Adelaide family business, Natural Flooring, have launched a new online arm, Natural Rugs Australia. “Our rugs are designed to counteract today’s throwaway culture and stand the test of time,” says co owner Catriona Morgan. “In a world of fast fashion, product quality and durability can be low. The natural fibres we use for our rugs are incredibly tough and perfect for high transit areas of your house. Some of our Natural Floors customers have had our rugs for 15 years and they still look great.”
Natural Rugs uses fibres sourced from sustainable village industries throughout India and China. Jute, seagrass, sisal, coir and wool fibres are derived from naturally occurring, recyclable sources such as coconut husks, vegetable fibres, plants, and animal textiles.
The rugs are cut from reams of these natural fibre materials and stitched to shape. All rugs are proudly assembled in their Adelaide warehouse. “All of our rugs are handcrafted, so you know they’ll stand the test of time, as we’ve given them attention to detail, care and precision that a machine couldn’t.”
Though Natural Rugs is a new brand, the team behind it have over 30 years’ experience in handcrafted flooring.
Their handcrafted, beautiful and sustainable rugs are available for delivery nationwide. Investing in a rug can be a big decision, so they provide free rug samples and free 30-day returns for change of mind.
What’s more, our readers can get 10% off using the code NRIA10%OFF
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The gorgeous Jasper knit rug in natural, from $990
“Ethical trading has always been at the forefront of my mind. I’m conscious of fast fashion and fast homewares and I always want to do whatever I can to support the maker and the weaver,” says Amy Eaton of the decision to establish her ethical rug label Oh Happy Home in 2017. Filled with gorgeous on-trend colours and designs, the brand also has an admirable commitment to fair trade, something that sets it apart from many of its competitors.
Dreamweaver wool rug, from $599
Jasper knit rug in natural, from $990
“Supporting fair trade has always been important to me and also the opportunity to give talented crafts people a go to create a better life for themselves. The carpet industry is known for its child labour force so it was super important for me to visit the yarn makers and weavers for myself,” says Amy of the many journeys she has made to her Indian manufacturers.
Cotton Hills rug, from $349
“There are many rug companies in India, large and small, and the carpet industry, along with other handicrafts, is known for the use of forced labour or child labour. I wanted to make sure that every person in the supply chain, from yarn production to the weavers, was paid fairly and treated with respect,” says Amy who has partnered with the international regulating body Goodweave. The body is recognised across the world for abolishing child labour, advocating for the carpet industry and educating children in carpet weaving communities via its school programs. “In addition to partnering with accredited manufacturers, I donate part of the proceeds of each rug sale to Goodweave too,” says Amy.
Diamond Honeycomb natural knit rug, from $599
And while there is no doubt a long way to go when it comes to education around ethical design, Amy believes consumers are much more aware than they used to be. “People want to know who is making their products and what they stand for. I also think that many consumers see the value in a better made product that is made fairly. I don’t believe fair trade products should be more expensive as such but the middle man should be more transparent as to how much the product actually costs to purchase. For instance, if you buy a rug for $100 you have to wonder how much the maker was paid for the retailer to make a profit. It’s really just about thinking through your purchases and making them count,” says Amy.
Another issue that plagues the industry is the ripping off or replication of designs. “Many buyers shop around with a design – they see a trend and take it to the cheapest manufacturer. We have found that manufacturers tend to quote lower than they deserve just to get the sale in such a competitive environment and bigger buyers have more ability to squeeze the little guy,” says Amy who explains the industry is rife with dodgy practices.
Pink Sahara wool rug, from $499
“More often than not a weaver or manufacturer will agree to produce a design even if they may know it’s not original. This has happened to us both ways where a design of ours has been made by another manufacturer and we’ve had a manufacturer claim one of our designs as their own. It is very hard to navigate but I’m committed to transparency and honesty,” says Amy.
Cotton Berber rug in pink, from $349
And despite the trying conditions, Amy remains optimistic. “I just take one day at a time – two steps forward and one step back at times. I do believe that trying to do the right thing will always pay off in the end.”
