For Micheline Mann of Mann Made Studios, hooking carpets started out as more than just a hobby. "At first it was therapeutic," she says, "but now I'm, well, hooked!"
For 15 years, Micheline worked in real estate, searching out old houses in the United States with her husband and renovating them into modern-day gems. When her marriage ended in 2005, however, everything was put on hold. "I was lost," recalls Micheline. "I had no idea what I wanted to do." That's when life, in the form of Micheline's mother (also named Micheline) stepped in. Having taught herself to hook carpets, Micheline Sr. encouraged her daughter to take up the hobby. "She forced me, actually," laughs Micheline, looking back, "but it's the best thing I ever did!"
When Micheline moved back home to Guelph, Ontario, in 2006, she pursued her passion for hooking in a uniquely personal way. Inspired by the bold colours and techniques used by artists like the Group of Seven, Micheline put her talents in interior design to work, reinterpreting this Canadian style in her carpets.
She purchased a century-old one-room schoolhouse, which she's transforming into a studio space and home. "After being away from Canada for so long, reconnecting with that part of me has become very important," says Micheline.
And while her carpets are beautiful enough to hang on the wall, Micheline prefers them on the weathered plank floors of an old cottage. "Country life is so much a part of family and our heritage," says Micheline, "I love the idea of my carpets being passed down along with it."
To see more of Micheline Mann's carpets, visit Mann Made Studios.
Read more in I am Country and Artisans
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