Our mission is to bring you conscientiously crafted, exquisite rugs that celebrate personal expression and cultural heritage.
Northwest 35 was formed following a fruitless search for beautiful, hand-knotted rugs that combined classic and modern elements. It has evolved into so much more, however, and exists to make manifest your stories in woven works of art.
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Just as important to us as the wonderful impact our rugs have on the spaces they occupy is the impact their creation has on the environment, and on the highly skilled artisans who craft them.
—–– Having undergone her own blending of cultures, founder and house designer, Richa Walia perfectly achieves harmonious innovation of an ancient craft.
—–– Northwest 35 cares deeply about people and the planet. As a certified Label STEP fair trade partner, we are instrumental in improving the lives of our artisans, ensuring ethical practices across the entire supply chain. Audits of our suppliers also promote ecologically sound production.
Practicing a Tibetan technique that has remained the same for centuries, our skilled craftspeople painstakingly hand-knot each unique work of textile art, and we celebrate this legacy.
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The wellbeing of all those involved in the production of Northwest 35 rugs is of paramount importance to us and our partnership with Label STEP supports this core value. Providing the industry’s most comprehensive fair trade standard, this non-profit, non-governmental organisation also empowers weavers, and other workers in the handmade carpet industry, with educational programmes and advocacy.
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A Northwest 35 rug represents timeless tradition, exquisite artistry, and improvements in the lives of our very valued artisans.
We are delighted to be returning at UK’s premier interior design event, showcasing a selection of rugs and runners from…
Northwest 35, designer of hand-knotted, luxury rugs with meaning and symbolism woven into them, launches a new design for their…
Northwest 35 previews exciting new collection of luxury, handcrafted rugs, celebrating global diversity and the blending of cultures [London, 24/01/2025]…
—–– Northwest 35 founder, Richa Walia, has artistry in her DNA. Her parents were both active in the performing and visual arts, and they ensured that Richa and her sister enjoyed a culturally rich childhood.
Growing up in the post-independence city of Chandigarh, in northwest India, gave Richa an appreciation of modernist architecture, and exposed her to the vibrant, emerging art and culture scene of a young city striving to establish its own identity. Summer holidays were spent travelling around the country, experiencing the incredible diversity of its crafts, cuisines, and aesthetic styles.
Throughout her formative years, Richa was deeply immersed in classical dance and music, which she feels laid the foundation for her creative expression. Quick to recognise her artistic talent, Richa’s teachers urged her to pursue the drawing and painting that was another of her passions, and one that would endure.
As an Architecture undergraduate, Richa would join lessons with fine art students at every opportunity, and she staged her debut exhibition in Chandigarh, to critical acclaim. A master’s at the School of Planning and Architecture took Richa to New Delhi – where she continued to paint, and to exhibit her work – and it was there that she embarked on a career in urban planning and analysis of the built environment. The evolution of Richa’s professional career necessitated a move to the USA, and then to London, where she and her family settled.
Research has been central to all of Richa’s roles, and she has spent many years predicting trends and understanding their impact on buildings and occupants. As a Director for a global real estate corporation, sustained focus on the future of work, human experience within the built environment, and sustainability, had a profound influence on Richa’s thought process. An analytical lens now guides Richa when working on design themes. This ongoing journey of research, design and creation culminated in the design of Richa’s northwest London home, from layout to interior styling, and crafting the custom rugs which served as inspiration for Northwest 35.
