is: a good rug! I’ve come across some really neat rugs that I wanted to share.
A note on Social Responsibility
Sadly, the rug industry relies heavily on child labor and other unethical practices that burden the entire textile industry. Do your research to ensure that you can be part of the change with your investment. Yes, rugs done right are not cheap! But they are good. Good Weave is an organization that works to end forced labor and has helped reduce its incidence by 80% in the South Asian rug industry.
The Goodweave label means that no child or forced or bonded labor was used in the making of a certified product and that your purchase supports programs that educate children and ensure decent work for adults.
What’s the difference between hand knotted and tuffed..?
I love these rugs, which I learned about listening to an interview with the founder on one of my favorite podcasts. She gives a nice guide to rug styles, the distinctions of which I wasn’t super clear on myself.
Hem. They make modern, durable rugs that are produced ethically to ensure no use of child labor, which is very prevalent in the rug making industry. I am looking at buying a couple for our new house next year.
Restoration Kaleen This company claims to be “eco-friendly”, 100% wool, made in India with certified factories.
Rugs by Gur These are neat, too, very playful. They fashion the rugs using textile waste. After learning about home textiles in Brazil that were made from textile waste, I started to wonder where else this was done and if it could be replicated here one day with second hand garments. This summer I learned from my Portuguese designer friend that there was (still is) loads of textile manufacturing in northern Portugal, which is where we might find this technique still being practiced. She said she watched her grandma making rugs this way and therefore it has a bit of an old-fashioned tinge to it for them. Rugs made from textile waste are available at this adorable store in Porto, Portugal, if you’re ever in the neighborhood.
FLOR has been making carpets in tile form for decades. The founder had an epiphany and decided to completely retool the plant to use recycled content. They also have a take-back program that allows them to recycle their own materials into new products. It’s perfect for high-traffic areas but I would recommend getting a thicker, cushier rug pad if you’re going to use it in your living room.
Pampa Made in S. America by a Aussie company. These are beautiful! Can I justify the carbon footprint to ship it here, though?
And finally, Nanimarquina. Barcelona-based, Nani is an awesome women, leading her industry with a high bar on beauty and sustainability. Nanimarquina guarantees that no child labour is used in the manufacture of its carpets. It collaborates with Care & Fair – an organisation created with the goal of eradicating child labour in the carpet industry in countries like India, Pakistan and Nepal – to which it donates 1% of the value of its imports from India.
In my college interiors class, I always specified Nanimarquina rugs in my projects. I just love the color, energy and polish to them. I visited the showroom in Barcelona years ago; a grotto-like juxtaposition of rough, ancient stone and silky, smooth and vibrant fibers. Highly recommend it to anyone needing some inspiration.
considerafield 