The Story of an Edelgrund Rug

Sometimes a rug in our home might be just a detail in home decor, a warm and soft layer on our floor, something we chose because of its look or its feel solely. When you opt for a handmade rug, then you also think of all the work and passion woven into the rug that will embellish your home. But how much do we actually know about how our rug at home was made? A few years ago, I was lucky to meet Maryam, the founder of EDELGRUND, a Germany-based rug company with Persian roots. She introduced me to the incredible world of handmade Persian rugs and – silently – I had put an EDELGRUND rug on my wish list. And now my wish came true!

When Maryam and I talked about rugs, I also learned that EDELGRUND also makes custom orders. And there was an idea born – my hallway in the Berlin apartment is quite long and my old rug was simply too short (albeit cute too). I wanted a long runner with some visual drama – kinda like you open the door to the apartment and there’s a statement right in front of you – an amazing rug!

When I went through EDELGRUND’s product portfolio, I got stuck on the amazing Alasht collection with its graphic patterns and striking combinations. I opted for a monochromatic design to highlight the length of the hallway and make a real visual statement. I was more than amazed to learn that EDELGRUND produces rugs made of 100% natural wool, hand-spun and woven, dyed with local vegetable dyes – all in the mountains of Iran. I was totally up for this ‘design adventure’.

Little did I know how much work and passion goes into making this rug! Since it was a custom order, Maryam sent me some amazing images and videos of the process of making my rug. From the yarn-to-spool process to weaving the rug on traditional looms, and stitching the pieces together, I was fascinated to see the craftsmanship and the people who worked with passion and love on this rug – something that I believe is woven into its woolen threads to bring happiness and prosperity to the home.

Weaving a rug on a loom might be obvious, but did you know that the woven rugs get burned afterward? This process burns off the surplus ‘hair’ on top of the rug and no damage is caused because real wool rugs are totally flame resistant. I was like WOW when I saw the video! Then the rug gets brushed and washed before it dries and gets rolled up for transport. And this is exactly how I received the rug – from the mountains of Iran to an apartment in Berlin! What an adventure, isn’t it!?

Now I am beyond happy with the look of my hallway featuring this amazing, handmade EDELGRUND rug and small details such as the Lina Bo Bardi ‘Frei Egidio’ chair, the handmade vase by Brazilian designer Domingos Tótora, and the Cruz-Diez art piece on the wall. Now let the holiday season begin!

This article was written by Igor from Happy Interior Blog.

Meet The Author

With a strong passion for interior design, home décor, travel, and plants, Igor wanted to share happiness with readers here in a digital home, the Happy Interior Blog. This blog focuses on interior design and decoration ideas for happy homes, it showcases the beauty of our world and the inspiration brought back home through travels, and it highlights to beauty and beneficial power of houseplants.

Happy Interior Blog is an international blog about interior design, styling, decoration, plants, and travel that has gained high appraisal and was awarded ‘Best International Blog’ in 2014. And the mission remains the same: Happy Interior Blog is the place to share happiness through interiors, travels, and plants. Welcome aboard!

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