The 70s had it all – from boho chic to retro glam – and its influence on fashion and interiors has transcended generations like few eras, before or since. Australian interiors brands Art Hide and Amigos de Hoy have selected the best elements of the iconic decade and infused them throughout their decadent new homewares collections.
Offering a fresh take on 70s opulence, the newest ethically sourced leather rugs and accessories from Art Hide feature rich jewel tones, reminiscent of the colours seen in the era’s best five-star hotels and with a hint of rock-star glam. New styles Largo and Optico are inspired by bold wallpaper prints of the time in stunning teal and rich forest green hues. And some classic pieces get a modern update, such as the Estrella rug which boasts gold accents injected throughout its herringbone pattern in an ode to 70s glam.
Likewise, Amigos de Hoy brings elevated bohemian glamour to interiors with a new collection of small batch, handmade and traditional artisan crafted pieces. From vintage floral-inspired prints and patterns to Moroccan influences and other 70s references, the collection’s textile pieces deliver on both quality and style.
And of course no 70s-inspired collection would be complete without a scattering of gold. New Tom Tom drums pick up where the brand’s popular Joanie and Stevie tambourines left off, and are a continuation of musical references seen throughout the range.
Immerse yourself in relaxed opulence and evoke classic glamour with the stunning new pieces from these leading Australian interior brands.
Art Hide and Amigos de Hoy are creative collaborations between Australian sisters Kura Perkins and Bree Hay-Hendry. Both brands are inspired by the pair’s world travels and the talented artisans they encounter along the way. They are committed to creating unique homewares that are both fun and fabulous, while retaining a timeless style.
Employing over 30 artisans across three small collectives in India, South Africa and Bangladesh, ethical lifestyle label One Another is contributing in a very real way to the plight of women in developing countries. We caught up with owner Rick Carter recently,who explained a bit more about the important work of his company.
One Another designs
“We help provide the dignity of employment with fair pay and clean working conditions. We focus on women with the hope that this provides a long-lasting transformation, where mothers can put food on the table, send their children to school and dream new dreams for themselves and their families,” says Rick.
One such artisan is Akhtar who was married at 17 and abandoned by her new husband soon after. “She’s from a poor but loving family and she’s lucky that her widowed mother, who disapproved of her marriage, took her back into the family home. Others in her position usually find themselves alone. Akhtar’s experience has brought home to all the girls the value of economic independence.”
Akhtar
Another artisan, Nahid, was abandoned by her husband, even though their marriage was arranged in the traditional way – soon after, she returned to live with her parents with her little boy in tow. “Nahid’s embroidery work is exquisite and she exclusively embroiders our Bianca Cash Flags, but she has two mouths to feed and she has agreed to learn how to use the sewing machine. The independence that comes with the higher income will give her a much better chance of being in a position to determine her own future. For now, her little boy comes along to work with her and is the darling of the workshop. We admire her strength of character, which has shone through in this situation,” says Rick.
Nahid
As for the design process, Rick and his wife Annette design all the pieces from their Sydney studio. “Sometimes there is a bit lost in translation during the sampling process but it’s always exciting to see something go from sketch to reality to sitting on the couch in someone’s home,” he says.
“This collection, we have pared back our designs to really focus on the handmade qualities of our products. From fabric made on old wooden looms to hand stitching, loop weaving and knitting, it is all these hands that create beautiful texture and slight variations that make each piece unique,” says Rick.
One of our favourite design features is the labelling process – each embroiderer or weaver hand-signs the pieces they make. “This means customers actually know the name of the artisan in India or Africa that they have helped support through their purchase.”
Nahid’s gorgeous embroidery features on the label’s Bianca Cash flags
This season, the chunky knitted t-yarn cushions, handmade in South Africa, have been a bestseller. “They are not only ethically made but eco, as the t-yarn is cut from the fabric left over from making t-shirts,” says Rick.
The Living Room interior designer James Treble has collaborated with Rugspace on a rug collection which is as sustainable and ethical as it is stylish. Neutral rugs just got a lot more exciting!
