What drives the price, what you can get for your budget, and how to not waste anyone's time.
People ask us this constantly and usually apologise for asking, which they shouldn't. It's the first thing anyone needs to know.
So here's the honest version, including the bits that most studios keep vague.
For a hand tufted custom rug in London, expect to start somewhere around £500 for a small, simple piece and climb from there. A medium rug with a decent amount of detail sits in the £800 to £1,500 range. Large floor rugs, portraits and anything highly detailed go up from there.
There's no catalogue price because there's no catalogue. Every commission is drawn, coloured and tufted from scratch, so the cost follows the work.
Four things, roughly in order of impact.
Size. The biggest factor by a mile. Surface area goes up fast, and every extra centimetre is more yarn and more hours at the frame. Doubling the dimensions doesn't double the cost, it roughly quadruples the area.
Detail. A bold shape in three colours tufts quickly. A portrait with fifteen tones of skin and hair takes days. Fine lines, small text and tight colour changes mean constantly stopping, re-threading and switching cones. Detail is time, and time is the cost.
Material. We tuft in our own recycled yarn (cheekyarn) as standard, which keeps things sensible. Wool costs more but is the right call for something that'll be walked on for decades. We'll tell you which one your project actually needs rather than defaulting to the expensive option.
Finish. Standard cut pile is the baseline. Carving, mixed pile heights, loop pile detail, unusual shapes and specialist backings all add hours.
Usually, yes, if you tell us the number early.
This is the bit worth saying plainly: a budget isn't a problem, a vague brief is. If you tell us you've got £600, we'll tell you honestly what £600 gets you. Maybe that's a smaller size, or simplifying the design, or switching material. Often it's a better rug than the original idea, because constraints force decisions.
What doesn't work is us quoting £1,500 for something you were picturing at half that, and both of us finding out at the end. We'd rather have the conversation at the start.
So send the number. We're not going to judge it and we're not going to upsell you.
Every commission includes design work, not just tufting. We take your idea or artwork and translate it into something that actually works in yarn, which is a real job in itself. Not everything that looks good on a screen reads well at 10mm pile.
You also get:
That last one is worth more than people expect.
Anywhere from a couple of weeks to a couple of months, depending on size, complexity and how busy the studio is. Bigger and more detailed means longer.
For scale: the Danny Dyer rug we made for Sky was 3x6m and took 425 hours across the team. Most commissions are nowhere near that, but it shows how quickly size changes the maths.
If you've got a deadline, tell us at the start. We'll be straight with you about whether it's possible.
Much. If you want a rug and you're open to making it yourself, a workshop is £145 for a 40x40cm rug or £195 for 55x55cm, and you get a day out of it.
Commissions make sense when you want something bigger, more complex, or you simply don't want to make it yourself. Both are valid. We'll point you toward whichever one actually fits.
Send us the idea, a rough size, and your budget. Artwork helps but a scribble or a reference image is plenty at this stage.
We'll come back with an honest price and an honest opinion.
How much does a custom tufted rug cost in London?Small, simple commissions start around £500. Medium rugs with moderate detail typically run £800 to £1,500. Large or highly detailed pieces cost more. Price is driven mainly by size, detail, material and finish.
Can you make a custom rug on a small budget?Often yes, if you share the budget upfront. We'll tell you honestly what's achievable at your number, whether that means adjusting size, simplifying the design or changing material.
What affects the price of a custom rug?Size has the biggest impact, followed by level of detail, choice of material (recycled yarn or wool) and finishing techniques such as carving or mixed pile heights.
How long does a custom rug take to make?Typically a few weeks to a couple of months depending on size and complexity. We'll give you a realistic timeline when we quote.
