Based in Stamford, home to the Landrover Defender Burghley Horse Trials.  Rachel loves nothing more than to share her 30 years of unbeaten knowledge from "Rachel Rugs", the person behind The Rug Studio, is shown here and available in the antique centres. Found on various days at the centres (see below), the studio or at your home on our opening hours or by appointment. Rachel will look to gain an insight into the styles and tastes you respond to and absorb the finer subtleties of you, the client. 

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Colour brings a sense of belonging; alternatively, too much white prompts a feeling of isolation.  Hence, the oriental carpet is the perfect way to promote a cost-effective and healthy lifestyle.  Not just for the mind but for cleanliness too, as these are far easier to clean than the fitted carpet so often used within the UK.  Financially, although seen as an initial outlay, these beloved items can move from home to home, creating memories and continuity, but also retaining the warmth of a space.

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Rachel's goal is always to achieve the ideal environment and desired atmosphere while considering traffic level, colour, size and budget, during which she will discuss the quality of materials used, the size, weave and dyes for the space required. The result is to ensure you are achieving the best rug possible for the space.

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The demand for the traditional Persian antique tribal or decorative rug is less in many areas, while appointments carried out on location have grown, often seeking a truly bespoke personal item. The internet and centres balance feel the correct way forward for Rachel and the studio. 

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With a 37-year honed eye for the visual arts (5 years at art school prior to entering the trade), she matches colours. She brings a selection for you to see and try at home, or looks to start the bespoke process with her team in India to produce a unique rug in wool, PET (recycled bottles), jute, silk or cotton.

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Rachel, through The Rug Studio, has supplied carpets and restoration services not just for the general domestic market but also for historic houses, embassies, private academic institutions, financial institutions and popular film directors, as well as working with some of the top interior designers from around the country.

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The traditional Sales of rugs are captured as a concept through the internet but executed through the studio and the antique centre, which is open 7 days a week with maximum accessibility, which in the modern world seems imperative.  

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St Martins Antique centre has a range of kilims, cushions, cowhides and a hanging bank showing over 50 rugs of various ages and styles.  Kilims are often the way in many houses as they are affordable and add a touch of something that only a handmade item can provide as a unique final furnishing item. 

 

The traditional stone houses in Rutland and Stamford are a hybrid, looking for a bit of everything.  Here is the main hub where the studio is based. The studio remains open 4 times a week but if travelling from afar do call in advance to check we are open due to appointments and annual leave.

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Rachel constantly monitors the market, attends fairs, adapts to her clients' briefs/demands, and stays abreast of the rise of social media and the internet.  These factors have led Rachel to note the current trend is no longer dominated by provenance, history and quality, essentially the story behind the rug, but by design and colour, ‘today's look/fashion’.  The story, though, is for Rachel the passion, the understanding of a culture decades or centuries ago and the layer Rachel adores most.   Which she will try to pass on within a short period of meeting her.

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Taking into consideration 32 years of travelling and working with these beautiful, evolving pieces of art, which are heavy and require manpower.  For Rachel, the days of sitting on the floor in remote workshops in India or Turkey and travelling the globe to learn weaving and dyeing techniques as tastes have evolved and developed are all part of her absorbing and understanding the cultures behind the rugs.

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​Today, Rachel is found in the Stamford studio and London warehouse for enquiries regarding Sales, Cleaning, Restoration and Design/Bespoke Production of Oriental, Traditional and Contemporary Rugs.  This skill set makes Rachel Rugs @ The Rug Studio unique. She looks to share a little knowledge and experience with you and her comprehensive understanding of the construction and history behind this unique art form. 

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Visit the studio, and Rachel will share her knowledge and passion whenever possible.  Rachel will be found in person demonstrating her love and passion for the restoration of rugs.

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​Please scroll through our portfolio, and I, Rachel, look forward to working with you soon.​​​