Looking Back on the Journey of Rugs of Petworth

The story of Rugs of Petworth started back in June 2008. In the middle of the global financial crash, Alex made the bold decision to open a small, independent rug shop right here in Petworth. Those early months were a mix of excitement and genuine nerves. The economic landscape felt completely unpredictable, but Alex had a real belief in the quality of handmade craft, and that gave the business a clear focus from day one.

However, the business really had its origins seven years earlier.

In November 2001, Alex had recently completed a degree in Music Composition and was navigating the uncertainties of the music industry. Looking for a bit of steady work, he took a job covering a single week of emergency sick leave at a rug shop in Buckinghamshire, simply glad of a week of regular hours.

Over the course of the week, Alex found himself fascinated by two things: the sheer craft of a product still made entirely by hand using traditional techniques, and the massive difference a great rug could make to a room.

By the time Saturday closing arrived, the temporary cover had turned into a permanent job offer. Music became a hobby, and Alex spent the next seven years completely immersing himself in the trade. He spent his time learning about wool grades, natural dyes, and regional weave structures. By 2008, he knew it was time to open a space of his own, and Petworth felt like the perfect place to do it.

Grounded in Petworth, Connected to the World

Growing an independent business takes time, and we have been lucky enough to watch our customer base expand over the years. Our original showroom in East Street, Petworth was a great starting point for the business, housed in a beautiful historic building with many rooms of rugs to explore. However, as the business grew, we eventually outgrew the space.

We were fortunate enough to find a new location right in the heart of Petworth town that afforded much more space, all on one level. Housed in the town's old granary, this was quite a find for a historic market town full of older buildings. It perfectly fit Alex's vision to create a large, open environment where visitors could comfortably explore even our largest carpets, with plenty of room to browse, explore our collections, and stand back to appreciate each rug from different angles. Surrounded by other independent shops, we are incredibly lucky to showcase our collection in such a perfect setting, bringing our small specialist team into our current home in Golden Square, Petworth in 2021.

While the physical showroom is the main focus of what we do, where Graham and the team are always around to help out without any pressure, Alex wanted to bring that same straightforward experience to our website.

Every single rug in our collection is carefully photographed from multiple angles right here in the showroom. We want to offer as near an 'in-person' experience as possible to all our customers, whether they can make it to the showroom or not. This ensures you get that same close-up, authentic experience whether you are local, elsewhere in the UK, or browsing from overseas.

Beautiful Rugs, Sourced with Care

For Alex, sourcing is about much more than just finding beautiful products to fill the showroom. We have always believed that a rug should do more than look the part in a room - it should feel right, too. Alex has always been meticulously careful about the provenance of every single piece he sources, but our collaboration as a Certified Label STEP Partner has allowed us to enhance this commitment. It provides a deeper connection to ensuring fair trade and the wellbeing of the weavers and workers in the handmade carpet industry.

On his regular sourcing trips to major weaving hubs across India, Turkey, and Pakistan - where he coordinates directly with suppliers to source our Afghan collections - Alex works directly with weavers and suppliers who actively protect and support these artisans, keeping their traditional skills alive. By ensuring fair wages, safe working conditions, and the preservation of traditional, eco-friendly methods, your choice directly supports the livelihood of these weaving communities. It means that whenever you buy a handmade rug from Rugs of Petworth, you do so in the knowledge that your choice directly supports a more ethical, transparent, and sustainable handmade rug industry.

Thank You For Sharing Our Journey

When we look around the showroom today, our small rug family is incredibly grateful for the journey it took to get here. None of it would be possible without Alex's vision from the beginning, and the support of the local community and our wonderful customers who have bought their rugs from us over the years.

Thank you for being a part of our story and for supporting an independent business. We look forward to welcoming you through the doors for many more years to come.