Custom Rugs for Interior Designers: How to Specify, Approve and Order a Made-to-Order Rug

For interior designers, the rug is often the piece that ties a scheme together. It sets the palette, anchors the furniture plan and adds texture and softness to a room full of hard surfaces. But off-the-shelf rugs don't always fit. The size is a few inches wrong for the furniture plan, the blue is slightly too cool for the fabric, or the room has an unusual shape that a standard rectangle can't follow. That's where a custom, made-to-order rug comes in.

This guide is written for interior designers, decorators, stylists and anyone managing a design project for a client. It explains when a custom rug is worth it, what to include in a rug brief, how size, shape, color, fiber and pile are specified, how mock-up approval works, how to work smoothly with a maker overseas, how to budget, what realistic timelines look like and how to avoid the specification mistakes that cause delays and disappointment.

When is a custom rug worth it?

When the size has to be exact

Furniture plans don't always land neatly on standard rug sizes. A custom size lets the rug sit exactly where the plan needs it: under the front legs of a long sectional, 24 inches beyond a large dining table on every side, or inside a defined border of floor. Our standard rug sizes chart lists the stock sizes; anything else can be made to measure.

When the room has an unusual shape

Alcoves, bay windows, angled walls, curved staircases and long galleries often call for a non-standard shape. Hand-tufting makes round, oval, irregular and cut-to-shape rugs possible. Read our guide to organic and irregular-shaped rugs.

When the palette has to match

If a scheme is built around a specific fabric, paint color or artwork, a custom colorway ensures the rug fits rather than fights. Color matching is one of the most common reasons designers order custom.

When the design itself is unique

Some projects call for an original design: a client's own artwork, a motif drawn from the architecture, or a pattern created for a specific space. A made-to-order rug makes that possible.

When a stock rug is almost right

Often the simplest route is to adapt an existing design: the same pattern in a new size, or the same size in a different palette. It reduces risk, because you can see the original design first.

What to include in a rug brief

A clear brief saves time and prevents mistakes. Include as much of the following as you can.

1. Dimensions. Exact width and length, or diameter, in feet or centimeters, and whether the measurements are the finished rug size or the floor area to be covered.
2. Shape. Rectangle, square, round, oval or a custom outline. For a custom outline, provide a scaled drawing or template.
3. Design. An existing design to adapt, your own artwork, or a description and reference images.
4. Colors. Physical references where possible: fabric swatches, paint chips or a standard color reference. Screen colors vary, so physical samples are always more reliable.
5. Fiber. Wool, wool with viscose highlights, or other preferences, along with how much sheen you want.
6. Pile and texture. Pile height, and any carving or high-low details.
7. Room and use. Which room, how busy it is, and whether there are pets, children or rolling chairs. This affects fiber and color choices.
8. Floor and underlay. Floor type, underfloor heating and door clearances.
9. Deadline. The date the rug must be installed, and any fixed dates such as a photoshoot or handover.
10. Delivery address and access. Especially for large rugs, any stairs, lifts or narrow doorways.

Specifying size correctly

Size errors are the most common and most costly mistake in rug specification, so it's worth being careful. Measure the space first, mark the rug's outline on the floor with tape, check it against the furniture plan and door swings, then measure the tape. State finished dimensions clearly, including whether a measurement includes any fringe or border. Allow for handmade tolerance; ours can vary by up to about 3%, so in tight spaces, specify a little smaller rather than right up to a wall or fixed joinery. Check door clearances, because the rug plus its pad must clear any doors that swing over it; most of our designs have a pile of about 12 to 14 mm (see our pile height guide). And when scaling an existing design up or down, check that motifs still look right at the new size by asking to see a mock-up at the final dimensions.

Specifying color

Color is where expectations and reality most often diverge, because screens, printed proofs and yarn all show color differently. Send physical references wherever possible. Describe the room's light, since north-facing rooms make colors look cooler and warm lamplight makes them warmer; see our rug colors guide. Remember that viscose highlights reflect light and can look lighter or darker depending on the viewing angle; read what is bamboo silk? Fewer, well-chosen colors are easier to match and usually look more refined. And if one color must match exactly, the sofa fabric for example, say so clearly.

Specifying fiber, pile and texture

Our rugs are hand-tufted in New Zealand wool and wool blends, with bamboo silk (viscose) available for sheen and detail. For busy residential spaces, specify a wool-rich design; for bedrooms, formal living rooms and statement pieces, viscose highlights add depth and shine. Texture can be specified too: carved outlines, high-low areas and tonal designs add richness without extra color. See cut pile, loop pile and carved rugs and wool vs wool-blend rugs.

