This week we're touting our beautiful Mini Stripe rug, and I wanted to share the story of how this gorgeous rug came to be.

Five years ago I was traveling in Nepal, one of my favorite destinations for inspiration.

I had recently renovated my loft apartment and was searching (as I always am) for textures and details to add to my new home or to inspire my work.

By chance, I came across a young couple who were making the most beautiful and luxurious silk and wool custom rugs - and it was love at first sight. I knew I had to have them make the rugs for my apartment.

After much back and forth with them, getting the exact size, color and construction just right - my rugs arrived a few weeks later.

The rugs became an obsession - and everyone that stepped foot in my home became as obsessed with them as I was. I knew that if my friends and I could be THAT taken with a rug, I needed to bring them to the DwellStudio customer as well. So I set out on a mission: to recreate my beautiful rug with our source in India.

The talented people that make our Mini Stripe rugs are as obsessed with pile and quality as I am - each piece is made with the most luxurious wool, and a thread of viscose is shot through to give a bit of shine.

These rugs are the perfect non-neutral neutral - and go anywhere. Our entire office is now obsessed with the rug - we all have them in our homes.

Here you see it in our EVP, Jennifer Chused's Brooklyn apartment.

From gorgeous Marrakesh interiors to Souk street food, we're feeling inspired by our founder Christiane's trip to Morocco! Grab your bags because we're go Behind the Studio - as we tag along with Christiane and her family on their amazing adventures in Morocco...

See more snaps from Morocco on Pinterest and follow Christiane on Twitter and Instagram for live updates!

Christiane was in London last week for the launch of Living by DwellStudio at the House of Fraser. We'd love to show you some of her intagram snaps from her trip...

P.S. check out our London City Guide to see our favorite hot spots!

Last week our founder Christiane participated in Apartment Therapy's Design Evening at ABC Home and Carpet in NYC. Apt Therapy's Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan interviewed Christiane about her path from Ottawa to DwellStudio. Christiane also gave a presentation about her favorite new design trends for 2013. Check out the full interview below...

Our founder Christiane has teamed up with cool concept store STORY for an afternoon of chic D.I.Y. crafting. Christiane will be on-hand next Monday to help you construct design-savvy gifts from holiday cards to festive paper ornaments. Plus our friends at HP are providing all the materials (have you seen Christiane's awesome place-setting cards?). Full event details are below and make sure to RSVP to Hello@thisisstory.com to reserve your seat. Can't wait to see you there!

When: Monday, December 17 from 4-5:30pm

Where: STORY - 144 10th Avenue near 19th Street.

RSVP: Hello@thisisstory.com (space is limited!)

We had a great time at last night's Q & A and party with Miles Redd! Here's a peek at some of the scenes from the soiree...

And thanks to Assouline Publishing and Housing Works! We can't wait to see everyone at our next design event at 77 Wooster.

Our office is buzzing about tonight's Q & A and cocktail party with Miles Redd and Christiane Lemieux. We can't wait to celebrate Miles' gorgeous new book, The Big Book of Chic. See you tonight!

(image via Carolina George.)

P.S. make sure you're on the list... RSVP: email DS@lsagency.com or call 877.303.4396.

Related Posts:

Spotlight on Miles Redd

Inspired by Miles Redd on Pinterest

I partnered up the HP to create a few chic and easy holiday crafts at home using my new HP printer. The printer makes the design process so easy I was able to make them with my whole family. Because I love hosting dinner parties, I designed a cool place-setting card based on our modern Deco Border print. I'm also loving this cool 3D Photo Cube and these festive Thank You Cards that I spotted in HP's Holiday Headquarters! Check out our How-To video and step-by-step instructions below to see just how easy these projects are. Plus, I would love to see your projects! Send them to me via Twitter and Instragram using hashtag #HipHoliday and I'll share my favorites here on the Studio blog... Enjoy!

How-To Guide: DwellStudio Place-setting Cards

1. Print pattern or image. Print image on both sides of paper.

2. Trim paper to 5.5"x10.5" and fold in half.

3. Punch holes around the border of paper.

4. Insert fasteners and cut 3.5"x3.75" rectangles out of contrasting paper, tape to top of place setting.

5. Personalize with name or menu.

We're so excited for our exclusive Q&A and cocktail party with interior designer Miles Redd. We can't wait to toast his new book The Big Book of Chic. Just like his boldly decorated interiors, Miles' book is filled with gorgeous images of the hi-low glamour that has become his signature style. All week we've been collection some of our favorite Miles Redd interiors on Pinterest and wanted to share some of them right here on the blog... and make sure to RSVP for this intimate event, space is limited!

(Image via New York Times.)

Midnight blue lacquer elevates this wall of bookshelves. And bold pops of saturated color like the chartreuse velvet chairs and coral pink lamp make this space so Miles!

(Image via Washington Square Journal.)

Love the playful mix of graphics and glamour: Franz Kline painting, Victorian chair upholstered in a textured zebra print, shaggy rug and coral pink walls.

(Image via Miles Redd.)

Signature mix by Miles Redd: botanical wall paper, chevron floor, a collection of greenery and glass globes and touches of deep emerald.

(Image via Miles Redd.)

Tradition with a twist: luxe velvet sofa, modern throw pillows and cheeky salon wall accents.

(Image via Miles Redd.)

Layers of glamour mix well in this brilliant pairing of bold, saturated hues: cobalt blue, poppy red and black high-gloss black.

(Image via Miles Redd.)

RSVP: email DS@lsagency.com or call 877.303.4396. See you there!

Christiane spoke to Harper's Bazaar Australia about how she maintains her modern and downtown style at home with kids underfoot. Here are some of our favorite quotes from the article...

On designing the DwellStudio kids collection:

For our kids line, we wanted to explore the graphic icons that kids love but in a way that adults are happy to have in their homes. That means nothing too sweet or predictable, but things that are hip.

On finding inspiration from her kids:

My kids have reinforced the idea that children like using their surroundings as a way to communicate a story. They also keep me up to speed on what type of icons kids like these days. My son wanted to do a dinosaur bedding set, so we did one this season, and my daughter loves unicorns at the moment.

On making her Soho loft kid- and adult-friendly:

Our home was a printing press at some point, so it was conceived of as an industrial space, with high ceilings and open spaces. Design-wise, we wanted to highlight that quality and make the dining, TV and living area one space. It also means kids can scoot and bicycle around, which is great in New York because there isn't a lot of outdoor space like there is in Australia.

On finding kid-friendly home furnishings:

I like to modify pieces a little bit. I found fabrics for my home that were beautiful but really easy to clean, like linen, which I love. But at the end of the day you can do what you can and then I say just really live in it. There's nothing worse than a home where the kids can't go in the living room and the dog can't go on the carpet. A home with a soul, even if there are flaws from family living, feels a lot more special to me than somewhere where everyone is segregated in their own space.

(All images via The Glow.)

Thank you to Haper's Bazaar Australia for a fabulous article!