Rugs
« Lelièvre Paris has created custom-made rugs of impeccable technicality and quality. »
Made-to-measure Rugs
Lelièvre Paris has created custom-made rugs of impeccable technicality and quality, revisiting the iconic patterns and designs of the Lelièvre Paris fabrics, «100% made-to-measure». A magnificent contemporary look has been achieved through design, colour, materials and technique. These unique pieces can be created on demand on one of three ways ; knotted, hand tufted or mechanically woven.
Craftmanship
Three main methods are used to manufacture our rugs
Hand-tufted
This fairly recent artisanal technique was developed in the 1950s. The pattern is drawn beforehand on a canvas stretched on a vertical loom. The weaver then comes to prick with a gun the strands on the weft of the canvas by following the outline, the colours and the patterns. The fibers are then cut to a perfectly flat surface or the loops are left uncut. A tufted rug is recognizable by its visible canvas that can be seen on the back. The rug pile can be sculpted to different heights to create patterns or mark a colour change; this is termed carving. The possibilities of colours, pile height and shapes are endless.
Flatweaves
While this technique was mainly used for rugs made from plant fibers (seagrass, coconut, sisal, etc.), it is now also used in the manufacture of wool rugs with a more natural appearance. Weft threads are woven into warp threads to create the pattern on a rug loom similar to a fabric jacquard loom. This gives a flat, reversible rug. This process can be applied to plain rugs or rugs with simple geometric designs (borders, stripes, etc.). Here, there is no knot, but rather, a loop held together by the tension of the weft.
Hand-knotted
Hand-knotted is the most complex method, used mainly for rugs made from noble yarns such as silk. This technique consists of creating slip knots between the weft and the warp on vertical or horizontal looms. The weavers use a comb on the looms and a mallet to tighten each row of knots to the previous one. Then these knots are shaved or left as is. Handmade rugs are washed with plenty of water to make them supple and soft to the touch. Excess water is then removed using specific hand tools leaving the yarns dry and smooth for a more shimmering finish. It takes several days, even several weeks, for a craftsman to make a hand-knotted rug.