
Inside Aelfie Oudghiri’s Colorful Home
Written by Katie Hintz-Zambrano
Photography by Photographed by Kisha Bari
Sure, we love a sleek, minimalist home as much as the next person. But it’s those places that burst with life and color that really get us going. Which is why we asked the Brooklyn-based rug maker and new mama Aelfie Oudghiri, founder of the eponymous company Aelfie, to invite us in. From the floors covered in her vibrant, handmade-in-India textiles to her daughter’s “feminist”-inspired nursery, this one had us wanting to move in ASAP. Bonus points: The globetrotting entrepreneur’s unique view on motherhood is just as fresh and modern as her style. Click away!
- Welcome!
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"Oddball and storied."
Aelfie, in her bedroom, wears a vintage dress bought in Barcelona. Mirah wears an American Apparel tank and Gap bloomers.
- "We moved into our apartment in Greenpoint a little under two years ago, shortly after discovering I was pregnant. Previously, we were living in an illegal loft situation in Bushwick."
- "As my husband said to me many years ago, 'Let go of your Ethan Allen bourgeois fantasies.'"
- "It's fun and loving. The painting is by Carly Silverman and it is inspired by the opening party of my first showroom. I had no idea that painting existed until my husband purchased it as a gift for our first wedding anniversary. The bedsheets and the rug are my design. The wall hanging is actually also one of my rugs. They work really well on the wall, as well as the floor. The beaded chair is Nigerian. I purchased it from a bead dealer in Midtown Manhattan. I got super into beads when I was pregnant."
- "I hear the news differently. I read history and philosophy differently. I feel much more linked to women the world over, but also feel a profound regret that mothers' experiences are not better represented in so much of the cultural record."
- "Getting to know Mirah and seeing her personality unfurl."
- "Extreme weather, nuclear war, genocide—you know, the usual suspects."
- "Google the 'crying curve.' I really wish someone had given me a heads up about that."
- Layers of texture.
- "Mirah is a remarkably friendly baby. Because of her, my husband and I have met so many new people."
- Aelfie rugs in every room.
- "My ideal (and highly unlikely) day would include all of the following things: Swimming, The Met, a BBQ with friends, live gnawa music, and someone else cleaning the diapers."
- This Universal Isaac pot is so on our wishlist.
- "Yes, I have a lot of family in the area."
- "Aside from Mother, not really. Before giving birth, I subscribed to a few print magazines because I knew I would be spending a substantial amount of time indoors. I especially love receiving Lapham's Quarterly, which is a quarterly anthology comprised entirely of primary source texts. So great!"
- "I've been on a Goodnight Moon trip, which involves wearing lots of greens and oranges together. Before that I had a prolonged bad-girl waspy vibe. Loafers, chinos, headbands, paired with hardcore/punk '90s band tees. Sometimes I don't understand what I'm referencing, like the other day when I realized I perfectly matched my Cool Bananas pillow. And sometimes I don't get out of my PJ's. I'm the boss and there are perks that come with that title."
- "When I was breastfeeding, I almost exclusively wore work-wear—jumpers with buttons down the front, that sort of stuff. Proletariat chic."
- "Slip-on shoes."
- "Cool sunglasses. All black. Herbivore Botanical's face and body oil.”
- "Black jeans, band shirt, sneakers."
- "I don't have any brand loyalty. I buy piece by piece."
- "I find a lot of exciting designs through Instagram and sometimes Refinery29." Aelfie wears a Dusen Dusen dress. Mirah wears Ralph Lauren bloomers.
- "Bright, engaging, and feminist. There are drawings I made while pregnant of interesting women for her to look up to and almost all of the textiles are made by women or from companies with female CEOs—specifically Giggle."
- "The colors. The comfortable lounge."
- "The crib is from Giggle. The tapestries are from Uzbekistan."
- "She shares her name with a djin, Lala Mira. For the uninitiated, a djin is an Islamic supernatural entity. According to the Mororccan tradition, you have to dress in yellow and dance to release her from you. I actually did not know this when I named her, but I think it's really fitting. I happen to wear a lot of yellow."
- Art everywhere.
- "There hasn't been a specific big break, but many small successes that have built upon each other. New York Magazine was the first press to pick up on my company, and for that I'll be forever grateful."
- "I hear the news differently. I read history and philosophy differently. I feel much more linked to women the world over, but also feel a profound regret that mothers' experiences are not better represented in so much of the cultural record."
- "I love learning about how things are made and being a part of people's nesting process."
- "Yes, we are currently working on expanding bed and launching bath. And we regularly have new rug styles launching."
- "I like that there are so many family friendly restaurants, bars, and events."
- "Yes, I would love to live in Morocco while Mirah is young so that she can learn the language and get to know all of her family there."
- "We all get in bed together in the morning and play. Afterwards, I usually take Mirah to grab a coffee or take a stroll. Sometimes I go home for lunch to see her. When I get back from work, we hang out in the park or meet up with friends. She is extremely friendly and loves to be around lots of people. If there is a gallery opening or some sort of event, I will make an effort to bring her as long as we're home by bedtime."
- For more on Aelfie, check out her site and her Instagram feed.
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