The rug you choose to decorate your own spaces speak about your taste in design as much as about your values.
Here at Rug Around The Clock, we always keep an eye on smaller, and more niche rug brands – that often represent what big brands can not: a set of specific and treasured values. This is particularly true to rug brands that still reflect their founders’ and owners’ initial intentions in creating them. Like family businesses, and women-run rug brands.
Women-run Rug Brands Offer a special value
Women have always been associated with home, and without going into deep, philosophical discussions about whether that is supposed to be like that or not, we’ll just allow ourselves to say that these women-founded and women-run rug brands stand out from the crowd, and merit to be cherished and celebrated.
Also, if your purchase is not just about a piece of floor coverage, but you are also into putting your money where your mouth is (or where your ideals are), I highly recommend you check out these rug brands before buying your home’s next rug.
Lulu and Georgia
Lulu and Georgia founder Sarah Sugarman grew up in a family whose business decorated houses and hotels worldwide, so it’s only natural that she was, from the first moment on, attracted to interior design and beauty altogether.
She says that starting her own interior design company, that is named after her father and grandfather, was another natural step for her.
Lulu and Georgia now both designs and curates the interior designs they consider cutting-edge and up-to-date, matching it with premium-quality materials and top-notch customer service.
For all we know, we love Lulu and Georgia’s natural, earth-bound design and organic look and feel. This is particularly true of their rugs (although they offer so much more than just rugs). Neutral tones, tribal patterns, and natural textures dominate their rug selection, that will give an extremely cozy and homely feel to any space.
“Staying true to yourself and your vision is probably the hardest, but most important, aspect of owning a business” – Sarah said in an interview.
When you have a look at Lulu and Georgia’s georgious (uhum, sorry) products, and rugs you’ll be convinced that however hard it is, it definitely pays off.
Our Favorite Rugs from Lulu and Georgia
Danica Moroccan Style Rug
Moroccan Flatweave Rug, Black And Natural
Cabin Rug
Earth Maze Moroccan Shag Rug
Moroccan Flatweave Rug, Black And Natural
Cabin Rug
Amir Moroccan Shag Rug, Natural
Eoin Moroccan Rug
Amir Moroccan Shag Rug, Natural
Moroccan Flatweave Rug, Black And Natural
Rabina Moroccan Style Rug
Eoin Moroccan Rug
Eoin Moroccan Rug
Danica Moroccan Style Rug
Earth Maze Moroccan Shag Rug
Amir Moroccan Shag Rug, Natural
Earth Maze Moroccan Shag Rug
Danica Moroccan Style Rug
Cabin Rug
Rabina Moroccan Style Rug
Nora Moroccan Rug
Moroccan Flatweave Rug, Black And Natural
Eoin Moroccan Rug
Earth Maze Moroccan Shag Rug
Nora Moroccan Rug
Esme Moroccan Style Rug
Danica Moroccan Style Rug
Cabin Rug
Amir Moroccan Shag Rug, Natural
Parachute
Parachute’s Ariel Kaye started out as a design enthusiast, before venturing on to launch and run a design company of her own.
As someone with a solid background in brand development and advertising, she started her line with bedding – only to keep broadening Parachute’s range of business to essentially covering every aspect of home décor by today.
Parachute stands out due to its thoughtful design, attention to details, and the use of prime quality raw materials.
All their products boast the Oeko-Tex certification, meaning that everything they use is completely non-toxic and free of any harmful materials throughout the entire production cycle.
Ariel said she realized she didn’t know everything, and by asking the right questions and surrounding herself with people who helped complement her areas of expertise, she is continuing to build a company that is inspiring people and making an impact on the market.
When it does, we’ll all enjoy the fruits it bears – as the feel-good furniture company will benefit every customer and everyone that buys into its philosophy of improving out homes to make ourselves feel better in our own skins.
