Threshold: Teen Effort

LAST FALL, BOSTON-BASED textile company Merida Meridian partnered with the nonprofit Artists for Humanity to generate some fresh design ideas. AFH’s mission — to help urban teens explore their artistic side and heighten their environmental awareness — meshed well with Merida’s socially conscious business approach. The result of this unusual collaboration is the new Thrive collection: three vibrant wool rug patterns in two colorways each, designed by local youths and manufactured in Fall River. Each nature-inspired pattern represents a budding designer’s view of sustainability. “[Young people] have so much energy and are willing to think so freely,” says Carrie Kabat, Merida’s marketing manager. Ten percent of the proceeds will go to AFH. From $490, meridahome.com