We’re a big fan of Design New England, a magazine focusing on the best in architecture, interior design, and garden design around New England. We are especially pleased then to be a part of the January/February 2009 issue.

Design New England, January/February 2009 - see page 104

Rug weaving has long been a "cottage industry" and although workshops have been the source of many rugs, the homes of the weavers are the source of many more. Weavers weave outside their homes on portable looms. The weaver may sell her rugs at the local market place, under contract to an exporter, or hold on to the rugs until the family needs money from their sale. The original "at home" business, cottage rug weaving operations have employed families for centuries.

Jeffrey, our Oriental Rugs Manager, makes frequent buying trips to Southeast Asia. In his travels to work with his overseas rug productions, he found that most of the local children of the rug weavers involved in the cottage rug industry were unable to attend school because of the high cost of school and the prohibitive distances to get there. To improve the lives of our carpet producers and their families, Landry & Arcari Oriental Rugs and Carpeting made a substantial donation to have a school built in the Bhadohi district of northern India. Now serving 200 children, the free school has made education available for the children of the community, most of whom are the first generation in their family to attend school.