Originating in places with rich cultural traditions, their heritage is woven into each stitch.

Here are a few of our favourite brands and shops that we have drawn inspiration from over the last couple of years.

Whether it’s the passionate family-owned business that was founded by the Grandfather of the current owner or the travelling stories that are told through the rugs that a store showcases, they all have a unique character - much like the rugs.

1. Woven Rosa

We can’t do a list of our favourite rugs in the UK and not include some of our own favourites, which we love.

All of our textiles have been sourced by ourselves, first hand. We celebrate talented craftsmanship and beautiful things with the aim to preserve the traditional skills used to create them.

The strong bonds that we create with all of our artisans enables us to learn and appreciate their traditions. Sharing their artwork with you contributes to the celebration of their heritage.

We want to bring you closer to the source so you are able to appreciate the journey that each piece has been through. Each individual product telling a unique story that can be retold for many years to come.

2. Lazy Lines Rugs

The ‘Lazy Line’ is a unique characteristic of hand made rugs. It is an area of discontinuous weaving that creates a visible diagonal line, occurring as the weaver moves around to work on different areas of the ‘warp’ of the rug.

At Lazy Lines Rugs they embrace these kinds of imperfections, and felt ‘lazy lines’ was the perfect name for their collection of hand woven Moroccan rugs.

Lazy Lines Rugs consists of Lillie (a print designer) and Joe (a flooring retailer). Upon a trip to Morocco, they fell in love with the pattern, colour and workmanship of Moroccan Berber rugs.

Since their initial visit, they regularly return to restock their collection of rugs; travelling around the beautiful countryside & cities of Morocco, tirelessly searching through hundreds of pieces to find the finest examples, whilst creating friendships with the best wholesalers and artisans.

3. The Handmade Rug Company

The Handmade Rug Company work with the very best rug producers in the world to create their unique handmade, handpicked rug collections ranging from traditional to contemporary.

All are handmade, one of a kind pieces. They believe the very best rugs are always handmade.  No two rugs are the same; they are all made from natural materials and are a unique piece of art which, like an heirloom, gets better with age.

 Rugs are the go to for interior designers, creating a focal point and drawing a room together. However, rugs are more than that, they are the art of displaced people.

Combining traditional rug making methods with contemporary design Handmade Rug Company is committed to keeping this transportable culture alive.

You can visit their showroom in York , North Yorkshire or contact their London office.

4. Lilla Rugs

Lilla Rugs is dedicated to making one of a kind handmade rugs accessible to the masses, at the most affordable prices possible, by removing the middleman, sourcing the rugs directly from their country of origin.  

The company began life as an Instagram account set up by Camilla Ahwazian, born out of her love for rugs after spending much of her childhood around them. 

Growing up, their founder, Camilla, spent a short time living in Iran and travelled around the country with her parents, meeting all sorts of rug weavers and their families.

This time gave her valuable insights into different weaving processes that only a handful people are lucky enough to have. In 1992 her parents set up an oriental rug company in London, so they really have been in her life for as long as she can remember. 

Camilla's store has over 10,000 sqft of showroom space, and one of the largest handmade rug selections in the UK - when it comes to homemaking, variety is key!

Rugs put a unique stamp on a room, and are an important part of what turns a house into a home. You really are spoilt for choice with her vast collection of one-of-a-kind, handmade masterpieces - no two are the same. 

5. Cosy Coco

Based in the UK, Cosy Coco was born out of founder Noémie’s desire to showcase the artistic beauty of handcrafted African products so that the talents of master artisans can be celebrated and encouraged. 

It is through her love of travelling to the more rural areas of Africa and whilst living in Zimbabwe and connecting with local artisans, that her passion for handmade African crafts and design led to the initial concept of Cosy Coco. 

She believes that a home should be filled with the stories of the journeys they have taken so that the true beauty of objects can be appreciated. 

By travelling to each country and working closely with artisans to source and design collections, she is able to listen to their stories, so that she can in turn build a collection of items, available globally, which reflect the extraordinary cultures and history of these men and women. 

By meeting these communities she has been able to form sustainable relationships and purchase in line with the principles of fair trade. 

The brand is forged with the purpose of making a social, as well as a visual impact by supporting these crafts people to maintain their traditional skills and practices for future generations. 

6. Vintage Cappadocia Rugs

Vintage Cappadocia Rugs is a  family business that has been running since 1970 and has recently gone online.

They say that each of their rugs has had its own life so a lot of time is spent carefully restoring them with their professional team to emphasise its beauty. They have a few different types of rugs from the weave to the size.

7. Joshua Lumley Contemporary

The philosophy of Joshua Lumley Contemporary  is to present an evolving and harmonious collection of contemporary handmade rugs and kilims of outstanding beauty at accessible prices.

This is possible as they do not have retail premises. Instead, their base is an oast house in rural Kent, with their website their shop window.

Joshua began his career in the London auction houses, running Phillips’ and then Sotheby’s Rug Departments in Europe.  He established his own antique rug business in 2004 which is thriving and has many leading interior decorators and collectors amongst its clients.

