Our Story

Kechmara Designs brings together art, history, design and luxury with several distinct styles of Moroccan-made rugs and home accessories. Using centuries-old techniques, each piece is a unique testament to the ancient art of weaving practiced by women in the native tribes of the Atlas Mountains. 

Founded 2008

Ali Setayesh grew up visiting his uncle in Taroudant, a rural village south of the coastal town of Agadir. It was his childhood travels through this beautiful region that his love and appreciation for the Moroccan people and their magnificent rugs flourished. 

Realizing there was a lack of one-of-a-kind rug shops in his native Northern California, where home design is a leading industry, he founded Kechmara Designs. Kechmara is actually Marakech spelled backwards; a fun play on words and an ode to his inspiration.

Ali thoughtfully hand-selects each vintage piece himself through his seasonal travels to Morocco. 

Why Morocco? 

The remarkable quality of Moroccan textile arts were once enjoyed exclusively by the artisans themselves. In the Atlas mountains, teams of women work together on handmade upright looms to produce objects of beauty and utility, originally intended for their own use or for sale in a local marketplace. Using native wool and cotton fibers, the weavers use methods that have been passed down through the generations to produce these uniquely luxurious rugs. 

In the past twenty years, the interior design and art worlds have taken notice; these products are much sought-after for their distinctiveness and quality. While collectors and designers search the world over for the finest products, they continually return to Morocco for the most unique, luxurious rugs. These Ancient art forms, which feature mythical symbolism and exclusively local materials, offer a glimpse into the rich cultural history of the region. Styles, colors, and designs in each rug represent links to the artisans’ daily lives: fertility, spirituality, good fortune, even loss. 

Here in the West, these products are prized for their beauty, and are at home in modern, traditional, and urban settings. Only the  highest quality vintage products are hand-selected for Kechmara for sale online and in its California showroom.