HELLO! Exclusive: The royal rugs of renaissance

Circa 2022. A renowned global artist from Rajasthan, redecorating his home, decided to collaborate with Jaipur Rugs, rather than pick something ready-made. His brief: a piece that would reflect his deep love for music and cinema. The artisan, a woman based in a remote village in Rajasthan, brought his vision to life entirely through her imagination — without ever having met him.

She wove in motifs inspired by jazz, films, and tribal rhythms, perceived through the prism of her own cultural lens and intuitive artistry. What emerged was a seamless convergence of two worlds — miles apart yet spiritually aligned. Deeply moved by the emotional resonance of the final creation, the client responded with a handwritten letter of gratitude.

Down south, in the land of the Nizams, a family approached the design team at Obeetee Carpets with a handwritten love poem by their grandfather, wanting it embedded into a carpet. The result was a bespoke creation that preserved the soul of that memory — now immortalised in the heart of their home. In each of these moving stories, the rug is a memory, a unique canvas and a thread that intertwines tales of identity. Their warp and weft carry narratives of emotion and inheritance, and are a reminder of woven diaries that capture sentiment, history, and imagination.

‘Indian buyers today appreciate bespoke artistry and are investing in heirloom pieces’ — Angelique Dhama, President, Obeetee Carpets

As discerning taste and luxury permeate every aspect of home décor today, rugs are at the core of this evolution. They could be passed down as heirlooms by a grandmother, a parting gift from a friend moving cities, a bespoke artefact in a wedding trousseau, or an artwork for a wall.

THE TALES THEY NARRATE

Long before carpets became design statements, they were part of folklore — like the mythical flying carpet in Arabian Nights, or King Solomon’s enchanted rug that carried armies across the sky. Even in the present day, there’s magic in how India’s carpets are changing the narrative of homes.

“Today, a rug is often regarded as the grounding element that unites colours, textures, and stories,” says Yogesh Choudhary, Director at Jaipur Rugs. “Homeowners now seek rugs that reflect their personalities, tastes, and values. Hand-knotted and handcrafted rugs, in particular, have become prized possessions.”

‘A rug is the first thing your feet touch and often the last detail people notice. But it does more than complete a space — it reveals something deeply personal about people’ – Yogesh Chaudhary, Director, Jaipur Rugs

Yogesh has had a front-row seat to the evolution of Indian rugs — it was in 1978 when his father, Nand Kishore Chaudhary, founded Jaipur Rugs with just two looms and five weavers.

“What started in a small town has grown into one of the world’s largest hand-knotted carpet companies, with over 40,000 artisans working across 600 villages in India,” he adds.

Rugs aren’t just statement pieces — they often become the centrepiece of a house, can work as a painting and, of course, as a floor accessory. Smriti Choudhary, Managing Director, Cocoon Fine Rugs, agrees.

“Rugs are functional at their core because they are canvasses of craft and design,” she says. “Every rug has a story to tell, an emotion behind the way it’s been woven, and an inspiration behind the design.”

Cocoon Fine Rugs was tasked with creating an ‘artwork’ with large birds, other elements of nature, and specific colours for a home in Delhi. And when the rug was placed in the house, Smriti recalls, “it truly transformed their entire living room. Once the rug went up, the wall told a story.”

As is evident, carpets carry with them tales told through generations, more often than not

“A statement rug with its intricate design, bold scale, unique colours, or heritage craftsmanship becomes a story in itself. Sometimes, it’s the narrative — a custom piece inspired by a client’s personal story, or cultural roots. For me, it’s a mix of artistry and authenticity that gives a rug its ‘statement’ status,” says Angelique Dhama, President at Obeetee Carpets, whose legacy dates back to 1920, on the banks of the Ganges in Mirzapur, a small town in Uttar Pradesh known for its weaving tradition.

Carpet Cellar, another legacy brand, is also known for its large collection of original museum-worthy Persian carpets commissioned for the Maharajas of India and curated from high-profile estates around India. Managing Director Dhruv Chandra adds to the narrative.

‘India has amazing historical processes. We’re borrowing from that tradition to create timeless works of art as carpets’ – Dhruv Chandra, Managing Director, Carpet Cellar

“Many top international and Indian decorators are now choosing vintage tribal carpets, which are more geometric and go well with contemporary interiors. Their vibrant colours and character adds a pop to otherwise mundane colour palettes.”

CONVERSATION STARTERS

Once a simple source of comfort under our feet, the humble carpet has now donned many avatars. Think rugs as artwork, rugs as table runners, rugs as coasters, rugs as sumptuous layers of texture in a walk-in closet…

“Whether they’re plush, patterned, modern, or minimal, rugs in luxury homes act as silent storytellers, lending harmony, style, and soul to every room,” says Yogesh.

Take, for instance, when Cocoon Fine Rugs collaborated with interior designer and architect Ajay Arya, and translated the traditional artworks of West Bengal into custom carpets.

“Everything from the old Rabindranath Tagore style of art to the typical Bengali Dhakai sarees was translated into carpets,” says Smriti.

THE STORYTELLERS

If the carpet is a woven story, the artisans are the storytellers. In a country bursting at the seams with talent, artisans are the legacy-weavers who pass their skills down generation after generation.

“A carpet is woven with intense love, passion, and respect for its place in homes; none of our carpets are produced in factories,” says Dhruv. “These master craftspeople usually tend to dairy cattle or fruit orchards, and devote a few hours a day to the painstaking task of weaving. This craft is passed on from father to son, and mother to daughter.”

Cocoon Fine Rugs works closely with artisans, many of whom are third-generation weavers, and collaborate with designers who bring fresh perspectives. For Jaipur Rugs, too, artisans are the heart and soul of their practice. Most of them are women from India’s rural heartlands. In fact, their criteria for choosing designers goes beyond just aesthetics.

“We look for those who are empathetic, curious, and willing to co-create with our artisans rather than design for them,” explains Yogesh.

In the quiet hum of looms across India’s villages, stories are still being spun — one knot at a time — carrying with them the warmth of hands, hearts, and homes.

This interview was featured in the August '25 issue of HELLO! India. For more exclusive stories, subscribe to the magazine here.