Here, the team is reviewing three different versions of our Sendai Enoki design. Besides the obvious variation in color, different blends of wool were used to weave each 2'x2' sample. We wanted to create a clear design, contrasted with more movement in the background field.

Thanks for sharing in our woolly adventures.

I wanted to express my gratitude to Max Humphrey for his contribution to my latest "Design Time" article for Rug Insider Magazine. Max is a "one-man design band" (terrible pun intended!) and I appreciated his time.

I encourage you to check out Max's book, "Lodge," and also keep an eye out for his second fabric collection in collaboration with Sunbrella Fabrics and new line of enamelware with Crow Canyon Home. 

My ongoing series of Design Time interviews is featured online at Rug Insider. If you prefer old school print, subscribe, or pick up a copy at the following rug and home trade shows. 

• Atlanta Market
• Cover Connect Vegas & NY
• High Point
• ICFF
  
• Las Vegas Market
• Tise/Surfaces

 See you in the rug stacks! ~ Brian

Hosted at Kush Rugs 1826 NW 18th ave. Qualified trade clients, please RSVP via LinkedIn. (Not open to the public.)

Vendor partners: Krownlab, Lonesome Pictopia, Maison, Milk Shop, Chris Dibble, Solus, PDX Originals, & Case of Bass. See you at the SHOW!

Team Kush is excited for our latest and some say greatest designs. Contact your Kush rep for a box of fresh traditional and rug transitional samples.

Why is it called the BACKDROP EVENT? Join us and find out!  RSVP'S are appreciated.

The latest MISSONI broadloom Designs, with the National VP of sales at STARK CARPET

Seasonal wine tasting with Kyle of BANVILLE WINES

New KUSH Collections

Interior design firm Teal & Scott explore rugs with Kush owner, Rebecca.

Interior designers, architects and trade reps, we're looking forward to hosting you at our Rosé & Chocolate Bar!

The chocolate will be by local, award winning Wildwood. Their handcrafted chocolate won the Best Chocolate in America 2021 - Food and Wine!

Uniquely minding the gap between tailored and tribal, our Nordica Collection incorporates multiple pile techniques and quirky textures set against clever and evocative patterns.

Can't make it in? Order a sample box right NOW! (Interior designers only, please.)

#designers #interiors #interiordesign #designerrugs

Designers, please email, brian@kushrugs.com to rsvp. We look forward to hosting you at our new trade showroom.

Growing up in the small town of Peru IL, I felt trapped. The town library became my hallowed refuge. It was an analog portal to ideas, experiences and adventures beyond the cornfields, and self-imposed limitations. In the quiet, I was lost in words and found again in equal measure.

Outside the arena of business, I’m a fairly insular person. Creating Kush with my biz partner Rebecca Lurie has birthed moments of growth and connection that otherwise would have passed me by.

One such connection was found with fellow book lover Chris Saliga. We had a spirited conversation about our shared love of the written word. Upon discovering we are both  a bit nerdy for sci-fi, he promised to forward Ender's Game, by Orson Scott Card. Low and behold, said book arrived and made me smile. Beginning a new book is exciting and I look forward to sharing impressions with Chris when our paths cross again.

In the comments, throw in a few books that left an imprint on you.
 
For me, it would be:
-The Pugilist at Rest, Thom Jones
- Ariel, Sylvia Plath
- Dune, Frank Herbert

Here’s to reading, exploring, and the organic connections that knot us together. Read on friends.

Designers, architects, and vendors to the design community, please join us in raising a glass and rocking out. Attendance is limited to 25 and is filling up fast! Please email Brian@kushrugs.com to reserve your spot on the mic.

We’re just starting to talk to potential candidates for our opening below. Should we be talking with you? If so, please reach out to Brian@kushrugs.com

Kush Rugs is an independent, high-end rug company dedicated to exceptional service and quality, innovative products. We strive to provide a fun, collaborative and personable experience for our team members and clients.

 We are seeking a professional Trade Sales Associate who has experience with high-end clientele and a commitment to generating new business. The Trade Associate role has a strong emphasis on in person outreach and marketing. Travel is required.

 Requirements:

• Proven sales, prospecting, communication, and customer service skills
• Ability and drive to generate new relationships and business, and to nurture those prospects in the long term
• Self-motivated, team-oriented, and open to feedback 
• Familiarity with interior design concepts and color work is preferred

 Responsibilities

• Sell handmade rugs, facilitate custom rug design and sales
• Cultivate relationships with clients to generate new and repeat business
• Implement Designer & Architect presentations locally and in out-of-state target markets
• Participate in events to increase showroom traffic and business
• Gain and maintain fluent product knowledge
• Possess, or develop the the ability to sell custom rugs
• Oversee and monitor full sales life cycle to ensure client satisfaction

 Prospecting and Sales

• Develop strategic prospecting plans to the trade that have weekly, monthly, and yearly targets
• Maintain an active presence on Instagram and other relevant social platforms
• Maintain a sample lending program
• Attend networking meetings for designers and architects
• Develop and maintain outside territories

 Job conditions

• Out of state travel required
• Lift, carry, pull, and push up to 50 pounds 
• Current driver's license and clean driving record

 Compensation

• Base salary plus commission 
• Health Care Plan
  
• Phone Stipend
• 144 hours of PTO annually, which includes the week between Xmas and New Years as paid holiday time off 
• Simple IRA - 3% match after a year of employment

Kush Rugs on Vimeo.

Kush is fueled by our hard working and creative team. Want to know more?