James Treble
You can’t miss the gorgeous texture in these rugs, which will add interest to any floor and provide a beautiful layering piece for your room. In neutral tones, they’ll never go out of fashion but they’re far from safe and dull! With options in jute, hemp, felted wool, knitted wool, cotton, bamboo and recycled linen, denim, leather and fan belts (yes, you read right!), it really is a unique range.
With prices typically between $299 and $799 (through to $1,999 for 100% New Zealand wool), we think they present great value for a product which is produced to the highest standards in safe and ethical working conditions. James is as proud as punch of the final collection and its environmental credentials. It’s not just rugs either; there’s also cushions, throws and ottomans.
His love affair with rugs goes way back. Years ago, he brought a kilim back from Turkey, refusing to send it home via airmail and instead to trek it around Egypt in his backpack for three weeks! “Nobody is allowed to stand on it,” he said. “It’s too beautiful for the floor and is hung on my wall.”
James loves hard floors in homes and says the great thing about rugs is that they add layers and colour, can be easily taken up and changed or cleaned (or bashed!), and even renters can use them to disguise floors they have no power to change. They’re also really useful for zoning today’s increasingly open plan living areas. “You can easily create a non-intrusive separation of the area.”
The collection took around three months to come to fruition, with Rugpsace giving James full creative rein. “To me, this collection is all about texture and natural fibres.” As well as looking great, he wanted them to be tactile and comfortable to sit on. As a Planet Ark ambassador, known for his love of recycling and upcycling on his The Living Room segments, he is mindful of the impact our homes make on the environment and so wanted his rugs to be ‘healthy’ to have in people’s homes as well as kind to the environment.
All the handmade products are sourced from India which is renowned for its rug expertise. The hand crafted element works perfectly with the natural and recycled fibres. In addition, a range of machine made rugs are on offer for the more value-conscious market.
Rugspace are proudly working with Goodweave, an organisation which aims to stop child labour in the carpet industry.
Julie Ta, marketing manager said: “It has been an absolute pleasure to develop this range with James as we had a clear understanding of the brief, and that was to create something natural, textural, beautiful and affordable. The Rugspace brand is now well established to represent all those elements.”
Rugspace will provide a specific and curated selection of the very latest in trending floor and rug options targeted toward the interior design market. The brand will also offer its collections to both the public and trades through its website and a network of sales agents across Australia.
James’ range for Rugspace will be available to buy online when the brand officially launches in mid April. Make sure you sign up for their newsletter to be the first to know!
There was a time, maybe six month ago, when I was getting a little over seeing antlers and deer heads (of all descriptions!) here there and everywhere, but I must admit I’m really taken by these colourful ones from Pink Deer and am already considering one for my future baby’s nursery! What do you think?
Melbourne-based Pink Deer is the brainchild of Susanne Permezel who sells online as well as wholesale to stockists such as Husk and Rose St. Trading Co.
And in case anyone is wondering whether these beauties are ethically sound and cruelty-free, I’ve done my research for you because, let’s face it, how many of us are deer experts?! Susanne tells me: “My antlers are sourced within Australia. Deer antlers are naturally shed around September every year. They drop off naturally and then regrow bigger with extra points every year (hence the sizes). They continue to do this throughout a deer’s lifecycle. A lot of people don’t realise this.”
As a fanatic global traveller, Maxine Smith, like many of us interiors addict, always loved collecting home furnishings, textiles and accessories from around the world. Yet after a point, her collection grew so big that a business was born: Barefoot Gypsy.
Maxine describes the online boutique as: “A destination for beautiful global objects with a conscience.” She’s committed to supporting local craftspeople and artisans, sourcing old and new pieces from Uzbekistan to Bolivia to Morocco. Moreover, she wants to give customers an insight into the rich tapestry of world cultures, with eclectic pieces telling their own individual tales.
“We have a dynamic mix of products, all unique and beautiful in their own right,” says Maxine. “I do not limit my collecting to any one region or country; I just keep searching for more spectacular pieces to add to the collection, wherever they are.”
Maxine says she sources everything responsibly: “I really love when I can support something bigger than the piece itself. For example, with the Moroccan wedding blankets and wool pom pom blankets, I have started to work with a co-op in a village outside Marrakesh to support the community. It means a lot to be part of something more.”
