Brooklynite  designer Malene Barnett is one of those rare people that put a smile on your face before you even meet them and so it was this positive karma that attracted my attention last December during a Holiday party at ALT for Living, her showroom rep in Manhattan.

For over a decade she has been creating unique carpets for the Interior Design Trade and private labels such as Martha Stewart and Nicole Miller.  Like me, she has a passion for all things cultural that stems from her world travels, whether Dakar, Shanghai or Kuala Lumpur which she brings to her designs.  And so it is easy to see how traditional masks from Africa translate into her Masks design carpet or how the mud-cracked terrain on the plains of Mombasa serve as a catalyst to her Mombasa inspired rug.

All her carpets are custom made and support Goodweave and Aid to Artisans, organizations that work to fight child labor, provide education and preserve handcrafts in Africa, Asia and South America. Who say’s you can’t be successful in business and have a huge socially conscious heart … Malene B proves it is possible J