What’s underfoot can make as much of a design impact as the paint on the walls and the furnishings in the room. That’s one of the reasons why many of us spend hours flipping through rug samples at big box furniture stores.
But isn’t it often that shopping off-the-rack rugs feels like a shell game? While many of those samples are gorgeous, some can be a bit off—not the right size, not the right color for your space.
Just like discerning men who opt for made-to-measure suits, homeowners can do similar and customize a rug to their desired specification. A piece in color of the year “peachy keen” with a floral pattern and fringe details? It’s all yours. Plush alpaca wool in forest green with a Moroccan theme design? You can make that too.
In New Jersey, dozens of carpet and rug makers can customize a rug to meet your specifications. Interior designer Julia Mazzucca of Oggi Design House in Monmouth Beach, for instance, goes to Weinstein by Stark in Little Silver for her personal and business needs.
“They have curated an array of brands to sift through, provide their own installers and have great customer service,” she says.
Thinking about customizing a rug for your home? Consider the following pros and cons before you decide:
Photo courtesy of Weinstein by Stark
Pros
The right fit
Sure, buying a rug right off a store’s shelves sounds convenient, but it isn’t always easy. Will it fit exactly in the dedicated space? Do the colors or patterns match with the room’s existing pieces? Creating a rug with the precise color and size you need is a sure-fire way to ensure you get the literal and figurative warmth you want.
All the feels
When you purchase a rug from an online retailer or even in a store, you may not know how it feels underfoot. One of the steps in designing a custom rug involves choosing your desired fiber and textile. Soft and plush? Natural and organic fibers? You can select what you want to feel against your bare skin.
A cut above
Not every home is designed with perfect angles or decorated using the same shapes. A custom rug can be cut in any shape so it fits snugly into the most awkward nooks and crannies.
Cons
Waiting game
On most occasions, consumers can bring home a rug that’s purchased at a store on the same day. There’s no waiting involved—other than the check-out line, loading and/or delivery. A custom-made rug takes time to produce. The process (including appointments with the rugmaker to cutting and weaving to assembly) can take anywhere between a few weeks to a year for completion.
Devil’s in the details
The cost of a custom rug can vary, depending on the intricacy of patterns and scarcity of materials. The more difficult it is to source a material or the more durable it is will drive the price of the piece. For instance, easy-to-process sheep’s wool, which has desirable stain-resistant properties, is commonly used to manufacture luxury rugs for all price points. On the other hand, rugs made with silk, a more precious material, have a steeper price tag—particularly if the silk is woven into patterns that have a high degree of detail.