Some projects begin with a rug that’s already out there, waiting to be discovered. Others begin with a vision that calls for composition.
For this staircase by Well by Design, we took the latter approach: six vintage runners, each distinct in its own right, brought together to create a single, continuous story.
The finished runner found its place within the larger visual story of the home, later featured in Vogue Living. The feature offers a closer look at the architecture, interiors, and layered details that define the space.
For us, it was a project rooted in something we return to often: the idea that vintage rugs don't have to be treated as finished objects. They can be altered, composed, and given an entirely new role.
Photo: Caroline Sharpnack
Six rugs, one visual language.
The starting point was a suite of six vintage runners, each hand-selected by the District Loom curation team for a shared color story and compatible motifs. Motif scale, palette, and border rhythm were considered at every turn, creating a sequence that feels cohesive without feeling overly matched.
The staircase itself became part of the composition. Against the pale oak, dark metal, warm brass, and expansive windows, the depth and variation of the vintage textiles bring warmth and movement without competing with the architecture. Each rug retains its own character, but together they read as one continuous thought.
Photo: Caroline Sharpnack
Making Vintage Work for the Space
Once the composition was finalized, our rug alteration specialist pieced the six runners together, preserving their original borders. The result is a custom runner tailored specifically to the staircase, rather than a single vintage rug constrained by its original dimensions.
It's a process that opens up new possibilities for vintage rugs. With the right piece and the right fabrication, vintage textiles can be resized, altered, repaired, and reworked to suit a space—allowing Interior Designers to approach sourcing with more flexibility and imagination.
Photo: Caroline Sharpnack
The Custom Rug Studio
This stair runner is one example of what we love about working with vintage textiles: the possibilities aren't always obvious at first.
A custom project might begin with a particular vintage rug, or a contemporary rug sample. It might begin with a color palette, a room, a sketch, or simply an idea that doesn't exist in a standard size.
Our Custom Rug Studio is built around that kind of collaboration.
We work with designers to source and develop rugs that are specific to the project—whether that means adapting a vintage textile, combining multiple pieces, or designing and hand knotting something entirely new.
For us, the best custom work still begins with the same things that guide our vintage collection: a trained eye, thoughtful sourcing, and designing around function.
The finished piece should feel both functional and well designed.
Much like this staircase, where six individual rugs became one continuous thought.
Have a project in mind? [Inquire about a custom project →]
Photo: Caroline Sharpnack
Design: @WellxDesign
Architect: @brooksandfalotico
Photography: @carolinesharpnack
Styling: @francesfinds
Custom rug sourcing, alterations & installation: @districtloom
