JOANNA MICHALOWICZ KNOWS how to cut a rug.
She also knows how to design, weave, restore and clean a rug. But if Michalowicz's life were a rug-of her own contemporary design, naturally-it would be a pattern of discrete segments. First would be her training as a weaver at Poland's Art and Design School in Nowy Wisnicz. Next, her BFA in painting and sculpture from New York's Parsons School of Design. Third, her work at F.J. Hakimian, the Manhattan carpet dealer and showroom where Michalowicz worked part-time while at Parsons, eventually establishing and overseeing a restoration and reproduction department. Fourth, her work for French Accents, where she spent six months in China setting up a carpet atelier, training 80 weavers in the craft ofantique rug restoration. The fifth and current segment, however, would be the most beautiful - not to mention intricate - because it draws on the themes already set forth and takes them to their natural plush pile or flat weave conclusion. In 1998, Michalowicz and Chinese entrepreneur Lin Mei built their own atelier in China's Shandong province from the ground up - the infrastructure, the looms, the training of 200 weavers. Then in 2000, Michalowicz founded Asha Carpets.

ANDREW MYERS

"Magic Carpets
New Designs For the Ground Beneath Your Feet
At this time of year, as you swing your legs out of bed each morning and your feet hit the icy-cold floor, it's likely that one thought is going through your mind: I need a carpet.
And indeed, you probably do. A good carpet is one of the best ways to add a shot of color, warmth, and dimension to a room. These new designs from Designtex/Loophouse, Asha Carpets, and the Classic Rug Company, ranging from the classic to the contemporary, take their inspiration from nature, history, and art. /.../
New rugs by the Brooklyn-based Asha Carpets primarily take their inspiration from the natural world. The Coralline of carpets feature what look like delicate arms of coral, in red, brown, or aqua, against a light-colored background; Poppies rugs have bold, oversized poppy blossoms; the shimmering Snake Skin looks like just that. More contemporary designs include the geometric Tron, which resembles a painting. The rugs were designed by Polishborn weaver Joanna Michalowicz and hand-woven and hand-knotted by 200 weavers in China and Nepal, all of whom were trained by Ms. Michalowicz. Prices are available upon request. For more information, call 914-645-1262, or visit www.ashacarpets.com."