Photographs courtesy of Larusi.
“The designs are intricate, but also very muted and quiet.” Souad Larusi is describing the character of the Tuareg rugs she sources from Morocco.
Larusi: “A mecca for high quality antique and bespoke rugs.”
Souad has been buying and selling tribal rugs and textiles for twenty years.
In that time her eponymous north London studio Larusi has become what the World of Interiors has called a mecca for high quality antique and bespoke rugs...
...Her eye for what one client Ilse Crawford no less described as earthy expressive vintage rugs contributed to the trend for the now ubiquitous Beni Ourain rugs
Organic and tactile, Tuareg rugs are also incredibly hardwearing.
Tuareg rugs are made across the Sahara Desert by nomadic tribespeople living in Mali, Niger, Algeria, Burkina Faso, Libya, and Mauritania.
“They use what they have,” says Souad, who prefers mid-century finds to new designs, which are often paler in color.
Some of the rugs Souad finds are also painted, but she prefers those left bare and muted.
The patterns are unique and vary from simple muted bands of color to intricate, interwoven geometric patterns. Originally intended for use directly on the desert sands, Tuareg rugs are incredibly hard-wearing and versatile.
Souad also sources beautiful Tuareg runners and intricate wall hangings, although she would happily see one of her rugs suspended behind a sofa.
Natural, sustainable, and entirely unique, the restrained design of Tuareg rugs happens to appeal to Souad’s clientele of tastemakers, including stylists, interior designers, architects, actors, fashion designers, and artists.