New York, NY & New Delhi, India – While the dazzling spectacle of the Met Gala typically dominates headlines with its avant-garde fashion and celebrity attendees gracing the iconic steps of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, a quieter, yet equally significant, star plays a crucial role each May: the meticulously crafted carpet that unfurls across Fifth Avenue. For the past four years, this prestigious crimson pathway has been the handiwork of Neytt Homes, a Cherthala-based rug atelier with a legacy stretching back over a century, silently weaving its way into global luxury and design.
This deep-rooted Indian craftsmanship, originating from the verdant landscapes of Kerala, has now found a vibrant new stage with the opening of Neytt Homes’ first flagship experiential store in North India, and its second in the country, situated in the bustling heart of New Delhi. This strategic expansion signifies more than just a new retail space; it’s a testament to the brand’s ambition to establish a pan-India presence and solidify its reputation as a purveyor of exquisite, artisanal rugs.
A Legacy Woven Through Time: From Travancore Mats to Global Catwalks
The story of Neytt Homes is a rich tapestry, woven with threads of tradition, innovation, and an unwavering commitment to quality. Its origins can be traced back to 1917, when K. Velayudhan laid the foundation for the Travancore Mats and Matting company. This nascent enterprise, born in an era of nascent industrialization, was a precursor to the sophisticated brand that exists today. The turn of the millennium marked a pivotal transition, with the company evolving into Extraweave Pvt Ltd., a name that hinted at its expanding capabilities and global aspirations. Today, as Neytt Homes, the brand proudly carries forward this enduring legacy, now synonymous with luxurious, handcrafted floor coverings.
The recent opening of their New Delhi flagship store, a deliberate move to capture the attention of discerning buyers and designers in the national capital, underscores this evolutionary journey. Located on the prestigious Mehrauli-Gurgaon Road in Sultanpur, an area increasingly recognized as a hub for high-end rug ateliers, Neytt Homes’ new establishment aims to transcend the traditional retail experience.
Sivan Santhosh, the visionary founder and CEO of Neytt Homes, along with his partner and wife, Nimisha Srinivas, recognized the need to translate the global acclaim generated by their Met Gala carpets into tangible customer engagement and commercial success. "The Met Gala generates quite a buzz each May," Sivan explains, "but converting that interest into sales and partnerships required an imaginative experiential store." This sentiment fueled the creation of a space that is not merely a showroom, but a destination designed to immerse visitors in the world of artisanal rug making.
Designing the Dream: An Experiential Gallery in the Capital
The inspiration for the New Delhi store’s design stemmed from a desire to break away from the conventional, warehouse-like environments often found in the rug industry. Sivan recalls his visits to other rug stores in South Delhi’s Sultanpur district: "Most resembled warehouses, where rugs were stacked. We wanted to create a gallery-like setting where rugs were displayed on walls, and you could discover something new around each corner."
This vision was brought to life by the acclaimed Kochi-based architecture and design firm, Workers of Art (WOA), led by Rahul Mathew and Priya Rose. The collaboration was not merely professional but deeply personal, stemming from a long-standing childhood friendship between Sivan Santhosh and Rahul Mathew, who attended the same school in Kochi. "We started ideating in September 2024, and in under six months, we completed the project so the store opening could be scheduled for late February 2025," states Mathew, highlighting the swift and efficient execution of this ambitious undertaking.
Crafting the Unconventional: A Basement Transformed
The chosen location for the flagship store was a 4,000-square-foot basement space in Sultanpur. Far from being a limitation, the subterranean setting presented an opportunity for creative design. "We decided to take the scarlet logo itself and use the yarn motif to lead visitors to the stairway below and into the store," explains Mathew. This ingenious approach transforms the journey into the store into an integral part of the brand experience. The yarn motif, a visual metaphor for the brand’s core craft, evolves within the space, becoming a sculptural element that elegantly bridges two undulating mounds draped with rugs. This design choice not only reinforces the brand’s identity, utilizing its signature ivory-red palette and yarn leitmotif, but also introduces a dynamic visual narrative.
Priya Rose elaborated on the spatial philosophy: "We decided to forgo perpendicular corners and use undulating partitions instead. It is designed like a maze with two mounds in the centre, making the space more dynamic while offering seating for visitors and an audience space during performances." This fluid, maze-like layout encourages exploration and interaction, breaking away from rigid architectural norms. The central mounds, constructed from plywood and covered with sisal rugs, offer a soft, ivory-hued palette and a tactile experience for visitors. These sculptural elements, requiring meticulous fabrication by local carpenters in Kerala before being shipped and expertly fitted in Delhi, embody the brand’s commitment to both artisanal skill and innovative design. The walls are also draped with sisal, creating a cohesive textural landscape, dramatically contrasted by a stark black tiled floor.
An Immersive Journey: From Fibre to Floor
The Neytt Homes flagship store is thoughtfully divided into three distinct zones, each designed to cater to a different aspect of the customer’s rug exploration: Publication, Know Your Rug, and a Design Studio.
The Publication Wall: Chronicling a Global Footprint
The "Publication" wall serves as a visually rich chronicle of Neytt’s international achievements. It proudly displays its global footprint, from the prestigious Met Gala carpets to exquisite handwoven pieces showcased on the White House lawn. Each rug featured here is accompanied by compelling storytelling, delving into its conceptual origins, its provenance, and the intricate process of its creation. "We have a coffee table-style book revisiting our history and detailing our material and design philosophy," shares Sivan Santhosh. "There is a write-up with an art installation of the transition from fibre to rug, as well." This section acts as an educational and inspirational hub, offering visitors a deeper understanding of the artistry and heritage behind each Neytt creation.
