Stephanie de Klerk. (Photo: Provided)
With her love for womanhood, motherhood, creativity and storytelling, Stephanie de Klerk weaves new life into old Persian carpets – each with its own story and piece of nostalgia.
This is how The Carpet & Blanket Shoppe was born: an additional income for her family and their farm in Barkly-Oos and a way to keep stories from the past alive in contemporary homes.
She was standing in front of her Esse anthracite stove with a second-hand Persian carpet under her feet when she came up with the idea for her business, a second-hand carpet shop.
“I ran a soup kitchen, Wintershoek Farmhouse Soup, with vegetables from my garden. However, it was only an income in the winter, and I wanted to do more,” says Stephanie.
“During that time I bought and sold my first second-hand Persian carpet, and just as an Esse stove carries stories from previous generations, I realized carpets do too.”
(Photo: Provided)
Stephanie, or Steph as she is popularly known, believes that the carpet store is something that God put on her heart.
“I started selling carpets in a gift shop in town. When the shop closed, I was able to move my carpets next door to a friend’s place who gave me another year. When that place also closed, I had to move on again. Later I sat with my carpets in my car and on a trailer and wondered: Where to now? I drove home and decided to work from the farm, close to my children. Even though there were times of uncertainty, I experienced peace again and again.”
Steph’s big dream for her shop is to keep the carpets’ stories alive and create new stories with them. She wants people to think about the tranquility and warmth that a home can offer – something that is often lost in the everyday rush.
She later enlisted her family to replicate the theme and sentiment on social media. Her Instagram profile has gained more than 11,000 followers over time.
Stephanie and her family. (Photo: Provided)
“I mostly share content that reflects my life and business, from our products to small moments on the farm and in the house. I focus on conveying a sense of simplicity, warmth and stories, rather than just focusing on trends,” notes Steph.
“It is important to me that people can feel something when they visit my page, something that is calm and sincere. It means a lot to me.”
Celebrities like the actress and Farmer looking for a wifepresenter Reandi Gray and actress Zetske van Pletzen have also appeared on her Instagram.
“For me, my family is the heart of everything I do. It is precisely this season of my life as a wife, mother and homemaker that shaped my business and made my passion for simplicity, warmth and home even deeper,” says Steph.
(Photo: Provided)
“Through my rugs and storytelling, I want to bring people back to that simplicity, to appreciate the small things again and to create a home that is soft, warm and full of meaning. The woman is the heart of the home, and through her a place becomes warm, soft and full of life.”
Balancing her business with motherhood and womanhood is challenging at times, but with the help of her parents and in-laws it never becomes impossible.
“Over time, I learned to find my rhythm and manage everything better. So even if it is not always easy, it is a great privilege for me to be able to walk this path as a mother and farmer’s wife with my business. I want to encourage other women and mothers not to be afraid and to seize an opportunity when it comes their way,” says Steph.
“That doesn’t mean it’s always going to be easy, but I believe if something is planted in your heart, it’s worth taking that first step. You don’t have to plan everything meticulously. Just start small and grow from there. And remember: You can do it in your own way and in your own time and still stay true to your home and your family.”