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Meet the artist

Gianfranco Ferré

Brazilian-born, London-based David Elia is an award-winning artist and designer. His work embraces cultural hybridization and gambiarra, a Portuguese word referencing a makeshift problem-solving style common to Brazil, generally necessitated by or alluding to a lack of tools and inspired by a tradition of resourcefulness—as well as upcycling and Post-Minimalist tendencies.

Much of Elia’s work uses Brazilian society as a frame through which to consider nationally and globally relevant issues through research of human sociology, urban policy, environmental topics as well as security.

Elia’s work is included in multiple public and private collections, including Musée des Arts Décoratifs (Paris), The Museum of Arts & Design (New York), The François Pinault Collection (Paris), and The Sir Elton John Art Collection (London), among others.

Press

AD Italia - November 2021

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AD Russia - Autumn 2021

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Interiores Spain - October 2021

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Mojeh Magazine - U.A.E Autumn 2021

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News

PRESENTING THE “STRATI” COLLECTION DESIGNED BY MIKE SHILOV

In occasion of the Milan Furniture Fair, Sahrai presents the “Strati” collection, by the Russian designer Mike Shilov, part of the Designers Selection Collection. Born in Moscow, where he lives, trained between Russia, the UK and Japan, Shilov has collaborated...
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Material

We use the highest quality materials to carefully create your ideal rug and ensure that all our materials are ethically sourced and sustainable.

Sustainability is of prime importance to us. To ensure consistent quality and craftsmanship, we believe that a sustainable work environment is essential. We take great care to use natural fibres and ensure that our dyeing process is eco-friendly. We have also established a unique technique that makes certain that our washing and finishing are not harmful to the environment.

To create your perfect rug, we utilise a luxurious selection of materials including:

Wool

Wool is the most durable material used for rugs. We use New Zealand wool which is widely known to be the best quality for rugs and carpets due to its specific properties. The wool from New Zealand is very coarse and therefore extremely hard-wearing. It is also the whitest in the world, and as such is the optimal choice for dyeing. It is also colourfast and high in natural lanolin which improves its stain resistance and durability.

Loop Wool / Loop Silk

These are uncut loops of yarn which are available both flat and textured. These loops have a more rugged appearance and are often used in high traffic areas.

Silk

Natural silk has been used in rugs and carpets throughout history. It has a beautiful and luxurious feel and provides a richness of colour. It is hypoallergenic and despite popular belief, very hard-wearing and easy to care for.

Bamboo Silk

Derived from the Bamboo plant - which is a simple plant to grow and qualifies as a renewable resource - Bamboo Silk offers all the qualities of silk at a more competitive price. It is well known for its natural properties making it hypoallergenic and antimicrobial. It looks and feels like natural silk, making it a preferred alternative to synthetic fibres.

Viscose

Viscose is regenerated from cellulose fibre, derived mainly from wood pulp (trees are 50% cellulose) and broken down into fibres. Viscose is versatile and blends easily with other threads. The dyeing process is straightforward and works well with bright colours. Viscose offers a silk-like lustre, attractive drape and is softer than cotton.

Linen

Linen is made from fibres in the stem of the flax plant, which is very strong and absorbent. It is more lustrous than cotton and is renowned for its coolness and freshness.

Tencel

This fibre is produced from sustainably-sourced, natural, raw wood and by environmentally responsible processes.

Chenille

This type of yarn is a relatively recent invention, going back to the 18^th century and originating in France. It involves weaving a leno fabric and then cutting into strips to make the chenille yarn that resembles a caterpillar - hence the word ‘Chenille’ which means caterpillar in French.

Nettle

This is a 100% natural fibre, produced from a nettle plant. Nettle is a highly sustainable plant that grows in the wild. The process to produce this fibre is done entirely by hand and does not involve any chemicals.

Polypropylene

This is a man-made, non-toxic fibre that is often used for outdoor and high traffic areas due to its hard-wearing characteristic and natural stain resistance.

Sahrai works with passion, tradition and precision to elevate design into art. Our luxury designer rugs are made by combining traditional elements with new styles and different textures to give you a rich sensory experience.

Weaving Techniques

We combine our knowledge with the most appropriate technique to create each rug – from hand-knotting and hand-tufting, Aubusson and Savonnerie styles, or offering superior machine-tufted designs. All our designs have been carefully assessed and produced using the technique that best suits the rug’s needs.

FINELY HAND-KNOTTED

Finely hand-knotted rugs are known for their durability. This is the primary technique used in producing Persian rugs. Finely hand-knotted rugs age beautifully and either retain or appreciate in value. Because of the nature of hand-knotting, it is impossible to replicate any design exactly and so each rug retains its character. This is due to the exact placement and tension of each knot being unique.

HIGH-DENSITY HAND-KNOTTED

Hand-knotting rugs is the most traditional method of weaving, going back centuries. The quality and cost of a hand-knotted rug are determined by the number of knots per square centimeters. Higher-density means higher quality and the more complex the design, the longer it will take to produce.

SAVONNERIE HAND-KNOTTED

This is an ancient French technique used in our Place Vendome Collection. It requires a specific loom, allowing our artisans to create a velvety texture.

AUBUSSON FLATWEAVE

Another ancient technique that originated in France involving flat-stitches produced by hand on horizontal looms.

SUPERIOR HAND-TUFTED

Hand-tufting is by far the quickest technique to produce rugs and carpets by hand and is used both for contemporary and classic patterns.

This quality is suitable for both loose rugs and wall-to-wall carpets. Superior hand-tufted rugs are made by punching strands of yarn through a canvas on a frame using an electric hand-tool. The design is first drawn onto the canvas using images from the digital files.

Our hand-tufted carpets can be produced in several qualities with different pile weights and heights:

MACHINE-TUFTED

This is a solution produced in similarly to a traditional sewing machine, with hundreds of needles stitching the yarns into a backing fabric. This cost-effective technique produces endless textural and design possibilities, from geometric to unstructured. It allows different finishes at the surface of the carpet.

The creation of machine-tufted carpets requires the use of a tufting machine. Needles are mounted into position and help to push the fibre through the primary backing. Secondary material then adheres to the support material for a double layered construction. Settings on the machine can be programmed to create pile-tufts that are uniform in height and distribution. The digital tools can also be set to generate a pattern composed of tufts with different heights.