Rug Story
To say that a lot of skill and effort goes into handweaving a carpet would be an understatement. First, there is the selection of the yarn, then the artisan must select the pattern or design. Following that, they must go through the steps of carding, combing and spinning to form the yarn, dyeing the wool, and setting up the loom, and all of this before the weaving even commences! After many, many hours of painstaking work on the loom, the carpet is cut down, the ends and sides finished, the carpet is sheared, chemical washed, sculptured and then, finally, inspected.
The care and attention that goes into such a carpet means that each one has its own story. London-based Larusi rugs was set up by Souad Larusi in 2000, specialising in the weavings of the Berber tribes of Morocco. Her aim was to bring these traditional textiles to a wider audience and to encourage their use for interior decoration; the rugs, although of humble provenance, are crafted from excellent quality wool, with subtly variegated designs that look uncannily modern to contemporary eyes.
Souad's curiosity for well-crafted textiles and weavings led to more discoveries and the collection now holds a range of unique textiles from all over the world. With a range of textiles made to offset austere modernist architecture, Larusi have produced a line of luxurious linens that offer warmth and comfort tailored to the coolest of interior spaces. Larusi home textiles are becoming a centrepiece of contemporary interior design, redressing the modernist aesthetic that has come to embody so much of the 20th century’s architecture.
To read more about Berber weaving, read Ptolemy Mann's article Rugged Good Looks in the Revive issue. Subscribe here.