Pelican House is a design studio that exists to create unique rug and homeware collections. We take an uncompromising attitude to quality and style, believing in the distribution of fair value between our customers & creators.
ISABELLA VALENZIA,
Founder
Our Pelican House world started in Rajasthan in 2021, when our Founder, Isabella Valenzia, was living in India. With a background in Art History, Bella has always been fascinated by the story behind an object. Through her love for textiles and artisanal crafts, she realised that the global interiors market was adept at selling beautiful products, but did not talk about the stories of the makers behind them. She was shocked by the lack of transparency in the supply chain, and how little the artisan was recognised for their talent.
She made it her mission to explore far-flung, long-lost textile communities across Rajasthan, the Rann of Kutch, Kashmir and wider India, in order to learn about the artisans and their crafts. The story of Pelican House will unravel over time, whilst we launch collections co-created with the communities and NGO's that Bella met on her travels. It's our mission to tell you their story.
INDIA HOLMES,
Creative Director
Pelican House soon welcomed Creative Director India Holmes, a rising star of the global textiles scene. Currently Director of Embroidery at de Gournay, it came naturally to creating a wider range of textiles across many formats. Having spent the last five years working with hundreds of artisans across India and China, she felt that her values were aligned with Bella's, creating a natural formation to create unique art pieces together, whilst elevating the artisans behind the craft at the same time.
Throughout her life she has been designing all sorts of objects, from furniture to match boxes. It will be exciting to harness India’s creative skills as Pelican House unfolds.
OUR BUSINESS
The design studio creates statement interiors pieces whilst connecting you with individuals and artisan communities.
We firmly believe that our artisans are artists. We partner with artisans in the truest sense, committed to their craft, faithful to their traditions and sustained by a generational approach to the highest standards of production, and ultimately producing products with meaning and unique beauty.
We want to elevate their talents, connect you with their characters, and in return, give deeper meaning to your lives and homes.
At Pelican House we:> Select suppliers on ethical grounds, guaranteeing the interests of our artisans are protected. We have proudly partnered with LABEL STEP to ensure this, committed to the wellbeing of weavers and workers in the handmade carpet industry.
> Are partners of Good Weave, to ensure no child labour, good pay and safe working conditions.
> See exploration as a means of enlightenment, self-discovery and self-sufficiency.
> Celebrate ethnic diversity, revel in storytelling, and enable our audiences to look over the horizon.
> Strive towards a world where consumers enjoy both transparency and uncompromised style through the home interiors they buy.
Values
Design: We’re passionate advocates that beautiful design is a force for positive change, especially when the artisan is elevated. Our work is typified by layered patterns and expressive use of colour, harmonising with ethnicity & heritage whilst achieving a timeless aesthetic.
Sustainable: We believe that true sustainability is an economy where each stakeholder derives value that is greater than the sum of its parts. This means distributing ethical growth fairly, measurable in ecological and social terms as well as commercial. For Pelican House to succeed, we believe that our artisans, partners and customers should commit to, and thrive in, enduring transparent economies.
Artisanal:It is our responsibility to bridge the oft-untrodden path between our conscious buyers and communities of artists, makers and crafts-people. Our model is driven by their creativity, and we are committed to preserving their past, present and future.
Personal: We believe in creating unique personal experiences via our work. It’s a deeply intimate journey, underpinned by a cubic ecosystem of shareholders:
- Our Artisans: We take an uncompromising approach to selecting our suppliers on ethical grounds. It means we must go to the source, look beyond price alone, establish meaningful personal connections with our makers, celebrate their crafts and them as individuals.
- Pelican House: A founder-driven concept, borne out of a vocation for timeless quality, radiant style, ethical practices and excellent customer service, Pelican House’s mission is unavoidably personal and dedicated to individuals.
- Community: We work with our customers to co-curate a style and aesthetic, while encouraging them to consciously engage with our network. By facilitating access to this community, we enable connections that give deeper meaning to our day to day lives.