With a passion for the subject, Joshua has always been drawn to a wide range of rugs from diverse geographical areas.  The key factors are colour, design and texture.  Good vegetable dyes; simple design; and the best natural materials.

Joshua has often been asked to source contemporary rugs, but has frequently been frustrated by the experience: the top end of the market is dominated by Nepalese rugs of bold colour and design which can be eye-catching but are often difficult to place in an interior scheme.

Furthermore, the rest of the market has often lacked originality, with palid reproductions of antique designs being the main staple of the trade.

Joshua therefore decided to team up with his friend Alex Duddy,  and start a new company with the aim of bridging this gap.  Alex’s background is in art and marketing, and Joshua has long been impressed by her natural eye for colour and design, and has often sought her advice and help in the past.  

She was the natural person to team up with to curate a collection of handmade rugs.

Joshua and Alex look for the same qualities found in the best antique rugs in each piece selected for their contemporary collection.  This first collection is comprised of rugs from India, Pakistan and Afghanistan; but the process of expanding the selection is ongoing, with several research and buying trips planned for the coming months.

8. Lusophile

Launched in June 2017, Lusophile is a Portuguese lifestyle brand sourcing top quality homeware, clothing, gifts and accessories.

With an exclusive focus on Portuguese products, many of their items are handmade by small, independent labels or family-run businesses and they are passionate about making these items available to a wider audience.

They carefully select Portuguese brands that combine new technologies and design trends with the country's long history of craftsmanship in the fields of textiles, ceramics and cork, among others. Many of their featured brands are also engaging in ethical production practices, ensuring a sustainable manufacturing process.

9. Emily’s House

The Founder of Emilys House London Katrien Vermeeren first became inspired by rugs and carpets while travelling to the Middle East and Africa.

Finding unique and beautiful designs made by local craftspeople – from Berber women to Turkish nomads – she became passionate about the handmade Kilims, beautiful mosaics, vintage Beni Ouarain and Moroccan rugs that she sources and sells today.

Each and every rug that Katrien finds, is selected for its unique beauty and will surely add that special twist to your interior!

9. Zuri House

Zuri House is a small, creative studio based in London. It was born out of the belief that the products that surround us have direct influence over their well-being and emotions.

They create home accessories for both grown ups and the little ones. Their intention is to make sure that these items bring warmth, comfort and positive, cosy ambience to the homes of their clients. But the external beauty is not everything – they also like to be practical and remember about the functional aspect of everything they have in their homes.

When using their products you can be sure that they were created using the natural, high quality and eco-friendly materials and each item was individually made in Europe by one of the talented makers on their small Team.

They pride themselves on their authentic, pure, ecologically clean and beautiful craft. They value the work of human hands and original ideas. They like to play with colours and experiment with materials.

All of their ideas come together under the roof of Zuri House, offering to their customers delightful products and a high quality of design and craft.

Zuri House was founded in 2016 by Ola Michalak and was the result of the lifelong passion for craftsmanship and interior design. She learnt to knit at the age of 7 and as a grown-up woman became an admirer of Scandinavian style – it exemplified everything she valued in home décor – minimalism, simple forms, modesty and intimacy.

Two life events contributed to the decision to combine these two passions into a career – arrival of the second child and moving to another country.

While Ola was refurbishing and settling in the new house she started to create the things which apart from being decorations would help to organize the space, especially in the nursery. She was carefully selecting the natural and eco-friendly materials which would be safe but would also survive the test of time and intense use by young children playing.

The house started to fill up with baskets, rugs, pouffes and pillows hand-knitted with thick, organic cotton cord– the first Zuri House collection.

10. Essence of Morocco

The Essence of Morocco aim to provide you the best in Moroccan Interior Design and Home Decoration (contemporary and vintage), inspired by their ancestral heritage and know-how.

Their creative design workshop and studio in Marrakech enables them to bring you the best of their Moroccan design skilfully and lovingly hand-produced by their team of artisans to exceptional quality and ethical standards.

They take pride in personally sourcing and curating all of their vintage rugs during their many sourcing trips to the various villages and regions of Morocco. Through their award-winning range of Organic, Natural, Moroccan beauty and Hammam products their aim to provide you an authentic experience of Morocco.

They also offer a bespoke custom made service.

11. Handmade Rugs

Handmade rugs offer a beautiful selection of Handmade Rugs and Interiors, visit their showrooms in New Alresford, Hampshire and Tenterden, Kent. They stock a wide range of rugs imported from india in all shapes, sizes and colours.

12. Outlavish

Outlavish are all about finding and producing the highest quality natural textures. From that, crafting soft furnishings with dedication into unmatched beauty & comfort for any interior.

Buying a Outlavish product means you have chosen to furnish your interior with care and consideration for its appearance.

They stock sheepskin, cotton and jute rugs

13. The Weave

The Weave Rug Company is a family run business whose specialism is to travel the major Carpet and Rug producing regions of the world to bring back only the very best examples of authentic handmade carpets and rugs available.