How mock-up approval works

For a custom rug, we prepare a mock-up showing the design, size, shape and colors before any yarn is tufted. Review it carefully with your client, check dimensions, colors and placement, and request any changes. Production starts only once the mock-up is approved. Approving the mock-up is the most important moment in the process, because it's much easier to change a drawing than a finished rug.

Before you approve, check every dimension against your plan, confirm color names and references, look at the pattern at the final scale, confirm shape and orientation, and make sure the client has signed off. Changes after approval can delay the project.

Working smoothly with a maker overseas

Ordering a custom rug from a workshop in another country is straightforward when communication is clear. Our workshop is in Bhadohi, India, which is several hours ahead of the US, so a message sent at the end of your working day often has a reply waiting the next morning. Use that rhythm to your advantage: send briefs and feedback in the afternoon and review responses first thing.

Keep everything in writing in one thread, with each new version of the mock-up clearly numbered, so there's never any doubt about which version was approved. When you give feedback, be specific: "make the navy two shades darker to match swatch A" is much easier to act on than "make it darker". Photos of swatches in daylight, next to a white sheet of paper for reference, help with color.

For US deliveries, shipping and import duties are already included in our price, so there are no surprise charges for you or your client on arrival. Confirm the delivery address and any access details, such as lifts, stairs and loading times for apartment buildings, before the rug ships.

Budgeting for a custom rug

A custom rug's price is driven by the same factors as any rug: size, construction, fiber, density, design complexity and finishing. Larger rugs, many-colored designs, carved details and shaped outlines all add skilled work and therefore cost. Read what makes a wool rug expensive and how much does a custom wool rug cost? for the full picture.

When you prepare a budget for a client, include the rug, a suitable rug pad, any optional extras such as a stain-resistant coating, and a margin for design changes during the mock-up stage. Adapting an existing design, rather than creating a completely new one, is often the most cost-effective route to a rug that fits perfectly.

Realistic timelines

Every rug we make is handmade to order. For custom rugs, making begins after you approve the design mock-up: the rug is handmade in about 8 days after approval, and US delivery takes about 2 to 3 weeks in total, including delivery, with shipping and import duties already paid. Allow extra time for the briefing and mock-up stage, especially if several rounds of color changes are needed. See our shipping policy for details.

Build the rug into the project schedule early. Rugs are often ordered last, after furniture and fabrics, which can squeeze the timeline. Briefing the rug as soon as the furniture plan and main fabrics are confirmed gives you a comfortable margin.

Common specification mistakes

Presenting a custom rug to a client

Clients often find it hard to imagine a rug from a drawing. A few presentation habits help. Show the mock-up alongside the fabric swatches and paint samples it's designed to work with. If possible, show it overlaid on the floor plan or a room render at the correct scale. Bring a physical sample of the yarn colors, or a similar finished rug, so the client can feel the texture. And explain the handmade nature of the piece: small variations in line and color are part of its character, and the finished size may vary slightly.

Setting these expectations early makes the final reveal a pleasure rather than a surprise.

Care information for your client

Pass care guidance to your client with the finished rug: vacuum weekly on low suction with the beater bar off, blot spills immediately, rotate every 6 to 12 months, use a rug pad and book a professional clean every 12 to 18 months. Our complete rug care guide, rug stain guide and new rug guide make useful handover documents. For extra protection in busy homes, consider specifying our optional stain-resistant coating.

Frequently asked questions

Can I order a rug in any size?

Yes. Every rug is made to order, so we can make it to your dimensions, allowing for a handmade tolerance of up to about 3%.

Can you match my client's fabric or paint color?

Send physical references and we'll match as closely as possible in yarn, then confirm on the mock-up before production.

Can I adapt an existing design?

Yes. Changing the size or palette of an existing design is often the simplest route to a custom rug.

How long does a custom rug take?

About 8 days of making after mock-up approval, with US delivery about 2 to 3 weeks in total including delivery. Allow time for briefing and approval.

Can you make round or shaped rugs?

Yes. Hand-tufting allows round, oval and custom-shaped outlines. Provide a scaled drawing or template.

Start a custom rug

Tell us about your project on our custom rugs page, or browse designs to adapt:

• Abstract and geometric rugs
• Irregular, round and oval rugs
• Ombre and gradient rugs