Cover photo: A TRADITIONS custom rug from Fabrica, shown with yarn color samples for custom coloration. Photo courtesy of Fabrica.
Ready-made rugs come in a handful of standard sizes. Eastside homes don't. Between long hallways, open great rooms, and staircases with a landing halfway up, many of our customers find that nothing on the shelf quite fits. That's where a custom rug or runner comes in.
In our last post, we covered the everyday benefits of area rugs and stair runners. This time we're looking at how a custom piece actually comes together, using Fabrica, one of the manufacturers we work with here at Eastside Carpets and Floors in Redmond. Fabrica was founded in 1974 in Southern California and describes its approach as "Quality Without Compromise." It's especially known for color, and its custom options give you plenty of room to make something your own.
It Starts with Broadloom Carpet
Fabrica doesn't treat rugs and carpet as two separate worlds. Its custom rugs and runners are made from its broadloom carpet, the same wide rolls that can be installed wall to wall. In Fabrica's words, "From classic rectangular and circular rugs, to abstract statement rugs and stair runners, Fabrica offers 12-15' wide carpet canvases for your creations."
That's good news if you're picky about color or texture. Instead of choosing from a few rug designs, you choose from Fabrica's carpet line, then have it cut to size and finished along the edges. Fabrica sums it up in three steps: choose a broadloom style and color, determine size and shape, and choose an edge finish.
Step 1: Pick Your Fiber and Style
Fabrica's line includes wool, nylon, and its Décor by Fabrica designer collection. Here are a few styles that show the range.
Wool
Fabrica's wool carpets use what it calls Strong Wool, produced from ZQ Premium Wool and British Wool by the Dixie Group. Fabrica also offers an American Crafted wool line, which it says is "proudly made in the USA" and describes as "naturally soft yet enduringly strong."
Canberra: A level-loop carpet in 100% wool. Fabrica says it suits "both traditional and contemporary interiors."
New Saba: A 100% wool carpet with subtle texture, inspired by Saba Island and part of the American Crafted line.
Hirst: A finely woven Wilton wool with a tailored plaid, which Fabrica suggests for "an elegant study, tailored bedroom, or any space that demands an impeccable touch."
Bangkok: A hand-tufted wool with a freeform diamond trellis, which Fabrica calls "earthy and edgy."
And yes, Fabrica really does have a style called Eastside. It's a Wilton-woven wool with a geometric motif over striated yarn, which Fabrica describes as having "an exciting celestial vibe." We had to mention it.
Nylon
For busy households, Fabrica's EnVision™ Nylon line is built for "today's active households." Fabrica says EnVision™ nylon "is more difficult to stain and easier to clean."
Dover: A clean, updated take on herringbone with "a luscious silk-like hand," offered in 24 classic colors.
Tundra: Multiple nylon yarns combine to create "the visual effect of natural hand woven grasses," in 32 colorations inspired by the alpine tundra, from evergreens to arctic neutrals.
Not sure which way to go? We're happy to put samples of both in your hands so you can compare.
Step 2: Size It to Your Room
Fabrica publishes its own area rug sizing guidelines. It's careful to say "there are no rules when it comes to personalizing your unique space," but here's the gist:
Open floor plans: Fabrica recommends a rug "large enough to fit completely under all four legs of the furniture." That helps a seating area in a great room feel anchored.
More formal living rooms: When the sofa and chairs sit against the wall, the front legs can rest on the rug or sit off it completely.
Dining rooms: All chair legs should stay on the rug, even when chairs are pulled out. Fabrica's rule of thumb is a rug that allows 2 to 3 feet on all sides of the table.
Bedrooms: The rug can go entirely under the bed or under the front two-thirds of it, with several feet on each side. Fabrica also suggests "placing runners on each side of the bed" as "a great alternative to a large rug."
For stairs, a runner is cut to the width and length your staircase and landings need. Every staircase is different, so we always recommend a professional measure.
Step 3: Choose an Edge Finish
Once a rug or runner is cut from broadloom, its edges have to be finished. Fabrica offers "wool and synthetic serging and binding options," in colors that coordinate with your rug.
Fabrica's custom rug edge finishes: wool and synthetic micro serging, wool and synthetic machine serging, and cotton and synthetic binding. Photo courtesy of Fabrica.
Serging wraps the edge in yarn for a soft, rounded look. Binding sews a fabric tape along the edge for a crisp, tailored line. The best choice depends on the carpet and the look you want, and we'll help you decide.
Step 4: Add a Border (If You Like)
For a rug with extra presence, Fabrica can create a custom carpet border using "intricate carving and inlay techniques." Its border options include carve only, inset only, or carve and inset together.
Fabrica custom rug border designs: Carve Only, Inset Only, and Carve & Inset. Photo courtesy of Fabrica.
A carved border adds a subtle frame in the same color. An inset border brings in a contrasting carpet, which can tie a rug to your sofa, cabinets, or wall color. It's a nice way to give a solid or lightly textured carpet the look of a designer rug.
Want a Head Start? Legacy and TRADITIONS
If designing from scratch feels like a lot, Fabrica has two programs worth knowing about:
Legacy Rug Program: Formerly known as Fabrica's "Odyssey" rugs, Legacy offers "a variety of pre-designed rug patterns to inspire your custom rug vision." It's a starting point you can build on.
TRADITIONS custom rugs: This is Fabrica's high-end program, featuring "the natural aesthetics of handmade textiles and the soft, clean ambiance of wool and lustrous fibers." You can choose a design from the collection or create your own, and each rug "will be created individually to meet your custom specifications." It also offers custom coloration, as shown in the photo at the top of this post.
A Few Tips from Our Team
Bring a photo or a paint chip. Matching color is much easier when we can see what you're working with.
Think about where it's going. An entryway runner in our rainy season and a bedroom rug have very different jobs. Tell us how the space is used, and we'll suggest the right fiber.
Ask about care. Fabrica's wool care guide recommends acting quickly on spills, blotting rather than rubbing, and using WoolSafe Approved spot removers. Fabrica also warns, "Never use dish washing liquid," because it leaves sticky residues that attract soil.
Design Yours at Our Redmond Showroom
As Fabrica says, it's worth taking time to "feel the distinction in person." Stop by the Eastside Carpets and Floors showroom in Redmond, WA, to see Fabrica samples, compare wool and nylon side by side, and look at edge finishes up close. Whether it's a stair runner for your Bellevue colonial, a dining room rug for your Kirkland craftsman, or runners beside the bed in your Redmond home, we'll help you design it. Or request a free estimate, and we'll come out, measure, and get your custom piece started.