Our Favorite Rugs from Parachute
Rib Wool Rug
Soft Shapes Wool Rug
Ladder Stripe Wool Rug
Braided Wool Rug
Chunky Jute Rug
Textured Wool Rug
Carved Wool Rug
Checkered Wool Rug
Graphic Wool Kilim Rug
Carved Wool Rug
Ladder Stripe Wool Rug
Graphic Wool Kilim Rug
Ladder Stripe Wool Rug
Rib Wool Rug
Rib Wool Rug
Soft Shapes Wool Rug
Carved Wool Rug
Soft Shapes Wool Rug
Graphic Wool Kilim Rug
Braided Wool Rug
Checkered Wool Rug
Textured Wool Rug
Ladder Stripe Wool Rug
Checkered Wool Rug
Textured Wool Rug
Rib Wool Rug
Chunky Jute Rug
Braided Wool Rug
Rib Wool Rug
Ruggable
One simply cannot write a piece on women-run rug brands without mentioning Ruggable, our favorite washable, trendy rug brand.
Suffice to say that we would be in love with Ruggable, even if it were owned by a man 🙂
Ruggable founder Jeneva Bell, according to the brand’s myth created her rug line when her dog ruined one of her newly bought, expensive rugs. So, on top of beautiful design, and comfort she started a brand that also focuses on functionality.
Ruggable’s 2-piece rug system makes it very easy to clean and maintain the rugs with the use of everyday equipment, like a household washing machine.
If you think about it, your rug is likely to get at least as your tablecloths or bed sheets (if not dirtier) – so there’s no reason why cleaning them should be so much more of a hassle.
Ruggable’s kid and pet-friendly rugs (or parent-friendly, which is kind of the flip side of the same coin) are also really chic and trendy to look at.
Best of all, Ruggable is a woman-run rug brand!
If you want to know why we love Ruggable so much, check out our comparative review, Rugs USA vs Ruggable!
Our Favorite Rugs from Ruggable
Jonathan Adler Inkdrop Lapis Blue Rug
Impasto Slate Blue Rug
Damali Black & White Rug
Verena Dark Wood Rug
Delphina Delft Blue Rug
Jonathan Adler Milano Peacock Rug
Kamran Hazel Rug
Jonathan Adler Milano Peacock Rug
Alessia Dark Wood Rug
Jonathan Adler Inkdrop Black & Ivory Rug
Impasto Slate Blue Rug
Damali Black & White Rug
Verena Dark Wood Rug
Delphina Delft Blue Rug
Kaden Amber Red Rug
Kamran Hazel Rug
Alessia Dark Wood Rug
Kamran Hazel Rug
Jonathan Adler Inkdrop Black & Ivory Rug
Cambria Ruby Rug
Damali Black & White Rug
Jonathan Adler Inkdrop Lapis Blue Rug
Delphina Delft Blue Rug
Kaden Amber Red Rug
Alessia Dark Wood Rug
Kaden Amber Red Rug
Jonathan Adler Inkdrop Black & Ivory Rug
Impasto Slate Blue Rug
Verena Dark Wood Rug
Cambria Ruby Rug
Salam Hello
Salam Hello founder Mallory Solomon left her job in advertising when in 2019, after a dream vacation in Morocco, she ended up launching a rug business that would serve as empowerment to local, artisan women in the country.
Stunned by the thousands of years of heritage and tradition of Moroccan rug-weaving, she took everything she got and elevated the online shopping experience for premium-quality Moroccan rugs to the next level.
Salam Hello is much more than yet another online store for rugs: it’s a DTC model creating a link between artisan women in Morocco, who still use traditional techniques to hand-craft their rugs, and their customers – presumably from somewhere in the industrialized world.
Looking through Salam Hello’s selection, it immediately becomes clear that every one of their rugs has a personality, and every rug tells the story of its maker. Linking up with this story is a value that no commercial or mass-produced rug will ever be able to provide.
“We make it our mission to meet with every woman selling each piece and they help us understand the time, labor, and story behind the weave,” Mallory says.
