At the heart of Haidu Homes is the belief that heritage is not something to be preserved in isolation but something to be actively engaged with and reinvented. Traditional Moldovan decor, with its beautiful magical symbolism and harmonious patterns, has long been the essence of Moldovan cultural identity, serving as a living expression of its people's deepest beliefs, values, and spiritual connection to nature.

A New Chapter

The recent collaboration between Haidu Homes and OK KINO is key to the new direction of our project.

The act of reinvention requires vision: to see beyond the tradition itself and imagine how it can speak to modern sensibilities. It’s about integrating heritage crafts into our lives in ways that feel relevant, practical, and, most importantly, alive.

By reshaping ancestral motifs and symbols through a contemporary lens, we breathe life into timeless traditions. These designs, etched with the spirit of past generations , hold a magnetic power - a resonance that transcends time and space. When molded by new hands, these motifs do not lose their meaning; instead, they gain a renewed vitality, their stories reframed for a new era.

This new chapter is about a dialogue - a bridge that connects us to the cultural pulse of our ancestors while allowing us to infuse it with the language of today.

OK KINO is a brand established in Chișinău, Moldova.

Exploring Moldovan heritage, designers Darya Golneva and Denis Caunov carefully work with ethnic and cultural symbols, reinterpreting them from a new perspective.

Immersed in the process of deconstructing familiar items, they are captivated by the concept of reimagining these objects.

For the Haidu Homes collaboration, Darya and Denis drew inspiration from the ancestral art of stone carving practiced by Moldovan peasants as a way to decorate their houses. The various floral and geometrical motifs are naive and organic in their form but they hold a tremendously rich world of ancient symbolism, meanings and superstitions.

From D. Goberman’s “Stone Flower of Moldova”, 1970.

Darya Golneva and Denis Caunov at their studio in Chișinău.

Introducing five rugs that pay homage to ancestral Moldovan architecture and decor. Crafted in four different colours that mirror a range the organic muted tones found in ancient Moldovan stone art, pottery and natural dyes.

Darya Golneva and Denis Caunov have been deeply influenced by the sculptural works of Romanian sculptor Constantin Brâncuși and the craftsmanship of Moldovan stone carvers.

“Vatra” in Romanian means the house where one grows up, and this rug evokes the protective and warm feeling of being home. Surrounded by familiar sights, by protective objects and symbols that hug the memories inspired by a childhood home.

“Călător” means traveller, and the four pillars represented on this rug mirror the guiding compasses of the traveller. Inspired by the stone pillars on house gates in ancient Moldovan homes, we like to imagine them as guiding elements for a weary traveller trying to find their way along their voyage.

“Rădăcina” meaning root, is a word that bursts with poetry in Moldovan culture. Like the roots of a plant branch out to keep its trunk steady, so does a person lay roots through their culture, mother tongue, home, and community.

The motif of the ribbed column pillar, made famous by Constantin Brâncuși’s Endless Column sculpture, is a core element of Moldovan and Romanian folk art. Like a healthy root, it holds and inspires its sprouts perpetually.

“Făurar” means creator in old Romanian and this rug is an ode to the perfectly harmonious decor style of ancient Moldovan artists and stone-carvers. The quintessential human instinct to embellish practical objects is not only touching, but it speaks to a certain string in our souls that finds aesthetics vital to the daily routine.

“Veghe” translates as vigilant protection, and we like to think of the ornate foundation pillars of the Moldovan home as totemic protectors of the house and its inhabitants. An elegant symbol of ancestral presence and a gentle but powerful reminder of the thoughtful protection carved into houses built by hand for future generations to nest in.

All rugs are handwoven using 100% natural wool. Sizes and colours can be easily customized.

The rugs will be available for pre-orders starting March 2025.

Referencing ancestral Moldovan architecture, totemic symbolism, and folk artistry, each of the four rugs in our new collection represents a simplified revival of forms and meanings, an ode to the ancient thesaurus of symbols that still speaks to us today.

How Haidu Homes started

  • Exploring rural Moldova

    All of our vintage and antique rugs are sourced from rural Moldova, and from their particular craftswoman. We talked to the women who weaved them to find out more about the rug's history and the life of their artisans.

  • Meeting former craftswomen

    The great tradition of carpet weaving in Moldova is a story of female craftsmanship and artistry. We wanted to meet some of the women who weaved rugs in their youth and present their work to a larger audience. None of these women weave rugs currently and, sadly, rug-weaving is a very sparse skill in Moldova that only a few women still possess.

  • Researching the history of Moldovan rugs

    After sourcing a collection of rugs, we were determined to document each rug’s story but also research the meaning and stylistic mood of the motifs and the ensemble they create. That sparked our interest in ancient Moldovan decor and craft and so we embarked on the journey that brought us to our current project in the making.

  • Collaborating with Moldovan designers

    Our new approach is rooted in collaboration with young, local Moldovan creatives who share our vision of blending tradition with contemporary aesthetics. These creatives are reinterpreting ancient motifs in fresh, exciting ways - experimenting with color, texture, and scale to create rugs that feel both timeless and relevant today. Starting from a bold reinterpretation of ancestral Moldovan symbols, every rug in our collection represents a fusion of the past and present, of culture and innovation.