Custom
Rugs and Carpets: 8 Tips before you buy
Buying a custom ordered product
always has a small amount of risk involved. After
all, most custom products require the buyer to
take a leap of faith because they are going to
buy something sight unseen. This does apply to
custom rug making as well. You can minimize the
risks by educating yourself and prepare yourself
with proper planning.
Here are 8 important tips before you commit to
buying:
Tip #1: Research the available
custom rug fabricators in your local area or go
online. Look for quality and professionalism.
Do they have experience? Do they have designs
to choose from? Do they have a portfolio that
you can look at?
Tip #2: Identify
a budget for your rug project. If your budget
is tight, then maybe ordering a custom rug isn't
realistic at this time. If you can afford to spend
extra for something unique and custom then you
may be looking at $500-1000 for smaller size rugs,
$1000-5,000 for larger sizes - depending on size
and complexity, costs can escalate even further
as rugs get larger. If you're ordering multiple
rugs then politely demand a package price
discount!
Tip#3: Get
design ideas online by visiting area rug sites.
If you find a design that you like, then try and
capture the largest image that you can. You can
'right click' the image with your mouse and 'save
image as' into a folder on your desktop. Start
a collection of inspiring ideas.
Tip#4: Consider
how the rug will integrate into your interior.
Do you have a fabric or theme that you can play
from? Do you have a style that appeals to you;
some current styles might be Old World, Modern,
Tropical, Southwestern, Abstract, or even Whimsical.
Tip #5: Several
rugs can tie-in together from room to room. They
don’t have to be all the same design. Consider
reversing some of the colors or changing the design
elements slightly. This is a great method for
integrating multiple custom rugs within the home.
Tip #6: Stay
clear of overly complex designs. If you want to
match that busy Persian rug design in your living
room, then you’re better off looking for
a Persian rug supplier, not a custom rug fabricator.
Tip #7: Share your favorite designs
with your rug fabricator. Discuss options for
integrating your ideas into your own custom rug.
Ask for an estimate in writing on your proposed
design. Expect to pay extra for any additional
artwork that may be required.
Tip #8: Choose
your colors direct from carpet swatches. It’s
fine to see the final artwork on your screen monitor,
however, screen monitors and printouts vary. Your
final decision should be based on exact materials
that will be used in your rug. Have swatches shipped
to you for final approval if you are ordering
from a merchant online.
General rug production times
should be around 4-6 weeks, depending on complexity
and quantities ordered. This is an average turn
around time for custom rug fabricators.
As you can see, custom rug
fabrication has some interesting benefits to consider.
It’s not for everybody, yet the creative
possibilities are endless and the interest in
customizing our home interiors is more popular
than ever.
Here's a quick summary of the tips: Determine
a budget for your rug purchase. Integrate the
designs with your existing interior. Find designs
and themes that attract you. Stay clear of overly
complex designs. Get an estimate of the proposed
design. Choose colors from physical swatch samples.
You can be creative and
you can have fun with the whole process. The key
is to have a clear picture of the proposed design
before buying, which is not that hard to do. The
end result should be a beautiful addition to your
home interior in the exact size and colors that
you need.
© 2007 Russell Webb
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