With her travel bug by no means sated, she is determined to keep sourcing new stock from around the world. And while that requires a lot of research, it is the fortuitous discovery of a new place, shop or artist that makes Maxine incredibly grateful that she has managed to make a career out of what she loves.
The next round of 7 Vignettes starts a week today on April 1 and we have a fabulous prize from Aussie lifestyle brand Once Was Lost, who specialise in ethically handmade goods. I love their simple aesthetic and am delighted founder Laura Wortlock is not only guest judging but has also come up with the themes for this challenge (so don’t blame me when it’s too hard, okay?!)
This month’s themes
If you can’t read the handwriting, the themes are as follows:
1.Natural | 2. Simple things | 3. Adventure | 4. Handmade | 5. Wise words | 6. Found | 7. Thankful
I think we may have had a couple of these before but I just love how they work together as a collective and didn’t want to mess with them!
And here’s the beautiful prize, appropriately arranged in its own little vignette, from Queensland-based Once Was Lost, worth almost $300:
It comprises a Once Was Lost Studio limited edition silk screen print, a Kebo Scarf in Ash, a Once Was Lost Signature Bag and Once Was Lost Essentials Pouch.
The fun starts on Instagram on Tuesday 1 April 2014. Find out how to play (including video interview with The Block judge Darren Palmer) here.
In a time when many people buy cheap, plastic, imported furniture, I think it’s really important to highlight the dying crafts of local furniture makers like Michael Hayes.
You know my blog is not about being snobby or saying you can or can’t buy whatever you like at whatever price, and I realise many readers can’t afford to invest in a handmade timber dining table, for example. But one day, when you can, I’d love you to think about saving up for something that will last you generations.
I love Melbourne accessories designer Michaela Menichelli’s beautiful bags and bought one of her clutches last year. I’m so excited that she’s just launched into homewares with a cushion range.
What’s more they’re produced ethically in Bali, supporting local craftspeople who carve each piece by hand (hard to believe isn’t it?) so no two are exactly the same. Michaela is keen to challenge the popularity of cheap, mass produced accessories and offer something different, hand crafted and fashion forward. They really are fashion for your home. My name’s on a white one!
Are you interested in your interiors being ethical and sustainable? Then go behind the scenes at The Real Store on 30 May and learn from its founder, social entrepreneur Virginia Bruce.
The Real Store, in Sydney’s Woolloomooloo, is a showcase for social, ethical and sustainable design and living. Its vision is to create a global brand that demonstrates the ability to merge profit, philanthropy, design and sustainability into a business model that focuses on ‘paying it forward’.
Daphna Tal, sustainable interiors consultant from Australian Living, will be interviewing Virginia at the evening event, where there’ll be food, wine and networking opportunities.
Using a combination of modern technologies and artisan hand skills, WorldWeave take their inspiration from ancient sensibilities and techniques. They exaggerate, collage and reinvent new ways of working, with rugs designed in Melbourne and made in India.
When designer Piero Gesualdi and textile designer Sara Thorn combined their talents and wealth of experience, they ignited a common passion for authentic design and craftsmanship. Piero’s architectural approaches to space and form are complemented by Sara’s decorative approach to pattern, colour and textile techniques.
Yesterday I visited a lovely homewares shop called shelf / life in Sydney’s Surry Hills. It’s not in a location where you’d stumble across it so I wanted to tell you all so you can make a special trip!
Owner Jess Ibbett is a former interior designer with a passion for sustainable design. “As a homewares fanatic with a healthy appetite for design blogs, I became aware that my favourite designers all crafted their wares with deliberate environmental consideration and/or employed sustainable production methods,” she says. “Thus, born from a desire to showcase a collection of my favourite designers’ offerings, and the exciting prospect of establishing a retail environment that introduced Sydneysiders to products handpicked according to our own ethical considerations, my husband and I opened shelf / life at the end of 2009.”
You can never have too many cushions or candles in my book. And just when I thought I’d seen it all when it came to candles, this lovely one arrived in the mail from Voyager last week.
Isn’t the double-walled design great? Very simple and elegant. And can you see the name of the scent through the glass on the bottom?
One Another designs