Their family business origins remain firmly etched in bringing to their customers only the best and most interesting examples of authentic Persian knotted carpets and rugs available.

Over the years they have amassed a fabulous collection of some of the very best examples of Traditional & Multi Award winning Contemporary Carpets that represents craftsmanship and artistic merit at its very best.

They recommend for anybody who’s considering the purchase of a Carpet or Rug to first visit their lovely canal-side showroom to see their vast and wonderful collection. They stock everything from small rugs to some of largest and finest silk carpets available.

The business of dealing with Oriental Carpet & Rugs was founded in the 1990’s by the business owner as a means to fund his travels around the Middle Eastern tribal regions of Southern Iran, Pakistan & Afghanistan.

Although their main retail strength is now authentic  Oriental Persian Knotted Carpets & Rugs they also carry a wide and varied stock of  Handmade Contemporary Designer Carpets – many of which have won international design awards.

All Oriental Persian Knotted Carpets & Rugs at The Weave have been carefully selected at source for individuality and artistic merit by Tim – the company owner.

From the many thousands of carpets they find available they only select items of individual character – to stress this doesn’t necessarily mean expensive but it does mean a carpet that’s been produced with quality materials, authentic natural dyes and woven with imagination and passion by the weaver.

14. Wood & Cotton Co

After years of working in Investment Banking, Chana launched Wood & Cotton Co in 2019. Whilst having a pure financial background, she was always inspired by her mother’s work as an Interior Designer; by often using these skills in decorating both hers and friends’ houses.

Throughout the years she always found it difficult to find beautiful and high quality hand-made furnishings and crafts at a reasonable and fair price. She turned to her parent country  to find exactly this and bring it to you.

All products are manufactured by passionate people in an environmentally and sustainable way.

Wood & Cotton Co stock an array of products from baby accessories to ceramics. The rugs that they showcase are contemporary in style, with pastel tones all handmade or hand-woven.

15. Afgan Rug Shop

The Afgan Rug shop sources their rugs only from the North of Afghanistan, they have been able to get everyone involved in the production process of their rugs inspected and ratified.

Not just red rugs!  They hand pick all of their rugs in all colours and sizes, direct from the weavers. Which is a true sign of quality with lesser quality Afgan rugs bought in bulk that are mostly red.

They are corporate sponsors of Afghanaid and regularly donate to their unrestricted fund which funds whichever of their projects needs their help the most.

16. We Are Nomads

Jane Badu is an interior designer and travel lover. She combined these two worlds which led her to launch We Are Nomads, an online store and interior design studio showcasing carefully sourced homeware alongside collections designed by Jane, inspired by her travels and the desire to bring together eclectic and exciting pieces with soul for the modern home. 

Jane likes to think of herself as a nomad, constantly on the move, discovering new beautiful places to visit. Through these products, she wants you to feel inspired by her travel stories through the products she has sourced.

 The story of world craft, particularly African craft is so rich that it deserves to be shared and celebrated. The store is full of colour, pattern and stories of her travels and people she connected with.

17. Jord

Jord Home is a boutique rug store using only natural materials to evoke wellness and comfort. 

Jord translates across the Nordic countries as 'Earth' & represents their commitment to natural materials. Jord Home create a home environment that is both uplifting & comforting, through the use of texture, natural materials and light. 

All of their flatweave rugs are crafted by hand on traditional wooden looms, using cotton, jute and wool.

They source natural hides from the Sami people, a nomadic tribe travelling across the fells of Sweden, Norway and Finland following the rhythm of the seasons. All of their hides are handpicked.

They are also specialists in sourcing Beni Ourain rugs from the Atlas Mountains, where Berber tribes women have woven wool rugs for centuries to keep their families warm & comforted.

18. Moroccan Givings

Moroccan givings bring you the Moroccan way of life, with magical colours, mystic fragrances and an extraordinary atmospheres.  With beautiful Moroccan Home decoration, you can create your own Moroccan atmosphere in your home.

They want  to inspire you to look beyond traditional uses and combine the beauty of different cultures.  All of their products are handcrafted and always purchasing new and old traditional Moroccan Artisan creations to share with their customers.

20. Jennings Rugs

Jennings Rugs are a family-owned business that has specialised in selling the finest hand-made oriental rugs and carpets for over 50 years. They have one of the largest ranges in the country and are amongst only about a dozen retailers of their kind outside of London. They offer their customers an unusually high level of personal and very friendly service, making sure they find just the right rug to enhance their homes.

They willingly share their extensive knowledge and expertise and can provide a wealth of information and advice on all of their products, whether Persian rugs or silk runners - including the origins of the rugs, colour schemes, designs and how to look after them. They try to cater for all tastes and budgets and carry a range of sizes from doormats to room-size carpets.

How much is a handmade rug?

This really depends on the type, the process and the origin of the rug. You can find some handmade rugs that cost £30, these are typically made from cheaper synthetic materials and made quickly on a large loom. Other handmade rugs can cost upwards of 5 figures, these tend to be large rugs, made from expensive natural materials and can be vintage or unique pieces.