From the moment we met Ben Nason in London back in 2001, he always seems to have had a camera hanging round his neck. At first I thought he might be just another one of those posturing inner city types, getting about with artistic gear designed to impress the ladies but no, turns out he was a real photographer who took real pictures and they were real bloody good. Ben’s work speaks for itself – he is a meticulous craftsman with a gifted eye who continues to search out subjects of fascination. He is holed up these days in the South of France, intent on rebuilding what his sons call The Broken House, and collaborating with a mate on electronic music.

It’s always a treat for us whenever Morris Etc. gets to spend quality time with the good folks at Gilt. So no surprises then that the warm fuzzies were flowing at midday today when fourteen of our handwoven wool rugs were included in the company’s Style For Summer sale. Once again we’d like to thank everyone who worked so hard to put the sale together. You continue to spoils us – we promise not to complain…

A handful of new rugs arrived on our doorstep from Peru the other day. Those interested in checking them out should head to the Bracken Ridge Rugs (47-49), before moving onto the South Portland page to view number #65. As with all the Morris Etc. rugs, these are handwoven from 100% wool, one-of-kind creations possessing real pop. If you’d like to see them up close, ring Brett at 347.227.7244 to arrange an appointment.

Over the past year Morris Etc. has enjoyed an extremely rewarding working relationship with online sales bohemath The Gilt Groupe. Today, that relationship continues to flower with the inclusion of seven of our Handwoven wool rugs in their exciting new Southwestern Styles sale. Kick off is at Midday so be sure to head over to Gilt and check out the vast array of tantalizing products that will be on offer. You know you want to…

Back in October ’11, when editors at Marie Claire Australia decided to do a feature on Aussies living in NY, some kind of mysterious email chain eventually led them to us. Now, the fruits of the ensuing photo shoot can be seen in the magazine’s March issue, with a full two pages dedicated to our Brooklyn apartment, along with a nice write up of Morris Etc. and our vintage wool rugs. Thanks to everyone involved, particularly Natalie Walton, who made her way over from Sydney to direct and style the shoot while just six months pregnant!

Our latest example of a handwoven Morris Etc. rug finding a happy home comes from France-based friends George Luong and Valentine Rémusat. Laid out with typical Parisian Chic, South Portland #3 certainly looks at ease on the other side of the pond. George and Valentine were married last year in NYC, which comes as no surprise as both are Parsons graduates. Recently, the couple launched Les Valentines, a line of beautifully crafted knitted cashmere. Available now at Pas de Deux, 328 East 11th Street, between 1st & 2nd Ave.

Anyone looking to take a break from the rigors of big city life should give some serious thought to Hotel Mawimbi on Mexico’s beautiful Isla Holbox. Run to perfection by Italian expats Onny and Carmelo, it’s the ideal place to get the sounds of New York out one’s ears for a while. The staff is brilliant, the food first class, and I can honestly say we never got sick of waking up to the sound of the ocean lapping the beach. This was a our second time staying at the hotel, we were there five years back, and we’re looking forward now to returning in 2013 to tackle the swim with the whale sharks… hopefully, they’ll still be vegetarians.

What better way to usher in the New Year than with a nice old shot in the arm from Daily Candy? On December 30, under the headline “15 Ways to Keep New Year’s Resolutions,” Gotham’s favorite Internet go-to picked out the NYC Businesses they deemed 2011′s most helpful. Morris Etc. and our wool rugs were there, selected as a way to “Be More Cultured.” Thanks to everyone over at DC, especially Jordan Bloomberg, for such a great start to 2012. We look forward to working with you all again this year.

After the success of our last sale on Gilt, it’s fair to say we, at Morris Etc., were looking forward to another chance to work with the nation’s premier retail site. That opportunity comes today, when 19 of our finest handwoven wool rugs appear in the Rustic Farmhouse event, with kick-off set down for midday sharp. We are thrilled to be working with Gilt once more, and look forward to continuing our collaboration in 2012.

Merry Xmas everyone! And thanks to all those who helped make 2011 such a great year for Morris Etc.

It was the Dalai Lama who once said that people should be fearless in the bedroom and kitchen. Now, what a celibate man who lives on lentils would know about such matters is open to conjecture, none-the-less, we still feel he should have thrown the living room in there as well. Recently, a client from Williamsburg bought two of our wool rugs with the idea of overlapping them. She poured over the collection till she found just the right combination – as you can see from the shot above, her fearlessness was amply rewarded!