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Dec 2023

Unique service takes the guesswork out of buying a handmade rug

Published: 12 Dec 2023, 16:15 GMT

Updated: 12 Dec 2023, 16:47 GMT

by John Grainger

This story is sponsored by Emma Mellor Handmade Rugs.

Home improvers looking for the perfect rug need no longer struggle to visualise it in their own home, following the launch of a unique new service by a shop in Harrogate.

Emma Mellor Handmade Rugs only sells beautiful hand-knotted, naturally dyed rugs, woven from wool or silk. Each is a one-off, so choosing one can be enjoyable but also a challenge – which is where the company’s new home viewing service comes in.

Owner Emma Mellor will bring any rugs a customer has selected online or in the Harrogate showroom to their home, so they can see them in situ before making a final choice. And if they decide to buy one, delivery has already been made. Emma, who lives locally, said:

“I started the home viewing service because I know from my own experience that you might find a rug you love in the showroom, but it can be really difficult to visualise it in your own home.

“Rugs are quite ‘alive’ textiles, and their colours can appear to change in different settings, depending on the light, the dimensions of the space, and what other fabrics or textiles you have in the room.

"You need to find something that will complement what you already have, rather than clashing with it. It’s a very personal service.”

Emma Mellor Handmade Rugs, which also has a shop in York and an office in London, sources most of its pieces from Nepal, Afghanistan and Morocco, but it also has some antique Persian rugs. Sizes vary from small mat-sized pieces to oversized rugs right up to 7m by 4m, or bigger.

Emma said:

“My target customer is anyone with really good taste. They believe in good quality, they don’t believe in the throwaway culture, and they’re interested in colour.

“These are all individual pieces – each one is unique – so when you buy one, you know that no-one else will have one like it.”

A photo of Emma Mellor, owner of Emma Mellor Handmade Rugs, looking at one of the handmade pieces she sells in her Harrogate shop.

All the rugs Emma sells are certified by GoodWeave International. The certification means they’re guaranteed to have been made ethically, with no child labour involved.

Emma Mellor also pays her weavers a premium above market price, to ensure they can support their families. This also ensures their age-old skills don’t die out.

The company is just about to bring out a new range of rugs designed by Emma herself and fresh off the loom in Nepal.

Emma said:

“The weavers really are the most incredible artists. Out of a ball of wool, they can create wonderful works of art.

“I feel really privileged to sell these pieces, which are made by people far more skilled than I’ll ever be.”

Find out more:

To see – and feel – our latest range of handmade rugs, come to our showroom at 13/15 Albert Street in Harrogate, which is open Tuesday to Saturday, from 10.30am to 4.30pm.

Alternatively, you can find all our ranges on our website, www.emmamellorhandmaderugs.com.

To book a home viewing appointment, call us on 01904 622822.