Finding the Finest Fibers for a Bespoke Rug

Creating a one-of-a-kind luxury custom, hand-made rug for your mountain home begins with curating the finest fibers. And in our experience, the process begins with sourcing pure, high-quality materials from all over the world.

In this way we can ensure the highest quality finished product from the very start of the design process, even before any spinning, dyeing, or weaving begins. Here, we share the special qualities and origins of some of the exquisite fibers we use in what we call our “Luxury Plain Collection.”

Angora Goat Mohair

Often called the noble fiber, Mohair is absolutely lustrous, versatile, resilient, and has exceptional color affinity. Angora goat fleece has been refined through consistent high breeding standards and meticulous genetic selection over many years and is highly coveted by the fashion elite, interior designers, and craft specialists. With a beautiful, natural sheen that shines like silk, mohair also has the durability of wool.

Mongolian Cashmere

Known for its exceptional softness, warmth, and lightweight nature, it is highly sought after in the textile industry. Cashmere is incredibly soft due to its super fine fibers, much finer than sheep’s wool. Despite its lightweight nature, cashmere provides excellent insulation, and is about three times more insulating than sheep’s wool. High-quality cashmere is durable and also resists wrinkling and pills less than other types of wool.

Wild Silk

Traditionally, Chinese silk has been used to make fine, luxury rugs. This ancient type of silk is made by the domesticated Mulberry caterpillar in China, and then imported to India where it is hand-knotted into beautiful rugs. But we are excited to have found a new source—Eri silk is a luxury fiber made by wild silk caterpillars in Assam, India. Wild silk production not only creates luxurious products in an eco-friendly, sustainable manner, it also benefits  the local society that produces it.

Alpaca

Alpaca is a unique fiber in terms of softness, warmth, weight, hypoallergenic qualities, and versatility. Often compared to cashmere or silk, Alpaca fiber is extremely soft to the touch. Even though it is such a soft and lightweight fiber, it is not to be underestimated in terms of warmth. The fiber has a special hollow core structure which traps heat inside the fiber. This molecular structure actually makes it a warmer material than sheep’s wool.

Stephanie Holmes is the owner of Integral Thread, a creative design studio and showroom offering bespoke, handmade rugs and textiles that are natural, sustainable, and ethically sourced. Integral Thread has now expanded its offerings to include luxury furnishings, fine art, accessories, flooring, natural stone tiles, bricks and large-scale panels, as well as a custom cabinetry division that carries and designs indoor and outdoor cabinetry.

Content for this article provided by Integral Thread