What It Takes: The Women Behind the Rugs

There are some relationships in life and work that feel fated.
I met the women behind Zuma Imports through a project that could only be described as creatively serendipitous: making lampshades for Turkish olive jars they were turning into lamps. Each vessel was unique — a different size, a different shape, a different spirit. Naturally, each needed its own shade.

There was no template. No easy order form. Just two women-led businesses, working together to make something fit — beautifully. We chose the scale and fabric for each lamp by hand, one by one, and through that process, found a creative rhythm and a mutual respect that still carries us. Since then, I’ve gotten to know Zuma not just as brilliant curators of goods, but as women who work with extraordinary drive, humor, and devotion to the craft. Their eye is unmatched — but it’s their commitment that really stays with you.

A few months ago, they traveled to Turkey to check on the progress of their latest rug project. It was supposed to be a straightforward trip. It turned into anything but. They left on a Wednesday. They didn’t arrive until Saturday. Flight delays. Missed connections. Airport chaos. Lost luggage. You name it — it happened. But they kept going. And when they finally arrived, dusty and bleary-eyed, they got straight to work, sourcing pieces, meeting with weavers, and gathering treasures for the next collection.

That’s what artistry really looks like sometimes. Not glamorous. Not perfect. But fiercely, stubbornly committed to beauty. Zuma doesn’t just import handmade rugs. They advocate for them. They support the people who make them. And they go to the ends of the Earth — literally — to bring that artistry home. 

Coming soon to the Atelier: their olive jar lamps, now complete with our shades. One-of-a-kind, start to finish. Just like the women behind them.