Heather Cade always dreamed of becoming an interior designer.

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Growing up on Cape Cod, she adorned her bedroom walls with hand-painted stencils. Years later, when she purchased her first home in Gainesville, Virginia, she was excited to bring her vision to life. On her shopping list: a vintage rug with a tribal motif. But what she found in stores and online was less than inspiring. “The styles weren’t aligned with what I was seeing in magazines,” she says, “I was icked by the poor quality and lack of authenticity.”

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Online, Heather struggled to find antique and vintage rugs at accessible price points, and the stuffiness of galleries got to her. One salesman, dressed in a suit, seemed to look down on her and her husband for being dressed in gym clothes. Fed up with the chintzy vintage replicas her puppies kept soiling—which she knew would soon wind up in landfill—she began hitting estate sales and scouring auction sites like eBay for the real deal. “I knew natural materials like wool could be cleaned and stand up to life's messes,” she says.

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Quickly, District Loom—an Instagram account with weekly rug drops and pop-ups in local boutiques—evolved into something bigger: Anthropologie’s top Turkish and Persian rug supplier and a mainstay of top designers like Zoë Feldman, Yond Interiors, and Amber Interiors. Today Heather, who lives in Bozeman, Montana, sources rugs around the world, from Japan to Switzerland. We spoke with her about greater ambitions for District Loom and the Persian Soumak designs she can’t get enough of.

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What inspires me

Authenticity is the one word that jumps to mind… It keeps me going: wanting to educate my clients, find more unique pieces, and allow customers who switch from machine-made copies to authentic hand-knotted styles to feel that transformation. It's indescribable. Honestly, every person deserves what a real rug can bring to their space.

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What sets District Loom apart

Storytelling about the rugs, the history, the education, and our brand story is important. When we get new arrivals, we generally do a behind-the-scenes unboxing and I share the origin story of each piece, what’s special about its motif, and what it means. I delve into the craftsmanship, design, and curator notes. Sometimes I tie in the business journey and the thoughts that went through my head when I first saw a design. People don't like to be sold to, they enjoy connecting with people.

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A District Loom rug I love

The Vintage Turkish Mucer Runner with rosettes on it. The foundation is yellow, which is super unique; the rosettes give it a 1970s saloon vibe. I've never seen a style like this in six years of sourcing—it's very special.

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My favorite type of rug

It depends on the architecture or intention of a home—each drives me to different regions and styles. My personal favorites are Persian Soumak and Persian Heriz. They’re timeless and packed with color. I also love Bakhtiari rugs which are very tribal, colorful, and have masterful showstopping designs.

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My biggest “pinch-me” moment

One of our rugs is in a private club at Harvard College. I would never have dreamed of being admitted, so it was a proud moment. Another piece is in the home of my number one celebrity crush. I was like: “Are you kidding me? I've got to call my mom right now.”

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How I love seeing our pieces used

I recently got a photo of a client who purchased a rug for her child's homeschooling room, and seeing the kids sitting around using crayons on a craft table without the rug below being treated so preciously was fun to see. I love photos of pups on rugs too, and generally seeing my pieces being lived with and enjoyed to the fullest.

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What’s next

We're working with an ethical manufacturer in India to create a contemporary collection. We'll have our own base designs available as is, or customizable in different sizes and colors.

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