Our family has been into rugs for over 60 years. Rugs used to be the main trade in Kauhava when Arvo Syvänen established his rug mill in the early sixties.

After years in consulting, Henri, a third-generation rug maker (pictured in the 80s), felt an irresistible pull towards the craft that had been woven into the fabric of his family’s history. With a vision to blend his family’s expertise in rug-making with contemporary design and a commitment to sustainability, he embarked on a journey to redefine the rugs for the modern era.

Thus, Woven Works was conceived. Our mission is to create collections that are sustainable, functional and playful. In our journey, we collaborate with designers who resonate with our ethos, ensuring that every piece is not only a work of art but also a symbol of our shared values.

For us, sustainability is central for rug making. It covers both the enviromental and social aspects of what we do.

From an environmental standpoint, our mission is not just to reduce our footprint in terms of resource and energy consumption, but also to innovate in ways that produce lasting, cherished products for the contemporary consumer. This balance is challenging to strike, yet we believe we’ve charted a clear path forward with several guiding principles.

Using recycled materials whenever possible is the first principle. Huomenna collection is a great example of that – to our knowledge it is the first-ever design rug collection from recycled wool.

Second principle is to make products of lasting quality & design. Patchwork and ARC collections were created from the best materials available. When you have the best material and a timeless design, your rug has an infinite life span.

Third, we strive to minimize carbon footprint. The quickest way to do that is avoiding air cargo. Currently, 80% of our rugs are shipped from India in containers and we aim to make that 95% in 2024.    

From a social standpoint, our foremost guiding principle is direct engagement. We believe in the power of firsthand experience, which is why we journey to India annually, immersing ourselves in each phase of the rug-making process.

Our hand-woven rugs are made in the area of a town called Sitapur, which is one of the main hubs of rug making in India. Hand-knotted rugs are made in Bhadohi, which is another rug hub close to Varanasi.

Weaving often takes place in local communities where farming is the main way of living. Thus, rug making is an important way for these communities to earn extra income and improve their living conditions. This is exactly the same what happened in Kauhava – as late as in the 80’s, every farmer used to have a weaving loom to make extra income!

We’re also in process of getting a social certification for our value chain, but we still believe that going the extra mile and visiting these communities ourselves is central to being sustainable.  

Sustainability isn’t a destination—it’s a continuous and ever-evolving journey.