Custom Carpet and Rug Options
Are you tired of seeing the same patterns and colors? Do you want something different than your friends and neighbors? We have a few carpet mills that allow customization to their standard offering. It may feel like a new concept, but these manufacturers specialize in made to order carpets and rugs. The projects have been increasingly popular as of late because everyone is looking for something unique and different.
Milliken Carpet:
The most economical custom carpet option is offered by Milliken which has been in business since 1865. It was founded by Seth Milliken and William Deering in Portland, ME so they have local roots. They are known for residential/commercial nylon carpet that you see often in the hospitality industry. The product does so well that they started making it with contemporary and traditional residential styles in modern colors. It is extremely durable with many styles and colors. There’s a standard palette to choose from or you can test out their custom program for a nominal fee.
Milliken’s Visualizer
Milliken recently came out with their visualizer tool on their website called “InspireDesigner”. It allows anyone to test their interior design capabilities and have fun creating their own unique carpet. It truly is one of the best ways to visualize a carpet before ordering it. You can choose a print and then customize your colors with a few clicks of the mouse. The real fun is using their recoloring tool. You can see how the carpet will look as you select colors in swatch and room views.
In order to qualify for a custom carpet by Milliken here are a few things to keep in mind:
The order must meet the minimum of 20 yards
The lead time on these custom products is 4-6 weeks
Milliken is a company we service and recommend daily for all types of projects; stair runners, area rugs and wall to wall installations. Even if you are not thinking of creating a custom product you can select the many samples we offer in our showroom.
To start visualizing your own carpet, click here!
L&M Custom Carpets and Rugs
We were fortunate to connect on the phone with owner of L & M owner, Gary Shafran, who spoke to us about how he started the company and what the entire customization process is like. If you are like me and wondered what L&M stands for, L is for his wife, Laurie, and M is for his son, Matthew. As a family business ourselves, I thought that was interesting to note!
The company is based out of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut and has been in business for 8 years. They have a great website that details the company and how to get started on a custom project. Though the company is not offered in any stores, but it is here at The Carpet Workroom of course!
L+M Custom Program
The best part of working with Gary is that most anything is possible. Even though the thought of customizing your very own carpet can be scary, the actual process is actually quite simple!
When you visit our showroom, we have a section that displays the standard styles this line offers. The designs are intricate and unique, perfect for someone looking to have an item no one else has. What really stands out, though, is the quality. These products are not machine tufted like Milliken. The rugs are hand woven using natural fibers like New Zealand wool.
Once the style and pattern have been selected, you the move onto the colors. There are some commonly used combinations we can present but the options are almost limitless. Gary provided us with a universal pom box with 600 colors you didn’t even know existed! Once you’ve selected the colors you want, Gary will send us a digital rendering of what the colors and pattern will look like. Once that rendering has been approved by the customer, then we will order a physical strike off. This step takes about 4 weeks total. Once the strike off has been approved, the production process can take up to 8-12 weeks depending on size of the product but the wait is well worth it. One of the best aspects about this option is that they are able to create rugs without seams as large as 20 feet wide. Many mills aren’t able to offer these services, so keep this in your back pocket for larger spaces!
Harcourt
The last of our highlighted custom options is Harcourt. This is another mill we offer in our showroom that allows customers to become their own designers. We were able to get on the phone with Rick, owner of Harcourt, and discussed how he started the company. We then dug right into the reasons why the company started a custom rug program.
Right after 9/11, interior designers and homeowners were financially faced with limited resources when it came to home decor. When they were not able to source materials, this is where the customization began.
Black Label Rug Program
By creating a way for customers and interior designers to generate their own designs, Harcourt started the “Black Label Rug Program”. The company itself has an art department that provides assistance throughout the entire process! The customer is truly the designer of their custom rug and there aren’t really any boundaries.
Similar to the other mills, Harcourt offers hundreds of styles. The program allows all levels of customization including the pile height of the carpet! It also includes over 1,400 colors which are presented in a catalog instead of pom box.
The entire process can take up 3-6 months which includes selecting material, style, colors and approving strike offs. Rick wanted to assure us that the months that come along with constructing a custom rug is well worth the wait. With the final result, you can have signature piece to fit their home, all created by you.
Thinking of creating a custom carpet? Please email us at info@carpetworkroom.com or call us at 888-388-9248.
