Proud Mary Pillows

I just saw the new batch of pillows from Proud Mary and they are pretty cool. They are handmade in a cooperative located central Mali (which is in West Africa if you're geographically challenged). The cooperative works with young locals and teaches them traditional Malian mud cloth dyeing and printing techniques.

By combining these indigenous African textiles with zippy details like brightly-colored cording, the peeps at Proud Mary have created pillow styles that are bold and exotic but are still neutral in a sense. That balance means that they can be used in lots of settings...even pretty traditional ones (see below). Termed "ethnic-modern" by Proud Mary, this blend of cultural aesthetics makes for some fabulous, unique goods. Here is a sampling of their current pillow offering:

Like I said before, you don't have to have a bohemian, casual aesthetic to work these pillows into the mix. Actually, it's almost better if your current setup is a bit boring - pillows that are a wee bit brazen can quickly improve things! To prove my point, here's a little mockup that shows two of the Proud Mary pillows in a rather transitional lineup...

Cameo Mirrors - Jayson Home

Currey & Company Coquette Chandelier - Calypso Home

Racine 20" sq. Pillow - Proud Mary Textiles

Ivory Linen Pillows with Greek Key Border - Etsy Seller Donna Kibler

Clive Sofa - Room & Board

Dreams Rug - Arzu

Odette Sofette - MGBW

Zig Zag Gris 14x24" Pillow - Proud Mary Textiles

Mod Cylinder Table Lamp - Shades of Light

Gold Leaf Square Table - Shop Ten 25

Upholstered Chairs in Quadrille China Seas Island Ikat Fabric - Etsy seller MarleyMaterial

DwellStudio Milo Cocktail Table - ABC Home

Vintage Porcelain Planter - Etsy

Well, what do you think of the pillows? What about how they look in my little fictional living room?

I'm really loving the pillows because they fuse modern, sophisticated styling with natural, artisanal materials. It think that combination fits well into most people's worlds these days - from a stylistic and functionality perspective. I know that the majority of my clients want their homes to look pulled-together, yet still be comfortable and useable. Proud Mary's wares look cool and current but don't seem too precious to touch...which is key for a pillow, don't you think?

I also like that Proud Mary works with artisans around the world. Not only does it bring fresh design to the table, it also helps the men and women who create the textiles support themselves and their families. The ethos seems a bit similar to Arzu Studio Hope, the organization that distributes the AMAZING Dreams Rug shown above. By partnering with Afghan women, Arzu empowers those women to economically uplift their families and communities by helping them sell their handmade rugs. I won't get on my soapbox on the topic, but the main point is that it's always better to buy a high-quality, artisanal product instead of a piece of junk from a factory in China!

ARZU Rug in Action

The ARZU rug that I purchased through a sale at The Foundary was delivered a few days ago. As I've previously wrote about, ARZU is a “for-benefit” corporation that works to promote the success of Afghan women weavers. The delivery date of my rug was ironic because the George W. Bush Institute is hosting a conference in Dallas on advancing human rights and economic opportunity for Afghan women this week.

Anyhow, I'm happy to support ARZU and I just love the rug! Full of rich oranges and blues, the colors are really gorgeous. Here it is in our entry...

Beautiful rug, don't you think? Now I need to get the rest of the room in order. As I've mused before, an oversized full-length mirror would be an ideal addition (it would replace the gold mirror shown above). I'm also toying with the idea of painting the candlestick lamps a super dark peacock blue to add more contrast. Finally, the space needs artwork. I'll probably go with some abstract pieces since the area is looking much more traditional with the new rug.

Do You Know about ARZU?

Normally Pottery Barn's rugs aren't really my style, so I was pleasantly surprised to find a few that I really liked while browsing their new arrivals. The one below is my favorite and it is an Arzu Studio Hope artisan rug.

Equality Rug

According to the PB site, these rugs are hand-knotted by Afghan women and Arzu Studio Hope is the non-profit that sources and sells their creations so they can earn income. 

They get paid for their work and we get access to their beautiful textiles...sounds like a win-win to me! Wanting to see more of what they offer, I went to the Arzo site and clicked the Collections tab. There are so many wonderful styles...I tried to narrow it down to a few favorites here:

It was also nice to see that interior designer Thomas Schoos partnered with Arzu and designed a series of more contemporary rugs. As you'll see below, one was featured in House Beautiful's September issue!

I'm so glad to know about Arzu and hope to support them by buying a rug one day. Thanks a bunch to Pottery Barn for partnering with them and spreading the word about their cause!

Any thoughts on the matter? I'm also curious to know...what rug style do you like best? Traditional, contemporary, natural (i.e. sisal, sea grass, jute), or a mix of all?