INFORMATION & ADVICE: DESIGNING A BESPOKE CARPET FOR YOUR STAIRCASE

May 15th, 2023
INFORMATION & ADVICE: DESIGNING A BESPOKE CARPET FOR YOUR STAIRCASE

A staircase can often be the first thing you see as when you walk through the front door and few things elicit feelings of warmth and comfort in the home than a bespoke carpet.  Whether you choose a fully fitted carpet or stair runner, a custom made carpet provides the opportunity to introduce pattern, colour and texture.

Whether you require a plain custom dyed stair runner or an intricate border design following the contours of an elaborate staircase, every project at Loomah is designed to suit the specific requirements of each individual interior, offering a truly bespoke product.

With over 30 year experience in the industry, we have enlisted Andrew Cotgrove, Founder and Managing Director of Loomah Bespoke Carpets & Rugs, to help guide you through the key considerations when designed and installing a custom made carpet for your staircase.

STAIR RUNNER OR FULLY FITTED CARPET

There are two options when commissioning a bespoke carpet for your staircase; a stair runner or fully fitted carpet.

You might prefer a stair runner, to show off a beautiful wood, stone, or marble floor finish either side, and as a surround on the landings.  “The beauty of designing a bespoke stair runner is that there are no restrictions on size,” explains Andrew Cotgrove, Founder and Managing Director of Loomah Bespoke Carpets & Rugs. “We can make it to the exact size required. As a guide, we would recommend between 5cm and 15cm between the edge of the runner and your staircase depending on the staircase width.”

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Alternatively, if the sub floor is not a visually appealing, you may wish to hide it by close covering the stairs and landing with a beautiful fully fitted carpet.

DESIGN

Stair runners and carpets alike offer endless opportunities to introduce pattern, colour and texture into your home. Unlike other rooms, you don’t always need to consider complementary furniture so it can be the perfect setting to experiment with bolder pattern and colour choices. Stripes and geometric patterns work well in more contemporary interiors whilst elaborate border designs complement traditional spaces.

GROSVENOR SQUARE_Loomah Bespoke Carpets & Rugs_Interior Design By Rebecca Hughes Interior Design (29)

“Custom made carpet can be a great way to create a cohesive flow throughout your home and this can be done by choosing the same colour or pattern throughout,” says Andrew. “For example, the communal area of this luxury apartment building features a bespoke trellis design framed by an elaborate border. The central trellis motif is then continued up the stair runner, creating a continuous flow through the space.”

Alternatively, a plain carpet or runner can be the perfect way to create a calm and cohesive look that continues throughout, setting the look and tone for the rest of the interior.

GROSVENOR SQUARE_Loomah Bespoke Carpets & Rugs_Interior Design By Rebecca Hughes Interior Design (31)

Whatever your decision, Loomah have an eclectic portfolio of both contemporary and traditional designs, all of which can be tailored to your exact specifications. Alternatively, we can work with you to create something truly bespoke. Whether you have a sketch, photograph or simply an image in your head, our in-house design team are on hand to transform your ideas into a bespoke design.

MATERIAL

Versatile and durable, wool is a completely natural fibre with unique properties that offer unparalleled benefits, including thermal and flame retardant properties. It is a renewableresource as well as being biodegradable. “Wool is unsurpassed when offering durability without compromising on luxury,” adds Andrew.  “It is the most hardwearing yarn available. Its natural strength and ability to withstand heavy foot traffic make it an ideal flooring choice for almost every space and is our recommended quality for stair runners and carpets.”

INSTALLATION

As part of our service, Loomah work with you to ensure a perfect finish from planning and design through to the final installation.  The style and construction of a staircase can vary considerably, whether you have a straight or winding staircase, Loomah approach each project individually.


Loomah have the experience and expertise to tackle the wonkiest of staircases


“The character and charm of period buildings can often pose unique challenges,” says Andrew. London is notorious for such properties, but Loomah have the experience and expertise to tackle the wonkiest of staircases.  “The key is in the planning,” explains Andrew. “We work closely with our expert installers who measure, plan and if necessary will draw and cut full paper templates that are sent to our factory to make to. The advantage of choosing a hand tufted carpet is designs can flow seamlessly around curved steps and landings whilst still being made in one piece.”

CASE STUDY

Loomah were recently recommended to Schiller Beynon Interior Design for our design expertise and technical capabilities. We assisted them in designing a hand tufted runner for a winding staircase in a Grade II listed Mayfair property.

CUSTOM STAIR RUNNER_MAYFAIR_Loomah Bespoke Carpets & Rugs_Interior Design by Schiller Beynon_Photography by Jody Stewart (1)

Schiller Beynon visited our London showroom with photographs of the interior to discuss the creative theme for the project. Whilst they were devoted to restoring many of the property’s original features, the overall brief was to create a space fit for 21st century living, working to attain a perfect blend of old and new.

Taking into consideration the original features of the space, they were drawn to a border design with interlocking circles from our traditional design portfolio. This was re-worked as a runner design in a modern colour palette, which we presented as digital artwork. Through CAD, we were able to manipulate the border design to run seamlessly around the contours of the staircase.

CUSTOM STAIR RUNNER_Interior Design by Schiller Beynon_Photography by Jody Stewart (4)

Once the design and layout of the runner was agreed, we collectively looked at our colour library to find colours that complimented the interiors scheme and Loomah provided guidance for Schiller Beynon to select the final hues and colour combinations. A section of the border was sampled for final approval on site.

Working closely with our highly skilled installation team, we meticulously planned how the border design would flow down each step, cutting full paper templates on site. The border was hand drawn onto the templates before being sent to our factory for production. When we came to install, we rolled out the custom made runners down the staircases and they fell perfectly into place.


For more information about commissioning a bespoke carpet or rug please contact us.

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