Watchful eyes, discerning sketches, intuitive color selection, excellent materials and expert hand knotting are some of the elements that come together to create the luxurious limited-edition and custom rugs of Deliante Designs LLC. Artist and designer Danielle David Grinnen takes care that all carpets are designed and made with integrity, which is why she signed up with RugMark when she launched her rug business in 2005. More >

Bennett Bean Studio joined RugMark not just to avoid child labor, but to actually doing something about it... to educate children who would not otherwise have that opportunity. More >

When artist Amy Helfand was ready to expand her design portfolio to include rugs in early 2005, contacting RugMark was a natural first step. While established in the art world for more than 15 years, Amy had never contracted production overseas. She wanted the added assurance that the production practices were ethical, as well as the connection to a broader community of rug import companies. More >

Tired of seeing so much of the same product in the market, brothers Joel and Mark Karimzadeh, a third generation of rug manufacturers, started M&M Design International. Starting in London and moving to New York, M&M offers traditional oriental rugs; custom-made, designer rug collections and custom-produced area rugs. In addition to its custom designs, the company’s recent membership in RugMark helps to set it apart. More >

Messenger Rugs is a slowly evolving idea with great intent at its core. Like the soothing quality of waves caressing the shoreline, the messages of these rugs seek to instill a seed of hope and healing. Through several series of rugs, messages are sent to connect to the viewer and user at a level of soul. Like the age-old tradition of storytelling, these rugs bring visually inspired tales from cultures around the world. With a RugMark label on the underside of every Messenger Rug, another story is told – that the weavers who made it were treated fairly. More >

Gary Coles-Christensen is an adventurer, traveling to the world’s historical weaving capitals to find the most unusual rugs for his Santa Fe showroom. Yet his vision extends far beyond providing unusual rugs to a discerning international clientele. “I like to think of our business as a way to help weavers,” he says. “RugMark’s work fits with our vision of the store giving back, promoting weaving in a healthy way.” More >

Litchfield, Conn.-based emma gardner design, llc produces fine contemporary interior products including handmade rugs, luxurious alpaca/wool throws and superior quality pillows for use in residential, office and hospitality spaces. A proud member of the RugMark Foundation, founder and renaissance woman Emma Gardner is strongly committed to good labor practices and takes an active stance against the use of child labor. More >

From the beginning, Malene Barnett knew she would only use child-labor-free manufacturing facilities. "I'd seen the conditions in factories overseas, and the little children going to work, so I wanted to be part of an organization that shares my values," she says. When she read about RugMark, she said to herself, "This is what I want to be a part of." More >

After a 25-year career in fashion and textile design, Bev Hisey decided to produce handmade rugs in India. But the shift from producing in Canada to India presented an ethical challenge. Bev had heard horror stories about poor working conditions abroad, most notably child labor. Upon learning about RugMark and its monitoring of factory employment, Bev had the confidence to launch a new line of rugs. More >

Shakeel and Rashid Ansari of Mat the Basics represent the third generation of a family with a long history in the rug industry and an enduring commitment to improving conditions for weavers. The company, now very much a part of the Los Angeles design scene, began in India in 1942. Shakeel Ansari’s career, however, took him from India to Sweden to study with textile legend Hans Hosak. Soon after he came to the U.S. and established Mat the Basics, as a manufacturer, exporter and wholesale supplier of rugs. Although Ansari’s U.S. branch joined RugMark in 2005, the company in India has belonged to RugMark for 10 years. “This was one issue which I felt from my heart,” he says. More >

Lizz Greer’s artisan rugs are so much more than elegant home furnishings. They are unique works of art intended for the most discriminating homeowners and private collectors. They offer an opportunity to explore images, feelings, and perspectives in any environment. Designed exclusively by Lizz, each artisan rug is an experience in culture and emotion, and an investment in beauty and sophistication, as well as social responsibility: Every Lizz Greer creation carries the RugMark label to ensure that children were not exploited. More >

Julie Arcari-Cook laughs as she explains the complexities and joys of working with her father and two brothers in the family rug New England-based business, Landry and Arcari. "The great thing is you get to be with your family everyday, but of course we have our differences," the company CEO admits. "Sometimes our debates remind me of the dinner table of our childhood." One thing that was absolutely not a debate for the Arcari family was the decision to join RugMark, says Arcari-Cook. "We care about the people that make the rugs. It’s a natural responsibility for us to be part of RugMark." More >

Growing up in the endless expanse of the Canadian Prairies gave Tracey Sawyer, Principal and Creative Director of the young New York City-based company, The Nought Collective, a particular perspective on both design and justice. “In the Prairies, we just naturally have a sense of respect for the environment and a sense of awe that translates into a respect for people,” Sawyer explains. “It’s logical that we’re part of RugMark." More >

Christine and Walter Chapin had a hunch that consumers would like less traditional-looking options in Oriental rug designs, so they launched Company C, Inc., a designer and manufacturer of hand-crafted area rugs, textiles and home furnishings. That intuition led to Company C rugs in 600 stores worldwide and in several major catalogs, their own 8,000 square foot retail store, and a distribution center. As the company took hold, the Chapins learned about RugMark and signed up -- secure that its mills across the world in India hired only adult weavers. More >

Just a little more than a decade ago, The Rug Company co-founders Christopher and Suzanne Sharp were in the business of traveling around the world making films. They certainly didn't dream of being in the rug industry and having showrooms around the world. Collecting rugs was a hobby and a passion for the couple, but the craft of carpets that they loved so much was the compass that led them to founding The Rug Company. Says Christopher Sharp, "Anything that comes out of a passion just works." More >

“It seems like always knew I wanted a life in art,” says Pauline Curtiss of Boston-based rug company, Serâser. She traces her innate love of colors and patterns to her childhood when she remembers playing on carpets and being more interested in tracing the designs on the rug than playing the game at hand. Curtiss also traces her concern with helping others to growing up in a family whose members always did volunteer work. “Helping others was just a part of our lives,” she says. “And that’s what RugMark does by making sure that people treat each other kindly.” More >

As a child growing up in Germany and spending hours after school helping out in his father’s rug business, Bijan Koukpari had a natural interest in design. As he puts it, “I think I just absorbed the business.” That early involvement combined with an interest in architecture and development ultimately led to the founding of Satia Art and Floor in Vancouver, Canada. Founding a company that made one-of-a-kind hand knotted carpets from Nepal was a natural fit. Natural, too, was his decision to collaborate with RugMark. “I have the belief the world can change with education.” Koukpari explains. “Wherever there’s education, people develop, and RugMark is investing in children by putting them in schools.” More >

Stile BK’s nomadic philosophy extends not only to the style of its beautiful rugs, but also to its business approach. Behrouz Kolahi created Stile BK in 2004 in Italy with the intent to become an international company. A year later, the company introduced its rugs to the U.S. market, launching at the New York International Carpet Show. At that show, Behrouz met RugMark representatives and signed up shortly thereafter to ensure that its rugs are child-labor-free. More >

When textile artist Angela Adams expanded her rug production from Maine to include weavers in India, she wanted to retain the highest working standards. Joining RugMark was a natural part of that business expansion, and has helped her ensure that no child labor is used to produce rugs under her name. More >

elson & company was founded with three core values – an emphasis on working with top design talent, producing a premier product and being a philanthropic member of the community. This last concept is what led company founder Diane Elson Bankoff to join RugMark as one of its early U.S. supporters. More >