This year’s Interior Design Show was truly a reprieve from the doldrums of winter. After fighting to find a parking spot on the insanely busy trade day, I traded out the bitter cold winter winds for the warmth and inspiration of all the colour and life on display at the show. One might think January a strange time of year to hold such an event but for me, it’s perfect. Just the hit of Vitamin D (Design) I need.

Often the show is a reminder of what already-familiar suppliers are offering with a hit of one or two new products. There were a few interesting tubs and some great tile and hardwoods that caught my attention. But this year, I fell in
l o v e  with a new rug manufacturer with a beautiful story, an inspiring process and an innovative product.

flat-woven naturally died raw-silk rug

You know me. I love process. I love a redemptive story. I love it when the people who make the product are treated with dignity and respect. And that is why I love Amala Carpets.

Amala Carpets was founded in 2011 by Nepalese native Shan Shrestha and her mother Ganchen Shrestha, an expert in natural dyes. Building on generations of experience in the wool trade and carpet manufacturing, these two women are using the finest-quality eco-friendly materials and innovative weaving techniques to create truly beautiful, handmade rugs.

raw indigo

indigo cubes

vegetables ready to be made into dies

THE PROCESS
An eco-friendly manufacturing process which meets strict environmental and quality standards is used in the production of each carpet. High efficiency, emissions-free steam boilers {specially designed and made in Switzerland} are used to wash the wool & the carpets instead of firewood. 

Using all-natural vegetable dyes from pure, plant sources to colour their carpets, Amala offers a beautiful array of colours allowing for rugs to be customized according to each client’s specifications.

The finished carpets are dried naturally in the Nepalese sunshine, and the water and yarn are recycled and reused with nothing going to waste.

THE PEOPLE
Amala provides self-sustaining employment to over a thousand people. Most of the rugs are made in Nepal, where more than 75% of their craftspeople are women. The rest {including the stunning flat-woven raw silk collection that caught my attention} are made in Thailand where 100% of the craftspeople are women.

No child labour is used in the production of an Amala carpet as their manufacturing company is also an active member of GoodWeave. Nepal’s GoodWeave Foundation is working to end illegal child labor in the carpet industry and to offer educational opportunities to children in Nepal. Amala Carpets goes beyond that standard to provide their weavers and their families access to quality housing, medical care, clean drinking water and educational opportunities to help end the cycle of poverty in these two countries. Shan and Ganchen are two entrepreneurial women who are empowering other women to rewrite their stories.

THE PRODUCT

I instantly fell in love with these flat-weave raw silk rugs, recognizing the raw silk because of the matte yet radiant sheen and the gorgeous hand to the finished product. I love the subtlety of colour from the natural vegetable-based dies for its quiet, soothing palette. The flatwoven technique is truly innovative and unlike anything else I’ve seen, as both sides of the rug are equally beautiful {unlike a traditional flat-woven Aubusson rug which has endless threads on the back}. The modern patterns and designs are truly beautiful. The gentle chevron below was the first to grab my attention, reminding me of the ripples of a sandy beach after a windy day.

More vibrant and modern rugs can be found in Amala‘s Nepalese wool or wool-and-silk collection:

Pretty fantastic, right? Their showroom is currently by appointment only and located in the heart of Toronto’s Designer’s Walk. I would highly recommend contacting your designer to go down and take a look! I think like me you will fall in love with their process, their people and their product.

Wishing you an inspired Wednesday!

xo
s.