Sourcing an Oversized Handmade Rug for the Faculty of Advocates
Some rug sourcing projects begin with a particular colour, design or origin. Others begin with a much more difficult question: where do you find a handmade rug measuring around 9.5 metres by 6.5 metres that also suits one of Scotland's most historic interiors?
Little-Persia was approached by the Faculty of Advocates to source an exceptionally large handmade rug for the Reading Room at Parliament House in Edinburgh.
The dimensions were not completely fixed, but there were clear limits on what would work within the room. The brief also called for rich, warm colours and a traditional design that would sit naturally alongside the timber panelling, historic furnishings and formal character of the space.
Project at a Glance
| Client | Faculty of Advocates |
| Location | Parliament House, Edinburgh |
| Requirement | An exceptionally large handmade rug |
| Approximate size | 9.5m x 6.5m |
| Selected rug | Hand-knotted Kashan-design rug made in India |
| Sourced from | United States |
| Weight | More than 250kg |
| Installation | Specialist six-person handling team |
| Additional work | Part exchange and removal of the existing antique Turkish Ushak |
An Unusually Difficult Rug to Find
At roughly 60 square metres, the required rug was far beyond the dimensions normally encountered when sourcing handmade rugs.
Rugs of this scale do exist, but size alone was not enough. The proportions had to work within the room, the colours needed to complement the interior and the rug had to have the right quality and character for its surroundings.
Once those requirements were combined, the number of genuinely suitable rugs available on the market became extremely small.
This was not a case of choosing from a catalogue or ordering the nearest available standard size. It required a genuine international sourcing exercise.
A Search Across the International Rug Trade
We began by contacting dealers, importers and specialist rug contacts across our wider network.
Possibilities were explored through contacts in Iran, Germany, Türkiye, Afghanistan, the Netherlands and London, with each potential rug considered against the size, proportions, design and colour requirements of the room.
The search eventually led us to the United States, where a rug had been located that offered the combination we had been looking for.
The selected piece was a hand-knotted Kashan-design rug made in India, a type often referred to within the rug trade as an Indo-Kashan. It used the traditional floral drawing and rich colour palette associated with Persian Kashan designs, but was produced by skilled rug makers in India.
Most importantly, its exceptional dimensions, warm colours and traditional character made it a strong fit for the Faculty's Reading Room.
Assessing the Rug from Thousands of Miles Away
Finding a possible rug was only the first stage.
With the rug located in the United States, it was important to establish as much as possible before committing to purchase and international transport.
Detailed photographs and videos were obtained, measurements were checked and the rug was assessed against the original brief before arrangements were made to bring it to the UK.
This kind of remote assessment becomes particularly important with rugs of unusual size. Moving a piece weighing more than a quarter of a tonne across the Atlantic is a substantial undertaking, so problems are far better identified before freight is arranged.
Air-Freighted from the United States
Once the rug had been approved, it was air-freighted from the United States to the UK.
Even after it reached Britain, the logistics were far from straightforward.
The rug weighed more than 250kg. Its weight was only part of the problem. Once a rug of this size is rolled, it becomes an extremely long, heavy and awkward object that is difficult to lift, turn and manoeuvre.
A suitable truck with a pallet lift was hired to transport the rug to Edinburgh, and a six-person team was organised for the final delivery and installation.
Installing a 250kg Rug in Parliament House
Parliament House presented its own set of challenges.
This was a historic interior with antique flooring that had to be carefully protected. Wheeled equipment could not simply be used to move the rug through the building.
The rug therefore had to be physically carried and manoeuvred by hand through the building by six people.
Handling something of this scale requires more than strength. The team had to manage the length and weight of the roll while negotiating the route through the building, doorways and changes of direction without damaging the rug or its surroundings.
It was an unusual installation, but one where careful planning was just as important as sourcing the rug itself.
Working Within a Historic Interior
Supplying rugs for important or historic buildings brings considerations that do not exist with an ordinary domestic delivery.
Access, existing flooring, furniture, handling restrictions and the route to the final room all need to be considered before the rug arrives.
In this case our responsibility extended well beyond locating the rug. We had to take it from an international search, through inspection and freight, and finally into position within Parliament House while respecting the building around it.
Part Exchange of the Existing Antique Ushak
The replacement rug was only one part of the project.
The Reading Room already contained an exceptionally large antique Turkish Ushak rug. Rather than leaving the Faculty to deal separately with its removal and disposal, we incorporated the existing rug into the overall sourcing proposal.
Little-Persia offered a generous part exchange against the replacement rug and removed the Ushak as part of the installation.
Despite its worn condition, the Ushak was an important handmade rug in its own right. Years of use had resulted in extensive wear across the piece, but its age, scale and character meant that it was well worth preserving.
Close examination showed the extent of the work required, with areas of heavy pile loss and significant deterioration to the underlying structure.
The rug was later sent to Iran for an extensive programme of specialist restoration. The work involved a huge amount of skilled hand repair and ultimately cost tens of thousands of pounds.
That restoration became a substantial project in its own right and will be covered separately in another Little-Persia case study.
The Finished Result
The replacement rug was successfully installed in the Faculty of Advocates Reading Room, where its traditional Kashan-style design, rich reds, blues and warm tones worked naturally within the scale and character of the room.
What began as a highly unusual sourcing brief ultimately involved contacts across several countries, remote assessment of a rug in the United States, transatlantic air freight, specialist transport and a six-person installation inside one of Edinburgh's most historic buildings.
For us, it is a good example of what specialist rug sourcing can involve when the right piece cannot simply be found in ordinary stock.
Specialist Rug Sourcing for Interior and Commercial Projects
Little-Persia has spent decades working with handmade rugs, giving us access to a network that extends well beyond the rugs currently available in our Glasgow showroom.
We can assist interior designers, architects, procurement specialists, hospitality businesses, institutions and private clients who require something unusual or difficult to source.
This can include:
- Oversized and unusually proportioned handmade rugs
- International rug sourcing
- Antique and vintage rugs
- Traditional and contemporary handmade rugs
- Rugs for historic and listed interiors
- Rugs for hotels, commercial spaces and hospitality projects
- Rugs for interior designers and architectural projects
- Pre-purchase assessment of remotely sourced rugs
- International freight and import arrangements
- Specialist delivery and installation
- Part exchange of existing handmade rugs
- Cleaning, repair and restoration
Looking for a Rug That Is Difficult to Source?
If your project requires an unusual size, a particular style or simply a rug that has proved difficult to find through conventional suppliers, we may be able to help.
We can discuss the requirements of the room, establish what is realistically available and, where necessary, extend the search through our contacts within the international rug trade.