"I have never regretted my move from New York to Nantucket. I traded skyscrapers for rose-covered cottages, the Empire State Building for Sankaty Light, and an island surrounded by bridges for an island accessible by boat or small plane. While much of my work today takes me back to New York, Nantucket is where it all began..." Who could have foreseen that designer and entrepreneur CLAIRE MURRAY’s decision to leave the hustle and bustle of New York City for the small island of Nantucket to open a country inn, coupled with a passionate interest in reviving the traditional crafts of rug hooking and the needle arts, would develop into a flourishing international wholesale and retail business.

Today, CLAIRE MURRAY’s reputation for design and product quality is known throughout the world. Claire has been featured in numerous major magazines, including Better Homes & Gardens, Country Living, House Beautiful and Victoria, to name but a few. Claire has also been a feature on several television programs, including Home Matters on the Discovery Channel and the Home Show with Gary Collins, Home Shopping Network and on QVC in both the USA and Great Britain. In New York, the home textile industry has recognized the significance of her contribution with the prestigious HomeTex Design Award. CLAIRE MURRAY’s adventurous spirit and intuitive business sense led her overseas in search of manufacturing facilities long before many other U.S. based companies discovered the advantages of doing so. Claire visits the factories every year to work with her craftspeople on color and design and overseeing the production of her prototypes. Over the last 20 years she has built a remarkable rapport with the people who have helped in the manufacture of her exceptional products throughout the world. For her own stores, Claire has manufactured needlepoint, quilts and rugs in China; textiles in the U.K & the Orient; furniture in Valencia, Spain and hand-painted ceramics in Northern Italy and Portugal. The Claire Murray company has a catalog mailing list of over 100,000 customers. There are 13 CLAIRE MURRAY retail stores, featuring her entire line of hand hooked rugs, home accessories and apparel: Locations include: Nantucket Island; Martha’s Vineyard and Cape Cod, Massachusetts; Freeport, Maine; Ascutney, Vermont; Newport, Rhode Island; Yorktown, Virginia; Annapolis; and St. Michaels, Maryland. CLAIRE MURRAY® Factory outlet stores are located in Ascutney, Vermont and Freeport, Maine. It is CLAIRE MURRAY’s unprecedented style, which combines the looks of contemporary Americana with her rich colors and beautiful motifs, that has brought this historic handicraft in step with today’s designing needs. CLAIRE MURRAY has not only changed the way the home accessory industry looks at floors, now she will change the way consumers look at their entire homes.