Rug Services
For more information on our handmade Persian & Oriental rug services or for a free quote contact us on 0141 420 6989 or at info@little-persia.com.
WHY PUT YOUR TRUST IN US?
At Little-Persia we provide a number of services for rug owners and enthusiasts including rug appraisals, sourcing, cleaning and repair. We have over 2,000 unique handmade rugs in stock at any one time and are widely regarded as one of the leading specialists in the UK.
- We have developed and manufacture cutting edge rug dusting machinery - we are specialists in this market.
- We only use Wool-safe high-quality products when cleaning your rugs and carpets.
- Each rug is treated as the unique and precious item that it is - the best cleaning method for one rug may not be right for another.
- Our repair staff are all Iranian ex-weavers - we have decades worth of rug weaving experience and you can be rest assured all work carried out will be to the highest possible standard.
- We can collect from and deliver to your door, from all over the UK.
- If we do not think a repair is worth the cost we will let you know - some rugs do not justify the restoration that they need; often there are various options available depending on budget and we will let you know these in advance.
- We have carried out cleaning and restoration work on historical rugs that have subsequently sold at auction for over £75,000 - you can trust us to take care of your rugs.
- At Little-Persia we don't view rugs as our business, it's what we love doing. When we sell, we like to see rugs going to a good home. Similarly, when carrying out work it is important for us that your rug goes back to yours in the best health possible.
The work we do ranges from quick repair jobs to extensive areas of re-knotting. This case study illustrates the work we are able to carry - major Persian rug repair.
The services we provide
1. Professional Persian Rug Cleaning
4. Persian Rug Repair & Restoration
7. Part Exchange and Rug Buying
8. Trade Customers - Interior Designers, Decorators & Retailers
9. Insurance Claims, Work and Valuations
Rug Cleaning
Little-Persia will professionally clean your hand-knotted Persian or Oriental rugs using premium Wool-safe cleaning agents and our experienced staff. We focus solely on handmade rugs, giving you the piece of mind that your rugs are in the hands of someone who will give them the respect they deserve.
We do not subscribe to the idea that 'one solution fits all' and will give your rug our complete attention and care. While it is possible to clean your own rug to an extent (information can be found in our rug cleaning guide) we recommend your leave hand-knotted rug cleaning to the professionals due to their value and often delicate nature. Rugs should be professionally washed at least once every 5-10 years to ensure a longer life.
We currently clean all rugs using specialised machinery and by hand. Before cleaning begins we will hold a consultation with you to decide how intensive the cleaning process should be - certain rugs (generally older pieces) are best given a gentler wash to maintain their integrity, minor repairs may also be suggested. For an in-depth description of our cleaning process see our rug cleaning page.
Please note that we do not recommend that you attempt to clean silk rugs by yourself.
It is also important that a rug is thoroughly cleaned regularly throughout its life as fine dust can settle in the foundations causing them to become hard and brittle.
Please Note: We may refuse to clean artificial silk or viscose/rayon rugs. These materials often bleed dyes in washing and the pile can break or become frayed. We would recommend not to buy these knowingly and send our sympathies to those who have been duped. See our buying rugs abroad article for information and advice on buying rugs abroad.
Moth Damage
We also provide moth treatment and control - if you believe your rug is infested with moths you should have it dealt with as quickly as possible to prevent spread as moths lay hundreds of eggs and can move from room to room. Please notify us before bringing a moth damaged or infested rug in-store to prevent cross-contamination. For moth treatment and information on how to spot moth infestations of damage have a look at our moth damage in Persian rugs guide or explore our moth damage repair page.
If you wish to tackle a moth problem yourself we can provide you with professional moth spray which is powerful but wool safe. This costs £16 for a 500ml bottle (or £20 to have it delivered) which has a coverage of 12-25m2. Contact us or come in-store to pick up a bottle. Moth sprays can be purchased via our website.
Antique Wash
Newly added to the services we provide is antique washing. This practise is common in places like Iran, Afghanistan and India to give rugs an antique or 'tea washed' appearance. Colours become softer and more muted after an antique wash. At Little-Persia we concentrate on antique washing of fringes more so than entire rugs.
