Brand Watch: Handmade rag rugs by Makana Home

Earlier this month myself and Nik spent just over 10 days in Portugal (mega blog post to follow) for our Summer holiday. Having never been before, we wanted to get the best of both worlds with a capital city break, finished with a relaxing getaway to the beautiful beaches of the Algarve. Our time in Lisbon was an eye-opener to such a vibrant history communicated through original details and breathtaking features around every corner. I was pleasantly surprised to find that this authenticity of Portugal continued into our Lagos trip, all thanks to Makana Home.

We stayed with ex-pats Chris & Ellie in their guesthouse Casa Enseada and were welcomed into a home full of treasures from travels and a mixture of modern and ethnic homewares, but the star of the show was Makana Home. Sold from their guesthouse and Etsy store, Ellie and Chris' home is like a live in showroom for these handcrafted rag rugs. Sourced from the North of Portugal, each hand woven rug is unique, with no two ever being the same. I fell in love instantly and was amazed at how versatile each piece was. Especially the bottom left striped rug; after much toing and froing I caved, and it will arrive in the next week or so (again expect another post to follow!). Despite being a lover of grey marls and muted Scandi shades, the biscuit and navy combination highlighted with thin neon pink stripes felt so original to me and to know that I would have the only one of it's kind made the decision even easier.

[Photography by Ellie Clifton and Emily Nicholson]

Chris and Ellie have a wide variety of rag rugs, big and small, plain or bright, but one added touch that I thought made them even more special was the fact that over time, Ellie has learned to recognise the craftsmanship of each maker within every rug. Although the body of the weave may be the same, the woven style differs, determining each maker's technique. Whether it's a scalloped hand finished edge or a knotted frayed tie, these finishing touches are another reminder that these pieces have a back story and a life. Not something you're going to find on the shelves of Ikea anytime soon anyway. 

For more information on the Makana Home brand, you can visit the Etsy store and Instagram pages here.

Stay tuned for my full Lisbon & Lagos travel post, with even more sneak peeks into Ellie & Chris' (and Dot the cat) beautiful Air BnB home.