In walking distance from the Hamburg „Speicherstadt“, the Northern Europe Headquarters of Tai Ping are located in the impressive „Slomanhaus“, built in the 1920s. In 1956 Tai Ping was founded as a donation by Lord Lawrence Kadoorie in Hong Kong, in order to give refugees from Red China work. Many of them were talented carpet makers who worked in the manufacture of the donation. Tai Ping still belongs to the Kadoorie Family but the donation turned into an enterprise. Rug brands like Tai Ping, Edward Fields, Vicara and Cogolin are part of the whole company House of Tai Ping.

While talking to Timo Holthoff, Executive Director for Northern Europe, you can learn a lot about the rug business. Tai Ping is an exception to all other rug companies. Not only because Tai Ping conducts some other manufactures and saved historic relevant producers like Edward Fields and the French Manufacture de Cogolin from bankruptcy in order „to preserve old traditions and craftsmanship“, like Holthoff explains. But also because Tai Ping makes its core business, not like other producers in the retail business, but mainly in the luxury segments High Residential, Yachting, Hotels and Shops. “Very often we get access to a project due to the Interior Designer”, says Holthoff. That means: Together with its in-house designers Tai Ping realizes all individual costumer requests. Only just Tai Ping furnished a 500 square metres apartment in the “Elbphilharmonie“. Some people can afford the expense to install a hand-knotted plain rug from wall to wall, which costs 4.000 euros per square meter. Other custumers extend their pool visually by adding a hand-knotted rug with a waves pattern on which the outdoor furniture can be artfully arranged. “That’s just like in the fashion industry”, explains Holthoff. “There is Prêt­à­porter on the one hand and Haute Couture on the other.“