Our Favorite rugs from Salam Hello
Mbarka & Khadija’s Intricate Hanbel
Fatima & Naima’s Slate Blue Grid Hand-Knot
Fatima’s Pistachio Hue Hand-Knot
Aisha’s Animal Runner
Fatima & Naima’s Slate Blue Grid Hand-Knot
Ait Yadine’s Imperfect Black Dotted Hand-Knot
Naima’s Family-Made Hanbel
Jamilla’s Abstract Runner
Meriem’s Colorful Hand-Knot
Le Vieux Village’s Symbolic Grid Hanbel
Meriem’s Colorful Hand-Knot
Keltouma’s Geometric Boujad
Le Vieux Village’s Symbolic Grid Hanbel
Aisha’s Animal Runner
Mbarka & Khadija’s Intricate Hanbel
Ait Yadine’s Imperfect Black Dotted Hand-Knot
Fatima’s Pistachio Hue Hand-Knot
Jamilla’s Abstract Runner
Fatima’s Pistachio Hue Hand-Knot
Ait Yadine’s Imperfect Black Dotted Hand-Knot
Naima’s Family-Made Hanbel
Mbarka & Khadija’s Intricate Hanbel
Jamilla’s Abstract Runner
Keltouma’s Radiant M’rirt Hand-Knot
Meriem’s Colorful Hand-Knot
Keltouma’s Radiant M’rirt Hand-Knot
Fatima & Naima’s Slate Blue Grid Hand-Knot
Aisha’s Animal Runner
Naima’s Family-Made Hanbel
M’rirt’s Rorschach Hand-Knot
Serena & Lily
A chance encounter between Serena Dugan and Lili Kanter in the early 2000s led to the giant that’s known as Serena & Lily today. Serena, in the meantime, has left the company to launch her own Serena Dugan Studio, while Lili, among her various ventures and roles, keeps running Serena & Lily.
Serena & Lily is a behemoth that sells everything from furniture to home décor items to lighting to… you get the idea.
When it comes to rugs, Serena & Lily’s selection focuses on reserved toned-back designs that usually accompany premium quality raw materials and handmade items.
They mostly go for the natural look that is so popular nowadays, and that we tend to yearn for to make our homes comfortable, cozy, yet characteristic enough to be unique.
Most of Serena & Lily’s rugs are flatweaves, made of natural fibers, most prominently wool and jute.
Since the company sells handmade, premium-quality rugs their items are priced from the mid-level and up.
The Citizenry
Founded and run by Carly Nanse and Rachel Bentley, The Citizenry is a globally inspired home décor brand, that was launched as a result of the founder duo’s never-ending sense of wanderlust and mutual desire to make a positive impact.
Focusing on home décor items, The Citizenry mostly offers tribal-inspired, Aztec and Moroccan-like natural and handmade rugs, sourced mostly from India, Morocco, and Mexico.
The company aims to offset the mass-produced “rubbish” (their word, not mine) the rug industry is, and by personally traveling to each country and using only local materials, they strive to establish sustainable relationships with their artisans.
The Citizenry aims to celebrate the people behind the products. Their name, thus, is a reflection of the collective of individuals – artisans, designers, and dreamers – who rally together across cultures and continents to craft the collections the brand has to offer.
Lorena Canals
“One day, 20 years ago, while watching my daughters playing on the rug, I thought-Wouldn’t it be easier to wash it at home? After searching unsuccessfully for the ideal rug, I decided to design a washable rug myself, perfect for a home with children,” says designer and founder Lorena Canals who then created what she dubs the “first washable rug brand in the world”.
Whether first or not, Lorena has been a fundamental player of the designer rug field ever since.
Her rugs, like her story of origin, are mostly connected to kids, so if you want to purchase unique and very characteristic nursery rugs, play rugs, or simple cotton rugs that the entire family will adore, buying from Lorena is the way to go.
