Arkitetwool recreates the idea of a simple carpet developing a new design concept. An affordable product made from the most traditional techniques that distinguish itself by its innovation and quality. A brand that has expanded beyond its borders, to the country of carnaval, Brazil, but that will not stop here, as explained by its business project mentor, Luis Barreira.
what's the concept behind Arkitektwool?
Louis Barreira: After finishing college the opportunity arose to join a company of tapestry and soon realized twenty years ago that there was a large gap, in the carpet design. From there came an idea to create a parallel company and that is how arkitetwool was born.
Parallel in what sense? There's a production of rugs and them arkitetwool?
LB: No, all our production is related to the manufacture of tapestry. We have a store that is arkitet art, but our company manufactures all carpets. And all in one way or another are manual. Some require more manpower than others. Is one of our main characteristics, none of them is industrialized, not run of a machine that makes three to five hundred Mats in turn. They are made yes on handlooms, one at a time for a specific client. It's really tailor's work.
A craftsman takes on average how much time to complete a rug?
LB: That depends on the extent, of the intrinsic design and work that requires the carpet. On average a manual rug, with a measure between the 1.60 cm x 1.40 cm, it may take about two days to be finish.
In creative terms, the designs depend on a request made by the client, or your creative team develops ideas from concepts?
LB: The work can be done by the two ways you mentioned. We have our collections that are developed by the creative team, four in all. For the kitchen we create carpets that can have the shape of a strawberry, or a pineapple and a bunch of grapes. We have one for the bathrooms, with tropical fish. Then we have a segment for the decoration of the house and the nursery. These are the collections that arkitetwool have for their client. The other aspect is when the customer comes to us with a drawing, or something else, like a curtain from his home and from that tissue sample we present two or three proposals for the room by this detail. A concept developed specifically for the client's home. People often are surprised how we can produce a work of such quality at such an affordable price, of around four hundred euros. This is one of the major goals of the brand, because our idea is to reach the general public and not only niche markets. Our carpets despite the design are not just affordable for football players. There are many people coming to our space that are even afraid to ask the price, because they think it costs a fortune and is not so. Also we bet on innovation. One of our products has small notes with a very thin wood inlaid and it works very well. We have fabric applications and artificial flowers made of felt. It is these details that make our carpets distinctive and different.
The arkitetwool is a company that invests in its internationalization in markets such as Brazil. How do you sell wool rugs in a tropical country?
LB: In fact all our rugs are of wool, but within this material there are several types. There are thick yarn with thickness and others more thinner and in this context we have a sample of one centimeter in diameter and so this question does not arise so much. Nevertheless, we also have the linen, which is a raw cooler material that fits these warmer climates. Our kitchen rugs can either be in wool and there as an acrylic material, using plastic where once again this problem does not arise. The Brazilian market has great potential in terms of business, is booming, happily accepts our carpets and never posed that question to be hot and it would not adapt to its climate, quite the contrary.
What are the markets that attract you most right now?
LB: Right now in Brazil, we are developing the areas of Salvador da Bahia and Sao Paulo, but we are growing prospects for Angola. It is a more complicated market, but we would like and we are trying to enter.
In addition to the rug brand you also sell painting, why?
LB: The painting emerged as a complement strand of the tapestry. When we opened our show room, the arkitet art, we created a space were our customers could come and see our product, our collections without having to travel to the factory. We own a studio. We shared a portion of space with an art gallery where we display some works of painting and sculpture that can be custom-made by the customer's specifications. It's all a bit customizable.
Arkitetwool why the name?
LB: To add the concept of architectural design with the raw material. The goal is to unite these two features. On the one hand, the idea of creating a project, that you can innovate and differentiate. It is a kind of architecture of the wool, where we like to individualize and not crowded.
Another of your company is betting on online advertising, there is a strong commitment to the new technologies ...
LB: Yes today is fundamental that we are online. We have some advertising in magazines, but very little. Our bet is the internet.
Why to reach a global market and that is what matters?
LB: Exactly. We have a website and a great movement on facebook, called arkitet art where people can follow our new creations and products that we launched both at the carpet or paintings.
http://www.arkitetwool.com/
