A Brief Guide to Palace-Size Rugs

In Los Angeles, a palace-size Scandinavian Kilim unites dining room and living room. This is just one example of a modern palace rug, and one of many smart uses for antique and modern pieces in this stupendous size. Photo courtesy of Luxe.

         There are few occasions as joyous as finding a palace-size rug — a rug angel gets its halo each time we do.

          If you’re lucky enough to have a grand oversized floor, then we hope you admire the incomparable palace-size rug as much as we. The mansions, museums, great halls, grand dining rooms and similar large-size rooms of our world know them well. These are but a handful of the homes to the fabled palace rug — arguably most coveted of oversized rugs today.

What Rugs are Palace Size?

This antique 18×24 hand-hooked rug enjoys a “dragon” design as rare as its size and technique.

          Palace rugs include any rug that measures at least 11′ x 21′ and at most to 19′ x 30′. The name typically refers to antique rugs that aristocrats would commission for palaces, estates, royal manors and similar spaces. Naturally it’s a rare size to curate today, but the few that exist are treasures therein.

          Each palatial piece deserves praise for its feat of skill and patience alone when one knows their provenance. Many weavers would combine two or more pieces into one to achieve the necessary size and detail they enjoy. London’s famous Ardabil carpet is a key example that was woven from two pieces into one, and it’s one of the world’s largest hand-knotted rugs. 

          The following includes just a handful of weaving provenances famed for their distinguished palace pieces:

          Make no mistake, though — palatial rugs in these provenances are just as rare to see today, though these traditions are particularly renowned for such works. Palace-size Kilims are among the most rare to discover in our market today, given their nature. Many antique and vintage Kilims are panel woven, and their panels could only be two or three-feet wide in most cases, so it’s very special to curate Kilims with wider panels, and especially large-size Kilims woven all in one piece.

How Palace Rugs Inspire Us

This vintage 12×23 Persian Kilim connotes a paneled flat weave — one of few styles that could create palace Kilims. Even so, its color and craft attest to a one-of-a-kind rug in its provenance.

        Palace rug connoisseurs like our own Josh Nazmiyal will admire the many details, even beyond their size, that make them one-of-a-kind. They’re always so inherently special in detail and finesse, for starters. Furthermore, there are only so many rug centers in the world that could create these rugs.

        You’d never see a Persian 14×12 Isfahan rug, for example, that’s older than 100 years. Meanwhile hooked rugs can be seen in palace size. Any keen eye will enjoy them, but a little context will always enrich one’s appreciation for wonders like palace-size rugs.

Interior Design with Palace-Size Rugs In Mind

This sari-silk ‘solid’ rug is our palace-size custom rug, and a variant of our Texture of Color collection that reimagines what ‘plain’ rugs can achieve.

          Even in our niche, one would be surprised to know the demand for palace-size rugs and similar oversized pieces today. Many uses are particular, use, but they bring more versatility than most would imagine. One key example? A palace-size rug can be a fabulous choice in adjoined rooms and spaces. Joint dining rooms and living rooms love them, much like the LA abode that enjoys our palace-sized Scandinavian Kilim above.

         Few ateliers keep as much stock in this size as Josh, and even fewer create as many in their custom collections as his luminaries. Below are just a glimpse, antique to contemporary, of our own palace-size rug collection that we hope inspires you to think big.

 

 

 

 

 

        Comment with your favorites, share your thoughts on palace rugs and explore our collection to curate and create with us.