WORKS IN PROGRESS: BESPOKE CUSTOMER CREATION

Our in-house designer, Adriana, created a beautiful geometric design, working with the customer to create a colour palette that suited their style; mint, pink and grey used as accents on a tonal base. Once the design has been signed off, we make a small sample, so the customer can see how the colours and chosen quality come together, this time wool and silk with a hand-carved texture.

Of course, tweaks can be made to textures and colours at this stage and once this sample has been approved, we're able to move on to production. The hand-making process is broadly similar, but on a much larger scale. The same artisans that made the sample are given the task of final production, a great way of ensuring that an understanding of the design is translated perfectly into the final piece.

First the design is printed on paper, with each colour yarn identified, and the loom is set to the quality required, generally ranging from 100-knot right up to 200-knot. Even setting up the loom is a labour-intensive process, taking four people to set it up correctly.

With yarn colours checked against reference 'poms' for accuracy, the weaving process begins. Generally for most size rugs we produce, anywhere from one to six artisans will work on the loom at any given time. This really is hand-craft at its most inclusive, particularly with the largest hand-made carpets that can see 10 artisans putting their hands to the work at the same time.

After the looming process, the backing is then hand-finished to make sure it's left smooth. It's at this point that a similar principle is used to add hand-carved detail if necessary, as it was with this design. The artisans expertly add texture, carving it in to the pile with a pair of hand-scissors.

The rug is then washed and stretched (processes that again involve two people each), before a final cut of any stray tufts and the binding of edges, again by hand. From start to finish, theprocess takes 12 weeks or more, a time-frame that emphasises the quality in each and every rug. This particular quality, a beautiful 100-knot with a hand-carved texture, took nigh-on 14 weeks to complete.

The rug looks absolutely incredible in its home and we're delighted to have been involved in marking this customer's wedding in this rare way; with a beautifully made rug that will last til they are both old and grey.