One of India’s leading handmade rug manufacturers, Jaipur Rugs, has opened its first UK showroom located in the Design Centre, Chelsea Harbour
The ornate arched entrance of the new Jaipur Rugs showroom references the architecture of The City Palace. Photography by Ed Reeve
An architectural feast for the eyes, Jaipur’s Rajasthani architectural style has become a popular destination for design lovers all over the world and, when walking into the new London showroom of Jaipur Rugs, you are transported directly to the magic of ‘The Pink City’ itself. An ornate arched entrance mirrors the beauty and pink colour palette of The City Palace – a hue that features on many buildings in the city following the instruction of Maharaja Ram Singh who had a large percentage of the buildings painted pink in 1876 in preparation for a visit from Queen Victoria.
The pink hue of the store’s facade takes inspiration from the pink architectural hues of Jaipur. Photography by Ed Reeve
Founded in 1978, Jaipur Rugs is a family-owned rug manufacturer that works with 40,000 craftspeople working across 7000 looms. With its founder Nand Kishore Chaudhary and his family also holding one of the world’s most important private vintage carpet collections, the passion for the craft is clear to see and is being kept alive by his five children who all work within the company today. With this opening being the company’s first retail showroom in the UK, it is a pivotal step for the company in expanding its global outreach. ‘It is hugely important to us,’ says Greg Foster, the company’s Artistic Director. ‘It builds on years of participation at Salone in Milan, where we engage with designers from around the world and where we’ve created a solid European base for the London launch.’
Visitors can also learn about the making behind each design and the artisans who work directly with the company. Photography by Ed Reeve
With the team’s experiential design approach helping the showroom to stand out for all the right reasons, it follows in the footsteps of the company’s other retail locations across India, Dubai and Milan. ‘Aesthetically, we always want to bring a little bit of Jaipur to our showrooms,’ states Foster. ‘NK Chaudhary often tells me that we are unique in directly connecting some of the world’s most skilled artisans with discerning customers. This special relationship is something we emphasise in our showrooms. For instance, you’ll always find a charkha for hand-spinning yarns and other traditional tools our artisans use on the loom and our showroom team is deeply knowledgeable about the crafting process and can often tell you exactly who made a particular carpet, and sometimes, they have even met the artisan personally. For us, it’s not just about the craftsmanship but also the artisans behind it. This is the insight and experience we strive to provide in our showrooms.’
The company’s experiential design approach allows visitors a chance to personally connect with the story behind each beautiful creation. Photography by Ed Reeve
The company also runs as a social enterprise with 85% of its weavers being women and continues to push for positive social change through the Jaipur Rugs Foundation. Through focusing on entrepreneurship and social development, the Foundation is helping to sustain livelihoods for many rural communities across India. ‘We’re more than a design company, as we have social impact and are demonstrating craft at a scale that will become a model for other handmade industries,’ continues Foster while stating the importance of having a space to physically connect with its UK audience. ‘A designer needs to hear that story in person to appreciate how different we are.’
The company’s Dubai showroom is equally as impressive with its design inspired by the architectural step wells seen across India. Photography by Jaipur Rugs
With the company’s meticulous attention to detail evident to see at all its various touch points, it emphasises how impactful such an immersive store experience can be in imparting the brand story to a global audience. Simultaneously, it also offers the chance for customers to feel emotionally connected to the rugs by witnessing the craft behind each design and hearing personal stories about the makers themselves. And, with it being logistically unlikely for many designers and buyers to visit the company’s workshops directly, these unique stores offer a direct insight into the artisanal quality and ethos of the brand all while experiencing the magic of Jaipur itself.
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