My Beni Ourain Rug From Sukhi: Design With Social Impact!

Although they’ve been around in the world of interior design for quite some time, the distinctive Beni Ourain Moroccan rugs have recently emerged into the spotlight in the last ten years. A Beni Ourain rug is considered the most prestigious in Morocco and these versatile beauties are the perfect accessory to dress up any floor and accentuate almost any room décor. Soft and plush made from 100% undyed sheep's wool in the traditional criss-cross diamond patterns, the Beni Ourain makes quite the style statement!
All Beni Ourain rugs share a signature style featuring geometric designs or tribal symbols that are meaningful to the weaver. Originally made by the nomadic Beni Ourain tribes living deep in the Atlas Mountains in Morocco, these heirloom borderless rugs are still handwoven from natural ivory sheep wool and feature a dark brown almost ebony, diamond pattern woven into the ivory background. Beni Ourain rugs are natural, organic and incredibly soft. The wool used to create these heirloom beauties originate from the Atlas Mountains where an ancient breed of smaller sheep are still bred. These sheep produce the exceptional high quality wool considered among the finest on earth that makes Beni Ourain rugs so luxe and plush, making these ethnographic pieces a precious design commodity. An original artisan crafted Beni Ourain rug starts from $450 and can range upwards of $25,000 for vintage pieces!
Traditionally, these rugs were made by the women in the tribes to shelter them from the cold. They were used as blankets, wraps and bed coverings to keep them warm. Today the popular trend of using these exotic beauties as rugs has taken over the world of mainstream interior design making these free-form patterned rugs almost a staple!I've been coveting the uber gorgeous Beni Ourain rugs for a very long time. In our master bedroom, there is a negative space between the dresser and our bed that was literally screaming out for a rug. When I came across Sukhi, there was no question in my mind, which rug I would love to have in my life. Since I love decorating and blending design styles, vintage with contemporary furniture and accessories, the versatility of a Beni Ourain rug was what I needed to complement and complete the bedroom.Sukhi works directly with the women who create these rugs.Their team of women all highly skilled artisans spend months weaving these traditional masterpieces in their special workshops located deep in heart of the Atlas Mountains in Morocco. Since with Sukhi, you can buy handmade rugs directly from the artisans, which means that there is no middleman, no physical stores or warehouses, you can save up to 60%! You can order a rug in any colour combination, size and design to suit your specifications, style, colour palette and interior space. But Sukhi is so much more than just an organisation that sells rugs.Sukhi offers a vast collection of gorgeous, authentic rugs ranging from cut felt rugs, felt ball rugs, stone rugs, patchwork rugs, woolen loop rugs, felted woolen yarn rugs and my personal favourite Beni Ourain rugs in a range of sizes. But it is their ethical practices and social message of empowerment and fair pay that really made them stand out from the crowd for me. They work with talented craftswomen from Nepal, India, Morocco and Turkey to create beautiful handmade and unique works of art. Every artisan is paid fairly, provided with excellent working conditions and are more than just a cog in the process and the impact of their fair trade practices is making a huge difference in the lives of these women. You can see more on the social impact Sukhi makes here. On the Sukhi website, you can see who the maker of your rug is and also have the opportunity to thank them personally for their handcrafted masterpiece. How beautiful is that!I’ve fallen madly in love with my original and exotic Beni Ourain rug. I needed a custom size, and Sukhi was able to make a customised handcrafted rug for me. They truly represent tradition, skill and heritage, not to mention a very high level of personalised service and excellent customer care.For those looking to bring a piece of exotic and authentic Moroccan heritage and history into their homes, there is nothing more beautiful, lush and versatile than these traditional Beni Ourain rugs.

The genesis of the word ‘sukhi’ originates from Sanskrit and means happy. That is exactly how my beautiful, ethically made rug with a clear social message makes me feel... happy... sukhi!
Till next time... check out the gorgeous rugs from Sukhi here. Which one will you get?

xox

Rani

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This post was created in collaboration with Sukhi. Thanks again to Sukhi for providing me with a picture perfect rug! As always, all design choices, words, thoughts and opinions are all mine and genuine and I only ever work with brands that I love and I think you will too. To follow Sukhi on Instagram, please click here. Thank you so much for supporting the brands that support this blog.

A big thank you to Haven for sponsoring the gorgeous industrial Reed lanterns. You can see them here. Thank you so much for supporting the brands that support this blog.

Also a big thank you to the talented Samantha Gloster from Blue Canary Photography, for the wonderful and detailed photos. To see more of Blue Canary Photography on Instagram, please click here.

IMAGES BY BLUE CANARY PHOTOGRAPHY

LAST IMAGE FROM SUKHI