about us.

ART of RUGS opened its first store on the Sunshine Coast in November 2020

A wholesale company (Rug Dynamics Pty Ltd) was established in 1996 in Melbourne by Barbara Thomson

Barbara became interested in the rug industry as a result of travels to Turkey and Europe with her husband, a senior executive for a national floor covering distributor. Barbara relinquished her role as a corporate finance professional to pursue her newfound passion for high quality woven and knotted rugs and carpets.

Barbara, through her wholesale company, was fortunate to secure distribution rights in Australia for one of the most respected manufacturers of high quality handwoven and handknotted rugs and carpets, Paulig Teppiche. Paulig has weaving centres in Morocco, Hungary and Nepal and is also a family company whose connection with the textile industry stretched back to 1750.

Marketed under two brands, Paulig and Makalu their carpets have graced the floors and walls of prestige residences and corporate spaces throughout the world. Now a Sunshine Coast resident, in November 2020 Barbara opened her ART of RUGS studio in Mooloolaba in response to a growing demand in the region for high quality handcrafted woven rugs. Products only displayed in the major capitals can now be accessed in the heart of the Sunshine Coast.

high quality materials.

The Paulig group source only the very best raw materials to allow their artisan weavers to produce rugs of the highest quality. Great importance is placed on sustainability and eco-friendliness.

Manufacturing Excellence

The weaving looms on which the rugs are produced have been designed and manufactured by Paulig’s engineering team. This has resulted in an unsurpassed weaving quality.

All designs and textures are created by Paulig’s talented and innovative in-house design team. Their creations have been acknowledged by the rug industry as leaders in their field. Paulig controls the process of producing a woven rug from start to finish.

Wool has been sourced from the same New Zealand producers for decades because of its consistent high quality. Paulig Teppiche prepares the wool for weaving. It is cleaned, dyed, spun and felted in-house by Paulig’s specialist team.

By controlling the processing from the sheep farm to the weavers’ looms, Paulig ensures that their products are of superior quality and perform to their clients’ expectations.

ETHICAL PRODUCTION

From the very beginning, Paulig has always produced its carpets in a manner that people and the environment are protected.

ADULT WEAVERS

Paulig employs hundreds of adult weavers in a safe secure working environment. Children are not allowed to participate in any way. The workplaces are audited regularly by the Swiss based STEP organisation of which the Paulig group are members. As a STEP member the Paulig group commit to good working and living conditions, fair wages, eco-friendly production and the prohibition of child labour. STEP employs independent inspectors to verify the compliance to fair trade standards.

RENEWABLES

All primary products used in the weaving process are high quality and renewable – wool, jute, cotton, sisal and silk.

GENTLE ON THE ENVIRONMENT

The felting process is carried out in clean water using chemical free soap. The Swiss sourced dyes are free of heavy metals.

MOTH PROOFING

The carpet moth protection is odourless and certified as generating no health hazard.

THE PAULIG PROMISE

When consumers choose a Paulig product from ART of RUGS they can be certain that it has been woven from the very best raw materials, that every precaution is taken to be friendly to the environment, that Paulig’s adult workers enjoy a safe, friendly working environment and that they receive above average compensation for their skill and dedication.

size and colour flexibility.

We offer an unequalled choice of widths and lengths. The interior design community can utilise the flexibility of the weaving process and the extensive colour palette to create a unique outcome for the client.

design excellence.

Our European design team are the industry leaders in rug texture, design and colour awareness.

world class.

High quality, ethically sourced raw materials are translated by artisan weavers into rugs of great beauty and functionality.

 

reversible.

Our rugs in most cases are reversible (the back is exactly the same as the front) and both sides can be used.