Sometimes it is pure curiosity and wanderlust that takes you to new places and makes you discover new people and cultures. Other times it is design and craftsmanship. This was the case with my first trip to Romania, to be precise, to the region of Transylvania in Romania’s heart. How exactly you might wonder. Well, I had the honor to be invited by Tisca, an Austrian rug company specialized in rug manufacturing ‘with hand and heart’.
Tisca invited me along with some of my blogger besties like Holly of Decor8, Desiree of Vosgesparis, Niko of My Scandinavian Home, Agata of Passion Shake and Mette of Monsters Circus to join them in Transylvania in a small town close to Sibiu. We followed with much excitement and curiosity as it was a first time visit to Romania for all of us.
Our excitement was equally big for both, the country and the rug manufacturing. All of us are interior lovers and understanding and seeing how products are being manufactured is a whole new level of excitement when it comes to interiors. Rugs are often neglected and seen as either a necessity or sole decorative item. But rugs are much more – they can be a real game changer in a room and transform the entire look. They can also help define living areas and separating big rooms. Not to mention that they add a great level of texture and coziness to a home. But when you also get to know the story behind a rug, then it truly becomes a ‘living part’ of your home. With its own story.
Tisca told us their story right there where they weave their rugs in Romania. We got a glimpse into their production facilities, learned about wool, all the steps until the weaving starts, we learned about their ‘Olbia’ collection with 26 structures and 96 colors, their ‘Respect’ collection that meets the strict Global Organic Textile Standards (GOTS). Moreover, we got the chance to weave our own little rug. What a great and unique experience!
Weaving our own mini rug was revelatory – we experienced by ourselves what skills it takes to really weave a rug and that these women and men at Tisca’s production site are real artisans. Their hands move in a speed we could only wonder, their eyes seemed to keep every thread under control and with all the work they still had time to smile at us and sometimes pose for our photos. The atmosphere was cheerful in general and it felt like that good vibes were directly woven into the rugs.
My personal favorite is the Barrio model from the Olbia collection in a very neutral, off-white color. It features a slightly bumpy yarn structure and is both-sided – and it truly looks and feels like a foot massage for the home! Maybe I need to invite this beauty into my home soon, what do you think?! I sense it’s time for a little interior style change in the living room. But let’s see!
For this blog post I brought some impressions from our visit to Tisca’s production site. But if you want to see all the beauties of Transylvania too, I invite you to check out my story highlights called ‘Romania’ on Instagram. Also check out Agata’s blog post for impressions of the place we stayed. And now have a look at your rugs at home and tell me: What story do they tell you?
This blog post has been brought to you in collaboration with Tisca. As always all opinions and photos are my own. Thank you for supporting the brands who support this blog!
Photography by Igor Josifovic, Agata Dimmich
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