Handmadology

The Sterling, Virginia house had been built pretty recently—in the 90s, but Amber El-Amin was drawn to its “good bones," including extra-high ceilings and an interior balcony. El-Amin, who is half Morrocan and half German and sells rugs through her online shop, The Gardener’s House, has made a habit of pickup up homewares on her world travels. So she designed the home as a place to showcase this passion. Pendant lamps: Piet Hein Ra. Runner: vintage Moroccan Tuareg. Folding chairs: 1960s Indonesian. CARLEY PAGE SUMMERS Through the years, El-Amin has lived in India, Turkey, London, and Bologna, Italy, where she worked as an au pair before ultimately coming back to her Morrocan roots. “I went down to Marakech and risked all of my savings on these 12 amazing collector rugs. I had never seen anything like them before,” she says. She opened an Etsy shop to sell them and her business took off from there. “Nearly everything in my house is vintage,” says El-Amin, who has stories for every