In 1996, family and business moved to a substantial William IV / Victorian country house and grounds in the Thames-side village of Wraysbury, near Windsor. The house had stables and outbuildings that were converted to a workshop and dedicated studio in the design of a Sussex barn incorporporating novel architectural features for photography, specialist cleaning and raised office mezzanine. Whilst residing there, Saturday mornings were taken up working in the Admiral Vernon building on the famous Portobello Road market in Notting Hill, London.
Coinciding with the arrival of family life, a London premises was leased in 1985-1989 at 50 South Molton Street, Mayfair, London. During this time an interest developed in making new rugs in Turkey - something influenced by then ongong Dobag project, a UNESCO funded venture to re-establish natural dyes in the making of traditional Turkish rugs. Rather than produce traditional designs, the brand CRORMAC (CLIVE ROGERS ORIENTAL RUGS MODERNIST ANATOLIAN CARPETS) was created to showcase the very best of contemporary designs in natural dyes and top quality hand-spun wool. The project, although massively influential and an enormous trailblazing success, fell victim to many cheaply made imitations in Turkey and elsewhere. Under capitalisation made it impossible to protect the brand internationally, forcing closure of production in 1990...The rest is history and henceforth today we are drown in such imitative ' creative ' goods!
Brighton, Sussex in 1976 first with a studio shared with INFINITY FOODS and then a short lived DUPONT GALLERIES also shared prior to to a year of Asian travel followed by working from the historic home within the Regency conservation zone of Brunswick Town bordering the seafront.
A dedicated oriental rug gallery as CLIVE ROGERS ORIENTAL RUGS as the business continues to be known to this day.
The business has progressed through several iterations over the years. Its origins born of a general business SPICE ISLAND operating in Southsea, Portsmouth, with a shop acquired in 1971 and opened in 1972 selling oriental textiles and crafts, along with a business partner dealing in antique costume and commercial artefacts. The oriental side of the business being influenced from living in India and Afghanistan 1967-69. SPICE ISLAND was acquired in its entirety from the partner in 1973/4 and sold as a going concern. This funded a specialism dealing in antique oriental rugs, moving premises a short distance away.
As a teenager two formative years were spent living in South Asia.