There are a number of aesthetic reasons and benefits to antique washing cotton fringes. Firstly, over time fringes become stained and/or dyed and often these stains are irreversible using safe methods, antique washing creates an all-over golden brown appearance to fringes, hiding previous stains, spills or colour run issues. Often when fringes have been repaired previously unexposed areas of the warp show which appear lighter than the original fringe due to lack of oxidation. Antique washing helps to even out colour and make repairs seems more natural. Finally, some rugs in particular look better with older looking fringes than new, and often brash white ones. These rugs can benefit from an antique wash enhancing the overall appearance of the rug.
Restoration & Repair
Little-Persia offer expert rug restoration and repair services for your handmade Persian carpets. We clean rugs and restore damaged or loose fringes as well as the selvages (the sides of a rug) in our gallery here in Scotland as well as work on tears, holes, wear and moth damage. No matter how badly your rug is damaged it is possible to have it restored, however we will only advise serious restoration work if we believe the carpet is worth the time and expense.
A rug which has been damaged by the selvages (sides) coming loose - the quicker it's dealt with locally the less damaging and expensive the repair.
Repairing a rug with a rip and fairly large hole - first the foundation had to be built on to the existing warp and weft then the rug re-woven following on existing patterns and using similar coloured wool. This repair took place here in our Commerce Street gallery.
Appraisals/Valuation & Insurance Claims
Do you have a rug that you think might be hand-knotted but aren't sure? Or do you own a handmade rug but don't know where it's from? Send us pictures or bring in the rug and we can let you know more about your carpet free of charge.
Please note: We are unable to give estimates of private sale value for rugs as it is highly subjective.
We can also provide formal written valuations for insurance coverage or claims for a small fee, this will be based on replacement value and will be refunded if you purchase a replacement rug from Little-Persia.
It is always best if you can bring the rug into the store, however, if you are unable to do so, we can evaluate your rug using detailed images. Simply email us pictures of the rug with as much detail as possible on its condition and provenance and we will be able to carry out an accurate valuation. For best results please try to send as many of the following as possible:
*** Pictures should be a good resolution, around 1MB per picture is reasonable. ***
Pictures
1. A picture of the full rug gives us an idea of the design and quality of the piece. From here we can begin to determine its origin and quality. Taking pictures from both sides will give us a better indication of the appeal of the rug as there tends to be a lighter and darker side to the carpet.
2. Using the macro-mode (
if available) take a close up of the sides of the rug (known as the selvages) at the back showing the knots running in to the ends of the rug:
3. Take a picture of the knots going into the fringe (or warp strands) of the reverse of the rug. Preferably do this from both the front and back but the back of the rug is most important.
4. A picture of the knots of the rug with some form of ruler or measuring tape showing an inch (preferably send both horizontal and vertical measurements) which allows us to establish the knots per square inch (KPSI).
You should also send pictures of any points of interest in the rug, perhaps a particular detail or a signature, if the rug is damaged or has any areas of wear this should also be included (let us know if the reason for the insurance claim has caused this damage).
5. Any areas of interest including (but are not limited to): low-pile, moth damage, tears, stains, obvious colour changes, special looking designs, motifs or animal prints (sometimes rugs have animals woven in silk while the rest of the rug is made from wool), signatures or dates may also be significant. Older rugs are expected to have some areas of low pile but it would be useful to tell us the level and spread of any areas of damage or wear as this is not only part of the valuation process but helps us appraise age. Obviously if staining or damage is the reason for the insurance claim, the valuation will be treated as if they did not exist but pictures should still be sent.
6. A close up of the pile itself is also useful in determining the quality of the wool and any sun-fade or oxidation (this is not necessarily a bad thing, particularly if subtle and even).
The more you are able to show us the more accurate we will be able to be in our appraisal.
Contact us for more information.
