Makers
Mr. Ayub Chohan is a master designer with over 40 years of design experience. He says "In Bunyaad not only do we get good wages, food, tea and respect. In Bunyaad there is no Muslim/Christian. There is brotherhood"
Mumtaz Taji is approaching her 8th year with Bunyaad. For Mumtaz, working with Bunyaad means the ability to work out of home which is essential to caring for her family.
Rafaqat, Arshad and Saqawat have a combined 45 years of experience at Bunyaad and are each highly respected for their skill and quality of work. "God has blessed us. We earn our keep. We have respect. We have unity."
Kaleem has worked with Bunyaad artisans for 10 years and serves as the assistant supervisor for his region. He assists from beginning to end, supplying materials, setting up looms in their homes, and collecting the rugs before sending them on to Lahore, Pakistan.
Process
Design
Fair Trade
Why Bunyaad
Great Wool = High Knot Count
Bunyaad Rugs are crafted from finer wool and weft threads. The result? A higher knot count.
Go natural
Over 40% of our rugs boast natural dyes made from roots, tree bark, nutshells, fruit skins, vegetable skins and dried flowers.
Speaking the design language
A master designer sketches a design onto graph paper to create a special “rug language” called talam. Each colour gets a symbol that indicates the number of knots.
Knotting and more knotting
An expert knotter can knot approximately 40 knots per minute! When a row is complete, a weft thread is shuttled through and pounded into place.
Squeaky clean
Time to lose the dirt and dust. Expert washers drench rugs in a water and bleach mixture, and vigorously scrub and rinse them for at least an hour.
Snipping and shearing
An expert artisan creates a uniform pile using heavy shears. One slip can ruin months of work. No wonder it takes three years of training to become a master trimmer!
It starts with a pencil
Master designers take days or even weeks to sketch on graph paper with a pencil. Once graphed, the artist then decides on colours, carefully painting the design with watercolours.
Rugs for every taste
There are three major kinds of Pakistani hand-knotted rugs: Bokhara, Persian and Tribal, plus hand-woven rugs called Kilims. All are durable, high quality and handmade.
Couleurs et teintures
Qu’elles soient vives ou douces, les teintures naturelles et synthétiques sélectionnées par les concepteurs permettent de créer de remarquables tapis aux nuances riches et dans la lignée des grandes traditions.
The right fit
To find the perfect rug, measure your room and rug area. Don’t forget to take a digital picture of your room before bringing it to a Bunyaad rug and décor expert.
Years to master
Meet master designer, Mr. Ayub Chohan. He has over 40 years of design experience and has been working part-time for Bunyaad for a decade.
Inspiration from outside
Most designs are inspired by things found in nature, in architecture, and from each artisan's ethnic heritage.
Fair Trade rugs feel good
A Bunyaad rug is a beautiful piece of functional art, but also supports lives, culture and education in Pakistan. Quality rugs and a livable income can go hand in hand.
Peace and hope
Bunyaad works with over 850 families in roughly 100 villages. Christians and Muslims work together transcending differences of religion, custom and tradition. “We sit, eat and work together. There’s no Muslim and Christian. There is brotherhood,” says one artisan.
Working from home
Rural artisans can work from home and do not have to leave their villages for large city jobs. This keeps families together.
Empowering women
With looms located inside artisans’ homes, Bunyaad’s knotters can work around other household chores. This setup gives women year-round, stable income.
Educating a generation
Education builds hope and prosperity for an entire community. When Bunyaad opened its Girls High School in 1977, when there were only 35 students. Today more than 800 girls attend.
Slow is beautiful
Bunyaad rugs are quality rugs. Because artisans are paid per knot, they don’t need or want to make lower quality rugs. They’re proud of their work.
-
Quality not quantity
Our artisans are assured a fair wage, allowing them peace of mind to focus on creativity, rather than speed, and quality, rather than expense. No shortcuts or cut corners!
No cookie-cutter rugs here
Artisans make their own artistic and technical decisions. And, just as we wouldn’t ask a painter to make 150 copies of the same painting, we wouldn’t ask our knotters to knot 150 of the same rug! Our selection and quality are unmatched.
Quality materials
Quality starts with the fibres artisans choose: long wool strands, cotton and silk. All of our rugs are made with consistently high quality materials and dyeing techniques.
Look for the clues
What indicates rug quality? Small and tight knots, and a clear design on the front and back of the rug. Bunyaad rugs have a higher knot count due to finer wool and weft threads.
Oops!
You can relax about that grape juice spill. Really. Thanks to the quality dyeing process, our rugs will not accept other colours. Spot clean with mild soap. Our colourfast rugs can even be used in sunrooms!
Support and expertise
We’ve worked with Bunyaad artisans since 1982 and have staff dedicated to educating customers about fair trade Oriental rugs. Have a question? Just ask.
No child labour
Not only is bonded child labour a human rights travesty, children don’t have the expertise or patience to create quality rugs. We know the Bunyaad artisans and can personally vouch for their claim of producing rugs without child labour.
Vivid, lasting colour
Colourfast rugs are instant heirlooms created from high-quality dyes bought from a reputable dye supplier. Bunyaad handcrafts rugs that remain bright and vibrant for years.
| Rug Event | Dates |
| Victoria |
British Columbia |
March 17 - April 2, 2017
|
| Langley |
British Columbia |
Apr 7 - April 22, 2017 |
Calgary
|
Alberta |
Sept 15 - Oct 1, 2017 |
| Edmonton |
Alberta |
April 28 - May 14, 2017
|
| Red Deer |
Alberta |
Aug 25 - Sep 9, 2017 |
| Saskatoon |
Saskatchewan |
Aug 4 - Aug 20, 2017 |
| Winnipeg |
Manitoba |
July 7 - 22, 2017 |
| Winnipeg |
Manitoba |
Nov 10 - 25, 2017 |
| Cobourg |
Ontario |
Apr 7 - Apr 23, 2017 |
| Niagara |
Ontario |
Jun 9 - 24, 2017 |
| Waterloo |
Ontario |
Apr 28 - May 14, 2017 |
| Pointe Claire |
Quebec |
Oct 13 - Oct 29, 2017 |
| St. Denis |
Quebec |
May 19 June 4, 2017 |
* Ten Thousand Villages Winnipeg Plaza sells Bunyaad rugs all year. During the rug sale dates, you can find discounts ranging from 10% to 50% off a selection of Rugs.
