"This is surely the place to return to"

Nice to meet you all.
I'm Nakamoto, a new member of Layout and a city girl (apprentice) who recently moved to Tokyo. I'm currently training surrounded by staff who are passionate about rugs and rugs.

From now on, I will be sharing my thoughts on the appeal of rugs and Layout little by little.
And perhaps one day she will become a true city girl...I hope you will continue to watch over her warmly.

By the way, did you know that last week a new Layout store opened in Plaza House, Japan's oldest American-style shopping center in Naha City, Okinawa Prefecture? We are honored to be able to join this warm and welcoming mall that is loved by locals.
It also looks like they're opening a new cafe. Keep an eye on Layout Okinawa!

Picture book-like gentleness and presence

What we would like to introduce to you today is an old Gabbeh, which has a rustic pattern that is hard to find in current products and the sophisticated feel that only vintage items can have.

A solitary animal is drawn in the middle of a complex blue gradation background that looks like it was painted over and over again. Its cute expression is sure to capture your heart...

What came to mind was the picture book "It's Morning, So I'll Open the Window" by picture book author Arai Ryoji.

The blue of the background overlaps with the bluish appearance of the mountains lit by the dawn sun. The clear air and mysterious beauty. There's not much to say, but gazing at it mysteriously stimulates the imagination.

When I spread out this rug, the staff gathered around as if drawn in, and after each of them told a story they had imagined, they all looked at the rug again in silence, saying "Hmm."

It looks as though the child is turning around because someone nearby is calling him, or as though he is checking the path he has walked so far by himself.

The way you feel about it may change depending on who sees it and at what time, but it always exudes a kindness that seems to say, "It's okay to be here."

Fluctuations in everyday life

When asked, "What's so great about handmade rugs?", I might sound like an exaggeration, but I feel like there will come a time in your daily life when the rug under your feet will save you. I think that's where the beauty of handmade rugs lies.

Just as the food we eat shapes who we are, the things around us shape our lives.

Junk food is easy and delicious, but just as we still miss home-cooked meals, I strongly believe that no matter how convenient things become, handmade products will never be eliminated from people's lives.

Every time I come home, it reminds me that this is where I belong.

Please come and see us at our Nakameguro store.