A rug decides how a room is laid out more often than the furniture does. It sets the edges of a seating area, it warms a hard floor, and in an open-plan space it is frequently the only thing telling you where one zone ends and the next begins.
We hold a selection in the showroom and order the rest to size, in wool, silk and mixed constructions. Sizing is where most rugs go wrong. Too small is far more common than too large, and the front legs of the seating generally want to sit on it.
Bring a cushion, a curtain sample or a photograph of the floor. Colour reads completely differently under showroom light than it does on a screen.
A selection of past work
Sizing a rug
Too small is far more common than too large. In a seating area, at minimum the front legs of every seat should stand on the rug; better still, all four legs, which makes the seating read as one group rather than as furniture arranged around a mat.
Under a dining table, the rug needs to extend far enough that a chair stays on it when pushed back, which is usually about 60cm beyond the table on every side. In a bedroom, either a large rug under the bottom two thirds of the bed or runners at the sides, but not a small rectangle at the foot.
Constructions and fibres
Hand-knotted rugs are the most durable and the most expensive, and they age well. Hand-tufted is softer underfoot and costs less, and will not last as long in a hallway. Flatweaves are hard-wearing and thin, which suits doorways and rooms with underfloor heating.
Wool is the default for good reason: it is resilient, it takes colour well, and it hides a great deal. Silk and viscose add lustre and are far less forgiving, so they suit a formal room rather than a family one. Mixed constructions are usually the compromise worth making.
Living with a rug
Use an underlay. It stops movement, protects the pile and makes a rug feel considerably better underfoot for a small sum. Expect new wool rugs to shed for a while; it stops.
Rotate a rug occasionally if one part gets more sun or more traffic than the rest, and have anything valuable cleaned properly rather than wet-cleaned at home.
Seeing it in person
The showroom is at York House on Vicarage Lane in Bowdon, open Monday to Saturday, 9am to 5pm. An appointment helps but is not necessary. It is a retail showroom and you are welcome to walk in.
Questions we get asked
Can rugs be made to size?
Often, yes, in a choice of construction and colour. Sizes are one of the main reasons to order rather than buy off the shelf.
What works with underfloor heating?
Thinner constructions and natural fibres. We will tell you what is suitable before you order.
Can we try one at home?
Samples of the construction and colour can be taken away, and for a large rug that is the sensible step before ordering.
Rugs from the ranges we carry
A sample of what we can order in. Rugs are made in set sizes and also to order, so a room that falls between two standard sizes is not a problem.
