Storytime (No really, though. Like, grab a coffee.)
This is our third year in this "Yucca Valley house" (as our son calls it) which has slowly become a home for us, one thoughtful decision at a time.
When I purchased the house, it had been an Airbnb and, myself an artist, I really liked the way the owner's wife had designed the space. So much so, that I offered to buy all of the existing furniture (barely used), so our move-in would be turnkey.
At the time of purchase, the only design choice we didn't love turned out to be the husband's choice of bedroom rug (lol, sorry bro).
It was this giant "L.A. piece" that was overpriced for what it was, and was too boldly graphic for the space. It was a black and white criss-crossed pattern that looked more like Eddie Van Halen's iconic guitar, or a poorly stringed tennis racquet, than a suitable textile to complete the chill desert vibe the seller's wife was clearly going for.
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At the time we just said fine, whatever. But then our dog Hannah started blowing out her husky coat all over it, rolling around on it, sleeping on it, etc.... and it became dingy and furry in a way that made it look gross rather than cozy.
I paid our then housecleaner to try to clean it, and her wet-vac efforts ruined it. It looked like someone dumped gray mop-bucket swill on it, and then ground in some cigarette ashes as a spiteful afterthought. I still paid her, I mean she tried, but yeah.... no.
I even paid a professional carpet cleaning service to come to the house with industrial grade equipment; but while it made it slightly less gross, the truth is that it was beyond hope. And so we have lived with this thing ever since, and I've passively hated it.
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Well, our son is having a birthday party at our house on July 30th. He'll be 16 years old. He has disabilities, including both achondroplasia dwarfism and profound autism (level 3), so parties aren't really a thing for us, since his anxiety and consequent behaviors can be pretty extreme.
However, due to the incredible time and emotional investments his teachers and aides at both La Contenta Middle School and Yucca Valley High School have made for Bennett, we are hosting our first birthday party since he was five years old. And that's how we decided it was time to do something about the elephant in the room, or filthy zebra as it were.
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Celia (Bennett's mom, my ride-or-die) did some research and found Soukie Modern. We both work from home, so we coordinated to take a quick trip up to Pi-town between Zoom meetings and check it out. We pulled up to the spot, right behind Pappy & Harriet's, and popped into the shop. It's a small outpost, nice offerings, cool music, chill vibe, and gentle-spirited owner. Taib Lotfi.
While he didn't have anything in this small satellite outlet that was the right size for our space, he was happy to set up a Saturday appointment with us at his home in Palm Springs, which doubles as a warehouse and showroom.
Celia and I had a respite care worker scheduled Saturday evening, so we agreed to meet him to look at pieces that met our criteria. We exchanged info, and sure enough met him at his house. He has a beautiful space, an incredible collection, and really positive energy. Taib is a humble guy, and exhibited zero salesmanship other than "here are your choices", which is how I roll.
As it turns out, the first one he rolled out was the one. We both just knew, Celia and myself.
We closed the deal in his kitchen, where we met his equally chill and very pleasant wife, Hope. The sale felt more like an adoption than a purchase.
Further, we were able to go out to dinner in Palm Springs for our date, because Taib offered to drive it to our home and help install it Sunday morning, as well as offering to take the old rug to Angel View to be donated.
So now it's down, he's gone, and we couldn't be happier.
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The final thing I'll share here. I googled Taib, and while he never once mentioned his pedigree, he's the real deal.
He comes from a long lineage of Berbers, who are generationally renowned for their impeccable craftsmanship. The wool is harvested from sheep who are loved and cared for, and the ethos of the culture is quite literally spun and woven into the fabric of each piece.
He shared with me that while it is a sign of authenticity that he is a "Berber", the term itself is non-preferred, as it is a foreign exonym derived from the Greek word barbaros (meaning barbarian) that was historically imposed by outsiders.
The local and indigenous term for Berbers is Amazigh (singular) or Imazighen (plural). And here's the crazy part....
In Taib's native language (Tamazight), "Amazigh/Imazighen" translates to "free men" or "noble people". The root letter is Yaz, representing the consonant "Z", the 30th letter in the Tamazight alphabet.
The Yaz is the central emblem on the official Amazigh flag (shown in the featured pic). It serves as the ultimate international symbol of identity, freedom, and cultural pride for North African Amazigh communities. The shape of the letter ⵣ resembles a person with their arms raised and legs spread wide. This visual symbolizes a person breaking free from chains and standing strong against oppression.
This is mind-blowing, because I own and operate a life coaching service for men, called Man-UP! Life Coaching, and my hand-drawn logo—conceived in 2013, when I first hung my shingle—is almost identical to his country's historic symbol. I literally reinvented this symbol by imagining a man standing strong and free, then put an arrowhead on top to symbolize "man" and "up". I have never seen anything like it until today.
And so here's Taib in my garage, looking at my bike, seeing my company logo painted on my bike and saying "This looks like the symbol of our people." It was one of those moments of synchronicity that give you chills. Thought I was buying a rug, ended up in a quantum entanglement portal.
So anyway.... yeah man. THAT.
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To sum up (TLDR style): I had a rug I didn't like. Rather than continue to cope, I decided to use my free will to explore options. This led to meeting another conscientious, success-driven guy doing cool shit out there in the world, and we did business. He made a sale, I acquired an exceptional piece, and we both made a new friend under weirdly coincidental circumstances. #freemen
So if you want an authentic Moroccan rug made on location by the very people who have been doing this for literally 40 centuries, go open a dialogue with Taib about a piece for your home. Taib Lotfi at Soukie Modern is the man.
And as always, if you need some life coaching, I know a guy.
