Den Cralle and his father, Dickie, recently completed another whirlwind buying trip to India. The father-son duo spent their time visiting familiar buyers, examining handcrafted rugs and furniture, and soaking up the vibrant energy of India. After flying in to New Delhi, the Cralles ventured out to the holy city of Varanasi. Varanasi offers the only overnight accommodations available near the outlying village of Bhadohi where the majority of the rugs are made.

The pair also journeyed via train to Agra, home of the Taj Mahal. Jodhpur and Jaipur were reached by plane. As with every Green Front trip, whether flying, riding or rickshaw-ing, much is accomplished in a very short period of time — a week and a half to be exact. With an eye on current rug trends, Den and Dickie covered miles of ground to select the most unique imported rugs available at Green Front. Despite the brisk pace, trips like this also afford an opportunity to inspect the intricate rug production process firsthand.

This particular trip also featured furniture buying from Latiyal Handicrafts and Sun City, two of Green Front’s largest suppliers of Indian furniture and antiques. Their Latiyal visit also included a tour of the company’s state-of-the-art production facility. The treasures discovered on this trip will be showing up on Green Front’s showroom floors in the coming months. Many of these beautiful, stylish pieces are one-of-a-kind and will go quickly, so be sure to come take a look before they disappear forever.

Rugs in Bhadohi are washed thoroughly after they are woven and sheared. Like every step of the process, it is done by hand. Large wooden paddles push water off and through the dense fibers of the rug.

Post washing, rugs are spread to dry in the blazing heat of the Indian sun.

Rugs are also hand sheared to ensure that there no loose ends and to ensure the desired pile height.

Elephants, as well as cows, are considered sacred in India. This beauty sports gorgeous pastel decorations on her face and trunk and makes an amazing form of transportation.

Train is a popular form of travel in India, and in some cases, the only way to reach more remote parts of the country. Like any public transportation, conditions can be crowded and hot. There’s never a shortage of brilliant pops of color, however.

These massive piles of yarn are soon to become intricate rugs.

Den examines rugs with sellers on the buying trip.

These two flat weave jute rugs were among hundreds hand selected by Den and Dickie on their buying trip to make the long journey back to Green Front.

Den smiles after selecting this massive masterpiece in Jaipur featuring a pale blue and gray graphic design.

Sari silk rugs begin here under the expert hands of these craftswomen, many of whom have been practicing the art of rug making for generations.

Stunning turquoise doors on display at Sun City, a furniture manufacturer and retailer in Jodhpur.