Know Your Rug: A Tactile Exploration of Materials and Craft
The "Know Your Rug" section is a meticulously curated space designed to empower customers with knowledge and hands-on experience. Guided by two in-house designers and a manager’s assistant, visitors can explore over 100 swatches representing a diverse array of rug types, including machine-made, flat weave, jacquard, tufted, hand-knotted, and pit loom samples. This comprehensive display extends to an exploration of various rug materials, from the luxurious Kashmiri wool and shimmering bamboo silk to the natural textures of sisal, linen, jute, and the unique appeal of banana silk.
The walls come alive with vibrant rugs from distinct collections. The "Aadu" collection draws inspiration from the charming streets of Fort Kochi, where goats often roam freely. The "Vallamkali" rugs celebrate Kerala’s iconic boat race, capturing its dynamism and spirit. Motifs drawn from nature and traditional crafts are beautifully showcased in the "Kilivathil" and "Aranmula Kannadi" repertoires. Complementing these are multi-hued, high-pile rugs from designer collaborations, offering a modern interpretation of classical art, alongside carpets that embody minimalist aesthetics. The collection spans a wide range of sizes, materials, and weaving styles, with prices ranging from ₹6,000 to ₹12 lakh, catering to a diverse clientele.
The store offers a complete sensorial experience, encouraging visitors to feel the fibres, watch videos of intricate weaving techniques, and be enveloped by the ambient soundtrack of loom weaving playing in the background. Strategically placed LED lighting along pelmets and the floor guides the eye, enhancing the visual appeal of the displayed pieces.
The Design Lab: Bespoke Creations and Future Visions
The final, and perhaps most innovative, space is the "Design Lab." This area functions as a DIY zone where in-house designers collaborate with customers to create bespoke rugs. Utilizing advanced software and four curated mood boards – representing minimalist, maximalist, traditional, and colorful aesthetics – alongside demonstrations of various weaving, material, and dyeing techniques, customers can witness mock-ups of their customized rug designs projected onto a screen.
Rahul Mathew adds a forward-looking perspective: "We have introduced automation and tuning of lights to allow designers to personalize the lights from warm to cool tones, so customers can mimic the lighting in their homes as they choose a rug." This attention to detail ensures that the rug selection process is as practical as it is inspiring. Sivan Santhosh hints at future technological integrations: "We ultimately want to include technology like AR (augmented reality), but that’s a work in progress."
Sustainability Woven In: From Waste to Threads of Innovation
Sustainability is not merely a buzzword for Neytt Homes; it is a core principle deeply embedded in every aspect of their operations, from the factory floor to the retail experience. This commitment is subtly yet powerfully showcased throughout the store. The restroom, for instance, is a testament to this ethos, featuring a woven wall covering inspired by Kerala’s natural beauty, a brass urli repurposed as a washbasin, and the evocative fragrance of the state’s indigenous flowers like kanikonna.
"We like to weave sustainability into every aspect at our factory and store as well," emphasizes Sivan Santhosh. In the Design Lab, lamps are elegantly crafted by Sirohi, a women’s Self-Help Group (SHG) of weavers, utilizing leftover yarn from the store’s operations. This initiative not only champions women’s empowerment but also exemplifies a circular economy approach.
Neytt Homes is at the forefront of innovation with sustainable fibers, developing new materials from recycled PET and Econyl – a regenerated nylon derived from discarded fishing nets and nylon fabrics. Their commitment extends to a groundbreaking buy-back program for rugs from hospitality establishments. This initiative allows them to completely regenerate these used carpets into raw nylon, ready to be refashioned into new, exquisite carpets, embodying a truly circular and regenerative model.
The Road Ahead: Pan-India Presence and Global Aspirations
The opening of the New Delhi flagship experiential store marks a significant milestone in Neytt’s journey towards establishing a robust pan-India footprint. This strategic move has already generated considerable visibility and opened new avenues for collaboration. "It’s important to have a presence in the right place at the right time," Sivan Santhosh notes. The brand is poised for exciting developments, with one international and one Indian collaboration set to be announced soon.
"Even in the store, we want visitors to explore the space with a touch of whimsy, so we encourage you to climb the mound and get creative with your rug experience," concludes Santhosh, inviting customers to engage with the space in an interactive and playful manner.
A Closer Look: The Met Gala Carpet’s Intricate Creation
The article also sheds light on the technical prowess and dedication involved in crafting the iconic Met Gala carpet. For this year’s "Costume Art" theme, Neytt supplied an impressive 57 rolls of white carpet, each measuring up to 4×30 meters, totaling a staggering 6,840 square meters of material. The chosen material was sisal fiber, woven using a bouclé technique, which results in a textured fabric characterized by its looped appearance.
Sisal, a durable and stiff natural fiber derived from the leaves of the Agave sisalana plant, is sourced by Neytt from Madagascar, Tanzania, and Brazil. The carpet’s tight weave is crucial for its functionality, designed to withstand the pressure of stiletto heels, while its neutral color serves as a blank canvas for artists to interpret the annual theme.
"It took around 90 days from fibre to carpet," explains Santhosh. "The rug went through 15 processes with quality inspection at each stage since it was an off-white carpet, and there is no place to hide imperfections." This meticulous attention to detail underscores the brand’s commitment to excellence, even for a product designed for a single, albeit globally significant, event.
While every Neytt rug is either hand-knotted or hand-tufted, the brand seamlessly integrates advanced technology into its production processes. This includes the use of spinning equipment imported from Ireland, dyeing machines from Italy, coating machines from the U.S., and finishing machinery from Belgium, demonstrating a harmonious blend of traditional craftsmanship and modern innovation. This fusion of heritage and technology is what allows Neytt Homes to not only adorn the steps of the Met Gala but also to offer exquisite, artisanal floor coverings that enrich homes and spaces across India and beyond.
