Custom Rug Fabrication - Learning One Step at a Time

The rug making trade is just like any other. You start with baby steps, you learn how to use the tools and naturally you expand on what you’ve learned. In my early stages in the trade, I started by making a few small rugs. I new absolutely nothing about rug design. In fact, I was pretty damned nervous about what I was getting myself into, including the first time I met with a prospective client. It does get easier with a little practice. In truth, I am convinced that the key is to face those fears by shrugging them off… look the other way, make fun of the fear voices and don’t take those doubts too seriously. It worked for me.

Let’s take a look at rug design.

Rug design can be viewed in the same way, by taking small steps. Start with simple designs, then explore different styles, themes, and cultural influences. Rug designs can originate from core themes. Nature is a core theme that inspires most textile design in some way or another.

Flowers, plants, animal prints, and landscapes can all be integrated into a rug design. Another inspiration in rug design is architecture. Modern design is especially suited for this style of rug making that is also known as custom rug fabrication. Clean simple lines found in modern art or abstract art and architechture are easy to replicate in a custom rug.

Rug design gets tricky when you begin to focus on complex design themes. A typical Persian rug design has layers of complexity and pattern repeats. These complex layers are difficult to replicate in custom rug fabrication. As the complexity levels increase, so does the price of the rug. It’s not unusual to see a production timeline of 6-9 months for a Persian rug. This is not a realistic timeline if you expect to make a living from rug making. Instead you are better off producing a rug in one week, or better yet, three days. Can it be done? Sure it can.

In my experience, I have learned to compromise by finding a comfortable middle ground in rug design. I do enjoy stretching my skills by pursing some of the more detailed designs that I find, however, I must also be mindful of my clients budget. While the design might be striking in it’s original context, or the first draft, it’s always best to have a backup strategy in your design layouts. Try to think in terms of Good - Better - Best when you are creating a design. If you take this advise to heart when you meet with your clients then you will have a few options, at different price points with ‘Best’ being the most expensive. This is the smart way to go about selling your services.

I will discuss more of these steps in future posts. You can always subscribe to this feed by clicking on the Orange Button at the top of this page.

As Always,

Russell Webb