Get to know the personalities your interior design reps. Sean and Michael share a few thoughts on the best restaurants in Portland, their fave museums, colors and more.

 Brian awarded the Kush Rugs prize to Betsy and Mackenzie of Dailey Design Studio. It was a delight to see how excited they were.

When visiting with clients, one theme that keeps coming up is the lack of community over the last two years. To rectify that void, Kush is going to host a series of small happy hours. Our goal is to provide designers an opportunity to unplug and unwind with peers.

We hope that you and your team drop in for a cocktail on Thursday, October 27th from 4:30 - 6:30.

Invite your favorite rep, or vendor. Let's get back to building connection in the in the design community.

Goodbye Zoom & hello phone-free FaceTime!

One of the great joys of being a part of the design community is hosting and attending trade events. Stump-town is a city of creatives, makers, mold breakers and trend setters. We are grateful to play a part in the talented, vibrant, Portland design scene. There's no where else we would rather work, live and build a business in. 

Team Kush looks forward to seeing you at the next soiree!

Kush invites you to celebrate our new showroom & Stark launch party.

Thursday, 9.22.22 at 5pm.

It's going to be Kush-tastic (especially if you're there)!!!

When Kush Rugs opened in 2005, we never imagined we'd hit custom rug #3,000 +.

Early custom projects were simple. Clients chose existing rugs, selected fresh colors, and scaled the design to fit the space.

With design library of over 7,000 unique renderings, we can curate a selection for you, or collaborate to generate inspiring new work.

LET'S TALK CUSTOM!

RESERVE A CONSULT WITH MICHAEL, OR SEAN

From the initial, wholly creative brainstorming meetings to the nitty gritty science of color and construction selection, rug development is a complex story. It's like a young, idealistic friendship that, over the course of a lifetime, grows into a solid and enduring camaraderie. 

Inspired by the warm geometry of Swedish design and textiles, while ever committed to the earthy tones of our fair city, we turned to two rustic yet flexible productions in India to create these completely custom designs. 

The interplay between rug design and rug construction can not be overstated. Over the years we have expanded our capabilities throughout the South Asian weaving belt to allow us to specify just the right weave and materials for every project that crosses our threshold. For Saltwood North, we needed durability to withstand the traffic of a commercial space, and a roughhewn knotting style to ground the simple geometric designs. We decided to work with one of our more far flung producers in the India. Incidentally, the place where we met this little angel...

It took a lot of meetings and design work and a round or two of samples, but we couldn't be more impressed with the final product. We hope you agree, this is an installation to write home about. 

We are in the thick of the buildout of our new space: a big, empty warehouse at 1826 NW 18th just two blocks from the old Bedford Brown, 1 block from Globe, near Kravet and Linde. We will have off street parking and almost 6000 square feet to play. It’s not a lot to look at yet but we’re working hard to make it as beautiful as can be, which these days especially, takes a little time. We are still operating in our same space in the Pearl for now, literally bursting at the seams. Our hope is to move in January. Please cross all your fingers for us! 

Owner Rebecca & brand ambassador Tommy checking out the progress at new Kush!

As you may know, we are evolving to a trade only model. Over the years we’ve been working more and more with interior designers and architects, and the pandemic has only hastened that shift. I hesitate to use the word pivot-- it’s been such a pandemic buzzword it almost makes me cringe, so evolve is my word of choice here. We are evolving. We have evolved.

Trade clients- you can expect the same dedication to service, quality, and integrity you’ve come to expect over the years. Our new model will allow us to protect your business, expand our private label designs, refine our wholesale programs, and develop our Designer Reserve collections. Stay tuned for more on this.

Offering tailored custom work for residential and commercial projects takes time and focus, and is what we love to do. We will be working diligently with our producers to ensure your custom concepts exceed your expectations. But you also need stock, and in our new space our stacks will have even more room to grow and shine. 

While we are still in our Pearl District space we will continue to service retail clients. Our shift to the trade-only model will commence when we move.

Thank you for your ongoing support over the last 16 years, and for allowing us to provide you with solutions for even the most challenging applications. We appreciate you.

Onward!

Although it has not been widely covered, Nepal has been struggling under a severe Covid surge . One of the poorest countries in the world, Nepal has little resources to provide for the population effected by this crisis, and so smaller groups are stepping up to do what they can.

Weaving Dreams , a grassroots organization based in Kathmandu, has worked for several years to assist the weaving community with essentials such as childcare,  education, sanitation, and, since the onset of the pandemic, Covid 19 relief. In our ongoing effort to lift our producers and their communities, Portland based Kush Rugs began supporting them with monthly contributions in March of 2021 .

To date, the team at Weaving Dreams has distributed rice, lentils, PPP,  cooking oil, and access to hand-washing facilities to many weavers and their families. They need our help to continue this important work.

Here's the Gofund Me link. Let's make a positive contribution together!

Even after 15 years, we still get excited seeing our work recognized in print. Here's our mid-century modern rug titled "Koopa Disco" in Rug Insider Magazine. As we're fond of saying, "Thanks for the rug love!

Interior design by JHL Design featuring our Eavan traditional rug.

By now you’ve heard about the devastating surge in Covid cases in India, as well as the struggle people are having getting the care they need to survive the crisis. India is not only the source of our most important productions, it is also home to many of our dearest colleagues and friends and we feel called to help however we can.

We’ve donated to Ketto who is working to procure oxygen concentrators in the Mumbai area. Here are a handful of other places you can go to help.

Ketto

The Indian Red Cross

Rapid Response

Oxfam India

Youth Feed India and Helping Hands Charitable Trust