Sourcing & Bespoke Rug Production
Little-Persia can source rugs based on your requirements. Should you not find your desired rug amongst our existing stock, we can normally find you the perfect rug in the right colours and sizes and have it brought to the UK within 3-4 weeks, we also have access to a gallery in London as well as contacts in Germany and the US meaning it is possible to find you a rug much quicker. If you are looking for something very specific or unique we can have carpets made based on your artwork or design - this process obviously takes much longer depending on the size of rug to be knotted (as it has to be produced bespoke) and is a generally a more expensive option.
We source rugs for individuals and companies by initially gaining a brief of their requirements and tastes. Pictures of a similar rug or examples of rugs which are perhaps the wrong size or colour but right design are helpful as a starting point to find the right piece. From there we can gather options and send digital images via email of potential rugs found by one of our agents. When you find something you think you like we will have more detailed pictures sent. If you decide you wish to have the rug brought over there is a 15-25% non-refundable deposit (in the event the rug does not work out for you we will be stuck with a rug which we would not have otherwise purchased and all the import costs that come with it). The deposit helps to pay for the duty, VAT and shipping costs to import and minimizes our risk to an extent - the deposit cannot be refunded but can act as credit and go towards another rug from within our current stock.
One of our largest, and most recent project involved sourcing a 9.0m x 6.5m mammoth sized rug for a law firm in Edinburgh. They were looking for a rug which fit tight criteria and the colours, design and quality had to fit with the room. Follow the link for a case study into a rug sourcing project.
The process of making bespoke rugs becomes more complex, we can have designs made based on your artwork but this is an expensive and time-consuming process. Everything from the quality of the wool to the knots per square inch (KPSI) and the method of washing must be chosen and the design must be accurate. From here the lengthy rug making process begins, this could take anywhere from 3 months to 2 years depending on the size and quality of the rug. The final result is not guaranteed to be exactly the same as the submitted design as when the rug is washed the final colouring can have slight variations. That being said a typical rug design but implemented in an alternative way should wield accurate results. In the past we have had window hangings knotted for Cafe Andaluz in Glasgow's city-centre, these were based on the normal Turkmen design but shaped to fit around the windows to great decorative effect.
Buying or Exchanging Rugs
Looking to sell your Persian or Oriental rug? Little-Persia may be willing to buy it from your or offer an alternative rug as a trade-in. We have a massive range of Persian & Oriental rugs in stock (currently around 1,200) so please do not feel insulted if we are not be interested. Although we do consider buying rugs it would have to be at trade or auction type prices, it is much more likely that we would offer to exchange or part-exchange it for something in our store.
If you are looking to sell your rug we can agree a price and sell it on our website and in-store by consignment. After we agree a price we put the rug on our website and show it with the other rugs in-store and when it sells you get your money while we make a percentage on the sale. This may take some time, depending on the value you want from your rug, but you are free to take your rug back at any time (or request us to take it offline if it was only displayed on our website).
If you are unable to bring the rug in to show us please follow the same instructions for the rug valuation process above. When attempting to sell your rug it is even more important to include any pictures of stains and areas of wear or damage.
Business-to-Business & Interior Designers
Little-Persia is always happy to work in partnership with other businesses requiring the highest quality Persian and Oriental rugs at competitive prices whether they be other rug companies or interior designers. We have the logistics and experience to work closely with your business to bring about the best possible result. Whether its for an extended period or a one off project Little-Persia is committed to helping your business at every possible step. We can provide rugs, rug hire and handmade rug sourcing for clients and partners in the trade and design industries.
Insurance Claims and Work for Cleaning, Repair and Valuations
Little-Persia regularly carries out and aids in insurance work on rugs that have been damaged, stained or stolen. Whether you are an individual claiming on a rug or an insurance company looking for competitive repair, cleaning and restoration quotes from a company that will provide great value and results, Little-Persia can carry out the work. We provide insurance valuations as well as all forms of rug repair, cleaning and stain removal. We can source and replace rugs and have over 1,200 handmade carpets in stock at any one time.
In general we accept payment after the cleaning or repair of your rug has been completed, although we do occassionally request a deposit to start the work. Please refer to our terms for further information.
Call us today for a quote or free advice on 0141 420 6989