Our Rugs

Our rugs are very special. They are works of art for the floor, or to
be wall-hung like pictures. Designed for us by artists and designers based in the West, they use the traditional skills and craftsmanship of our spinners, dyers, weavers and finishers in Nepal to bring you unique pieces to enrich you life for many years.

The skill in buying a rug is to be certain of what you want. We
believe that it is important to see and feel our rugs before you decide what to buy. We too, want to be certain that what you buy is appropriate for your needs. Our rugs are exclusive and they are becoming collectors’ pieces. Editions of our rugs are limited to 30 pieces from one design. When we have woven the complete edition to one design, the design is discontinued. The edition number is included on the rug label and the artist or designer also signs the label. We can help – by talking to you, by lending you samples and colour tufts, and by advising you on how the rug will harmonise or contrast with your scheme.

Generally we use a blend of 90% New Zealand wool and 10%
Tibetan wool, for our rugs. We use silk and other fibres such as nettle fibre, for some of our designs. We use cotton for the warp and weft, and the dyes used are synthetic but vegetable dyes can be used for special orders.

Our rugs are all quality hand-woven pieces. Every tuft is individually woven-in and many of our yarns consist of three colours spun together, to give a lively and vibrant finish to the pile surface. We do not make hand “gunned” glued together rugs – the production method used for so many contemporary rugs. The design potential of a genuine hand-woven rug is enormous. Some designs demand a clearly defined change from one colour to another. In other designs colours need to change imperceptibly from one area to the next. As every tuft is hand-knotted, we can achieve gradations in colour that you would never find in machine woven rugs.

Standard rug sizes are 1.22 x 1.83m (4ft x 6ft) and 1.83 x 2.75m (6ft x 9ft). These are popular sizes in the UK, but we also supply runners and square rugs and many other sizes. Specification details are all included on our rug labels, including knot density, fibres used, the designer and the weaver. The Rugs by Design logo is also embossed on the leather label – the mark of a genuine, quality
work of art.

We hold a quantity of rugs in stock for immediate delivery. But you may need a special size or special colours to suit your interior scheme. We are always pleased to weave special rugs. Delivery is normally 6 – 8 weeks on current designs. We also develop completely new and original designs for special situations. Delivery on these may take longer, especially if you want us to work on the special design with you and possibly weave a number of samples.

Rugs with silk and nettle fibre content usually cost more than our all wool rugs. Rug prices also depend on the complexity of the design, Some of our designs include up to 20 or 25 colours, whereas others use only five or six colours. Please ask us to quote on the rugs you are interested in. We will be delighted to explain the various options to you and to help you with wool tufts and samples.

You are welcome to visit us by appointment in Oxford. Or we can arrange to visit you to show you sample rugs and discuss your needs and advise you.