If you’re looking for a smart, new rug to brighten up your home, I think I may have found the perfect place… let me introduce you to Woven.
Woven is a London-based rug company with a beautiful, edited selection of mid- to high- range, contemporary, Scandinavian rugs by some of the most renowned designers and manufacturers in the industry. Founded in 2014, with a dedicated shop on London’s Fulham Road, their philosophy is a simple one – that ‘good design should be available at good prices’. Offering long lasting value, the finest natural yarns and elegant styles, Woven’s rugs fit seamlessly into minimal homes and for those with an eye for well-crafted design.
When Woven first started out they tried to cover all areas of the rug market, but eventually found a passion and niche in Scandinavian design. Now their range focuses on designs mostly created in India, using handwoven, hand tufted and hand knotted techniques based on century-old traditions developed over generations. What appeals to me is that their rugs don’t necessarily tie into particular trends, the attraction is more in their timeless quality and how they’re lovingly made to last.
Here I’ve honed in on two brands stocked by Woven that have caught my eye, from flat weave designs to beni ourain styles and kelim rugs.
Linie Design
Linie Design is a Danish rug company and wholesaler founded in 1980. They create handmade rugs with a modern, Nordic look, designed in Scandinavia and ethically produced by Indian master artisans. They say, ‘Beautiful things obsess us. Nordic roots define our design thinking. Quality and aesthetic simplicity are fundamentals for everything we do.’
I was interested to hear that Linie Design is a member of CARE & FAIR, a worldwide carpet trade initiative fighting against child labour and improving living conditions for carpet knotters and their families in India, Nepal and Pakistan. Linie Design has fully sponsored one of the schools the initiative supports, ensuring that more than 350 Indian pupils can go to school every day. As part of the Women Empowerment Program, mothers and elder sisters of schoolchildren in CARE & FAIR have also been given the opportunity to learn basic skills like reading and writing too.
I think we all have a responsibility as consumers to understand and care where our products are from and how they’re made. It makes me have so much more respect for a brand or shop when you can make a purchase in the knowledge that designs have been made fairly, with honesty and integrity.
Massimo rugs
Massimo is a Danish design rug company specialising in sustainable designs. Founded in 2001 by Mads Frandsen, they create innovative handknotted and handwoven rugs using the fine natural yarns. Rugs range from designs made of bamboo fibres to sustainable, natural hemp rugs, from handstitched leather to traditional kelims made of Afghan wool. Massimo, like Linie Design, also collaborates with CARE & FAIR, guaranteeing that no child labour is employed in the production of its rugs.
This elegant Bamboo rugs comes in several muted, natural colours with a soft and luxurious pile. The design is hand-knotted from natural yarns made from bamboo and has a silky texture. Starting from £630.
Woven also works with exciting, up-and-coming designers as well as household names such as Linie Design and Massimo shown here. They regularly host a ‘Designer in Residence’ series seeking out top British talent for example. The handcrafted cushions and chunky throws of knit designer Melanie Porter are currently being showcased in-store and online.
It’s so hard to find good quality rugs that last, I’m always buying cheaper designs and finding myself having to replace them after a year or so, I should really invest in something that can last a lifetime. We save up and splurge on furniture and art, so why not rugs which we walk on everyday?
I love these simple designs and can see them fitting right into my monochrome, pared-back home. I particularly like the rich texture and understated glamour of the velvety Bamboo rugs and the natural softness of the eastern-inspired designs like Aragon. I would love to know which is your favourite?
And guess what, the lovely people are offering readers of my blog a 20% discount off Woven rugs. Simply use code ‘CATE20’ and shop the collection online or at Woven’s London showroom.
This post was written in collaboration with Woven, all thoughts and opinions my own
