STAMFORD, Conn. – Design Within Reach has partnered with Beni, the global rug brand made in Morocco for four exclusive designs in a low-pile rug style: a shorter knotted weave called Brick, Borderline, Backgammon and Fences.
Handcrafted in Morocco using 100% live wool (as been sheared from a living sheep, as opposed to dead wool, which is removed chemically from a sheep’s hide), the collection builds on traditional Moroccan design. It embraces the concept of “perfect imperfection” by offering a modern saturated color palette rooted in geometric mathematical patterns that play with scale. The varying lengths and rug pile create unique irregularities that make each rug a one-of-a-kind offering.
DWR officials said they were drawn to Beni for its innovative and thoughtful approach to craft and ethical reputation within the weaving industry. Since its founding in Marrakesh in 2018 by Robert Wright and Tiberio Lobo-Navia, Beni has brought a new point of view to a 3,500-year-old tradition.
By creating a vertically integrated workshop, the brand is changing how rugs are made in Morocco. In professionalizing the art of rug weaving and elevating weavers historically relegated to the bottom of a long supply chain, Beni can provide compensation at two to three times the national average and is safeguarding a heritage craft previously not considered a viable career path for young people.
The process begins with a third-generation family company where Beni sources the wool shorn humanely from living Atlas Mountain sheep. Then at their workshop in Tameslouht, just outside of Marrakech, the wool is woven by a team of expert weavers, and shorn, washed, dried and finished, to create a soft, durable rug that showcases its quality in materials, technique and artistry.
While it traditionally can take up to 12 weeks to custom weave a single 8’x10’ rug, the partnership with DWR allows Beni to be available in-stock for the first time with quicker lead times.
The rugs are offered in five sizes – from a runner at 2.5’ x 9’ to four rectangular options up to 10’ x 14’ – and range in price from $1,295 to $7,995.