Heart & Soul of a Rug Maker:
Jürgen Dahlmanns

Jürgen Dahlmanns, a textile addict since his first trip to Nepal at age 23,  (he’s now 42) has transferred his obsession into a thriving business.  In less than a decade, having moved from architecture into textile design, Dahlmann has quickly garnered a long and prestigious list of awards and clients: the cover of Modern Carpets and Textiles, design lines for IKEA, his own shops in Berlin, Augsburg and Zürich as well as trading partners in fifteen countries.

Waterlily, VintagePinkPurple BS	Ice No. 03 AllNatural
The Eco Project: luxury from leftover materials	Frozen Three, Grass Green

What sets this designer apart is rooted in his passion for textiles, a genuine love that has gripped him since his first visit to Nepal.  He treats each handmade carpet as "it was originally intended, as a piece of room-creating furniture." Dahlmanns  believes that a textile is in fact the most intimate form of furniture, a belief that is clearly communicated in his bold and endearing designs.  His passion is infectious, making it easy to want to take home a square of Dahlmanns’ positive vision and delightful personality.

"At 23, I made my first journey to Nepal and rounded the Annapurna, which took me 14 days. On the way back down to the valley, I bought my first very old Tibetan rug from a farmer. Since that moment, I was ‘rug addicted’. I began planning several trips to Nepal and China in order to feed my desire.
First I became a collector of old Tibetan rugs. Then I became addicted not only to the beauty of the product, but also to the country and the people, so I started building up my own workshop there. This was in 2001 and since that moment I have been very happy."

Jürgen Dahlmanns founded RUG STAR in October 2002. Its collections draw on many inspirations, some purely whimsical and others more  purposeful in their intent.
“I love what I do and my design is based on social commitment… I also love the fusion of old traditional handicraft methods with contemporary exercise of pattern, color and material. As a rug addict, I spend a lot of time in the production process and look at every single detail of this old handicraft. After the period of observation, my architecturally trained mind starts working and I combine the different elements in the production process in a new way.
We need to constantly add  something to this very old handicraft which relates the product to the moment we are living in. If we walk this way, I am sure there will be no tough times for the product. I made this experience.  I believe if you love your work, this love can be seen in the product and there will always be people understanding and supporting you.”

All of RUG STAR’s textiles come from one very special workshop in Bhaktapur, Nepal.

A socially responsible endeavor, the 400 people at the workshop are provided services of a day care center, school, and small hospital for themselves and their children. Placing a priority on each worker’s self-empowerment and well-being earned Jürgen Dahlmanns a high ranking among Nepali businesses by RugMark, an organization which licenses operators to serve in their campaign for ending child labor.

"In spring and autumn I spend mostly a full month there, happy and proud.

For me it is a small family in Berlin, Germany and a big family in Bhaktapur, Nepal. We have brilliant and funny traders in 15 different countries and it feels like a micro-cosmos, connected through the products. I am very grateful for this."
An impassioned leader, “Jürgen Dahlmanns places social harmony as the most important factor in producing the highest quality rug. As he sees it, one rug will take four or five people working together rhythmically for as many as four months. The harmony in the rug comes directly from the people working together on the rug.” – Quote from RUG STAR