At first glance, you can’t help but be drawn in by the colors, design, & vibrancy of hand knotted rugs (& for me specifically, hand knotted Persian rugs made in Iran); they pull you in the most surprising way. Beyond their obvious aesthetic appeal, I also feel a deep sense of gratitude & admiration. Why? Read on.

The special story behind each rug.

Each handmade rug has its own unique timeline and narrative. Personally, I love each rug that our “Baba” (“Dad”’ in the Persian language) brought with him for our home in the States, whether or not they matched our home’s decor & color palette . One particularly memorable story he told us was the time he bartered his Peugeot (car) for a rug with a rug seller. Can you imagine? Not something that happens every day, right? But Baba knew it was worth the trouble of the exchange. You see, getting to a rug merchant in the dense traffic of Tehran, the bartering, the exchange, the travel across continents & an ocean to get to our home is not as simple as running to the “big box” store for a quick purchase. I’ve developed a deeper sense of gratitude and appreciation for the rugs he worked so hard to get to us. It really wasn’t until later as an adult that I fully understood why he went through so much trouble. It was his desire to share a tangible part of our heritage with his children; a part of our culture that would remain long after the tastes of food, sounds of music, & other memories spent with Baba would fade.

Weavers perform intricate and detailed work to craft each rug.

The differences between a machine-made & a handmade rug are pretty much incomparable. We’re looking at a heartless, soulless creation versus one made by real hands & with real devotion. The level of detail involved in weaving each handmade rug is truly incredible due to the skill required and time spent from planning to execution. I believe there is something to be said for a rug that’s been woven by a real human versus a machine-made rug produced for the masses. While we don’t know the details of each handmade rug’s story, it fascinates me to imagine the process of its creation & excites me that we have our own stories to add to the rug once it's a part of our homes.

Flash forward: Why do I curate hand knotted rugs for you?

Our world is much smaller than we realize. Yes, Iran is thousands of miles away & maybe a true mystery to some, but it doesn’t have to be. Fact is, I’m finding that there are many of YOU who share the same love of beauty & craftsmanship. Even if you’ve never considered starting a collection, there’s something for everyone. So, I’m sharing the journey as I learn more about the details of the rugs, & more importantly to me, attainably offering them to you. Will you be able to barter a car for a hand knotted rug? Maybe not, but then again.