We interviewed our rug-loving colleagues at Layout to find out where their love for rugs comes from.
The first person to join us was brand manager Hirai. We had him tell us all about his work, from his everyday duties to the experience that first drew him to rugs.
What kind of job is a buyer?
"I have a lot of responsibilities, but I'm mainly in charge of buying and quality control. Previously, I would go to the local area to buy rugs, but now I contact local rug shops remotely and purchase them. I miss the local atmosphere and townscape, and I'm looking forward to being able to go back soon.
Another important part of the job is to give the rugs a health check before they are sold in the store. Each and every rug is inspected by the entire staff, with multiple checkpoints in place to ensure it is not itchy, frayed, or distorted.
Even if a customer finds a rug that they really like, I don't want them to take it home and think, 'Oh, it feels a bit scratchy? Is it fraying?' I want them to feel happy and comfortable when they look at and touch their favorite rug."
Hirai's previous job was as a dental assistant, a completely different world, but it was a TV program that awakened her love for rugs.
My shocking encounter with rugs
"When I was still working as a dental assistant, I was watching an NHK program about actress Nana Eikura traveling around Turkey. There was just one scene that featured carpets woven by women, and I was blown away by it. The patterns on the carpets and the way the women wove them were so beautiful and fascinating. I couldn't stop thinking about trying to weave myself."
After her shocking encounter with rugs, she ordered a loom and began attending carpet weaving classes. Her love for rugs continued to grow, and she joined Layout.
"The loom in the shop is my personal property. I tie the pile thread to the warp thread like this, then thread the weft through and align it, but even though each step is simple, it's quite difficult to weave neatly and quickly."
The difficulty and joy of thinking for yourself
He is now in charge of everything from purchasing to quality control, and is on the side of conveying rugs to the world. We asked him what changes have occurred since he first encountered rugs.
"I'll never forget the excitement I felt back then, but now that I've learned more, I've grown to love them even more. Meeting the people, experiencing the temperature and smells at the places where rugs are made, I've realized that rugs are so fascinating, I just can't get enough of them!
At Layout, I learned the difficulty and joy of thinking for myself about how to best convey the appeal of rugs to customers. Our style is to research and try things ourselves, even if it means taking a roundabout route, and find our own answers. I believe that this process gives us the strength to overcome any obstacles we come across.
Speaking of which, the other day I happened to be watching TV and the program that had such a big impact on me was being rebroadcast. Even now when I look back at that rug scene, it's still as beautiful as ever, and it feels like it's telling me, 'Don't forget how you felt back then.'"
If I hadn't watched that program that day, I wouldn't have encountered this rug. But looking back, perhaps my love for rugs was inevitable.
"When I was at university, I took Arabic as a second foreign language because I wanted a language unrelated to English, which I'm not good at. As I studied, I learned that Arabic has a deep connection with Islam, so I researched it by reading books and recording all the programs about the Middle East, even though it wasn't my major.
Thinking back further, my favorite book in kindergarten was the picture book Aladdin, and when I was in junior high school I always watched Sakuji Yoshimura's TV programs. So I think I've been attracted to the culture of the Middle East and Islamic countries for a long time. Incidentally, I still collect a huge amount of camel merchandise, and the name of the column I write for Layout is "Rag and Camel."
For Rag and Camel, click here: https://shop.layout.casa/free-note/33555/
Hirai's buyer blog can be found here: https://shop.layout.casa/category/ragnotabi/
Until now and from now on
The world of rugs was brought to him by a childhood passion. Now, as someone who helps customers choose rugs, we asked him what he keeps in mind.
"We think of the staff at Layout as Cupids, connecting customers with rugs. Generally, a 'good rug' is determined by the fineness of the weave and the quality of the materials, but at Layout, we believe that each customer has their own 'good rug.'
The role of the Layout staff is to help you find a rug that suits your lifestyle, is comfortable, and makes your heart flutter when you see it.
Just as I was a dental assistant, the other staff members have a variety of backgrounds, but what they all have in common is the desire to make customers feel that they made the right choice when they purchased from Layout. Specialized knowledge is important, but I believe that Layout is what it is thanks to each and every staff member's love for rugs and their interpersonal skills."
Hirai thinks more about the relationship between customers and rugs than anyone else. We asked her about her vision for the future of Layout.
"I want to make it commonplace to 'design your lifestyle starting from rugs.' In Japan, when buying interior decor, many people start by buying large pieces of furniture like sofas and tables, but I think it would be great if more people chose their rug first. The floor, which covers a large area, determines the impression of a room, and I want people to experience the joy of living with their favorite rug.
That's why we aim to make fair prices and stable quality the norm throughout the rug industry. If prices and quality are unclear, customers won't be able to buy with confidence. Layout wants to continue being honest so that customers will think, 'I've found a great rug,' even 10 or 20 years from now. To achieve this, we still have a lot more work to do!