Open Studio

Introducing Three New Jutes

Tom — Tue, 15 May 2012 13:11:19 +0000

Introducing three gorgeous new styles in our very popular jute collection. These unique designs feature both braided and woven constructions, crafted by hand or with a traditional wooden loom. With names inspired by the natural color and beauty of beaches around the world, our jute rugs mimic the flowing patterns of waves and sand dunes. [...]

New Jute Techniques

Tom — Tue, 08 May 2012 18:47:57 +0000

Craftsmanship is not just using high quality materials and manufacturing techniques. Craftsmanship is creativity, versatility and a hands-on approach. At Merida, we are frequently amazed by the expertise of our own craftsmen. Our workers have the skill-set to improvise when faced with a challenging custom rug design. Custom Rug Team Leader Steven Ho demonstrates this [...]

Featured Design Project: Karen Houghton Interiors

Whitney — Thu, 03 May 2012 13:38:41 +0000

Based in Nyak, NY, Karen Houghton Interiors (KHI, Inc.) has been committed to the principle that, “a room must be right for its time, its place and for people who live in it,” for over 25 years. When we came across photos for one of their latest projects we understood what makes them so special; [...]

A Designer’s Eye in Marrakech

Tom — Mon, 30 Apr 2012 18:44:07 +0000

Catherine, Roxanne and Maegan of the Merida team were lucky enough to attend the 2012 Design Leadership Summit in Marrakech. The perennial event brings together designers, architects, and editors in a forum for sharing inspiration and ideas in a location that offers a unique perspective. Marrakech, Morocco was chosen for its wealth of patterns and [...]

Supporting Global Artisans by Shopping Ten Thousand Villages

Cameron — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 16:34:16 +0000

This month Merida is recognizing the amazing work of global artisans and the companies that support them. One such company is Ten Thousand Villages – a boutique franchise that exclusively sells fairly traded, sustainable artisan goods. Like Merida, Ten Thousand Villages builds longstanding relationships with the makers of the products they sell so that the [...]

The Rebirth of Moko

Whitney — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 18:50:50 +0000

The pairing of smooth wool and organic raw sisal has long been coveted in the rug industry for the soft, luxurious texture that results. As such, Moko has been one of our top selling products for over a decade. Always one to strive to stay fresh and on trend, we recognized it was time to [...]

Craftsmanship in Every Rug

Tom — Wed, 11 Apr 2012 16:32:58 +0000

For over 30 years Merida has been know for manufacturing high quality natural fiber area rugs. What you may not know is the craftsmanship and attention to detail that goes into every rug we create. Hand-finished in one of our two Massachusetts workshops, each area rug has its binding applied by a skilled member of [...]

Art Deco: Timeless Style

Tom — Tue, 27 Mar 2012 17:33:58 +0000

Creative inspiration can be found anywhere you look, from nature to machine, from the exceptional to the common. We find the Art Deco aesthetic in the 1920′s and 30′s particularly inspiring in its combination of elegance and boldness. Primarily a reaction to the Art Nouveau movement, Art Decor used structured geometric patterning instead of organic [...]

Studio Webware Saves the Business of Design

Sandi — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 22:21:45 +0000

THINK YOUR DESIGN BUSINESS IS BURIED IN PAPERWORK? THINK AGAIN. In my third year here at Merida, as I got deeper into the world of interior design, I became fascinated by how designers balance their creative work with the business side of the industry. After my curiosity was perked I started to hear a lot [...]

Dahea Sun’s Rain Palette

Cameron — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:51:58 +0000

European artist Dahea Sun is changing the way we think about art with her most recent collection, Rain Palette. A Master of Textile Futures student at the Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, Sun’s Rain Palette is an innovative approach to draw attention to an important and hazardous environmental issue through an elegant [...]

EJ Interiors Transforms with Color

Whitney — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 18:56:07 +0000

We are huge fans of the esteemed Material Girls Blog, so when Emily Johnston Larkin of EJ Interiors contacted us to share one of her recent projects we were thrilled to say the least. When we opened the photos from the Frisco, Texas, install our jaws dropped to the floor. Larkin took some design risks [...]

Inspiration Boards for Interior Designers

Tom — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 14:43:38 +0000

It was only a matter of time before interior designers had online communities of their own. The image sharing network Pinterest and mood board creator Olioboard are two great social networks for designers or design enthusiasts. They not only make it easy and fun to make digital versions of inspiration boards that designers commonly use, [...]