Frequently Asked Questions

Rug Related

Rug Care & Cleaning

Design & Buying Tips

Tufenkian Custom Rug Program

Orders, Shipping & Returns

Designer FAQs

General FAQs

Help/FAQs

Is this the first time you’ve purchased a handmade rug? Do you have a question about your online order? Are you a trade partner with a question on specifying Tufenkian on your next project? Browse our list of Frequently Asked Questions, categorized by topic: Rugs, Orders, Shipping, Returns, To-the-Trade, and General Questions for help navigating the world of Tufenkian.

Rug Related

The distinctive look of a Tufenkian carpet is attributable to the use of materials of exceptional quality, and the extraordinary level of traditional handwork involved in all stages of production. For our Tibetan and Designers’ Reserve rugs, we use the finest Tibetan wool, carried by yak over the Himalayas to our facilities in Nepal. Our Armenian rugs are crafted from the wool of Caucasian Mountain sheep. To preserve its character as well as the precious lanolin it contains, these wool fibers are never bleached or scoured. After being washed with only pure water, the wool is then carded, spun, dyed, and knotted exclusively by hand. The result is a rich texture, a subtle stripe of color, and an innovative design, the hallmarks of Tufenkian carpets

The luxury discount rugs featured in the Archive Sale section at our website include discontinued colors, sizes, and designs, as well as sample rugs, one-of-a-kind rugs, and carpets with slight imperfections at discounted and near wholesale prices. Styles range from traditional and updated oriental patterns to primitive and modern designs. All are made of the finest hand-spun materials, including wool, wool and blends of silk, bamboo silk, hemp, or linen. Whether you are looking for a small area rug for the bath, a colorful runner for the kitchen, or a special 275x366cm carpet for the living room, Tufenkian promises that you will find authentic, handmade carpets from our Armenian and Tibetan artisans, as well as our newer production from India.

Rug designs found in James’ Vault include traditional Gabbeh and Heriz designs from Iran, beautiful Chinese and Armenian antiques, and a variety of other pieces which James has purchased over his 30 years in the carpet business. While these pieces are not sold at a discount, they are among the best quality and value available today in the handmade rug industry. These rugs are available for purchase online and are available to ship immediately from our warehouses in the US.

Each of our Tibetan rugs is made with the same high quality Tibetan Highland virgin wool that is then hand-carded, hand-spun and hand-knotted in Nepal. Our process does not compromise the wool by using bleach, as is the practice elsewhere. The inherent lanolin oil content is retained in our Tibetan rugs and acts as a natural soil and stain inhibitor.
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Our Armenian Collection was created in 1993 and ranges from traditional, delicate, and refined to bold, archetypal designs. James was inspired to bring new life and energy to the craft of handmade rugs in the land where it all began and created various weaves to express this tradition.
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The wool is scrubbed by hand without harsh scouring or bleaching. Because the wool is not bleached to stark white uniformity, each fiber retains its own unique shading and character, thus absorbing dyes unevenly. These slight variations in the wool make each carpet unique.

We use vegetable dyes only with Yak-Soo, a shag alternative and Tufenkian construction technique. Otherwise, vegetable dyes do not offer enough range of color for all of our designs and exhibit lack of color-fastness both in washing and exposure to sunlight. Tufenkian was one of the first manufacturers to switch to top-quality Swiss metal-complex dyes, which provide a wide range of fade-resistant colors. The wool is still dyed in small lots by hand, in the Tibetan tradition, but the pigments are created with a modern Swiss process utilizing chromium metal, a naturally occurring element, the use of which creates dyes that will never run or fade, while allowing the natural character of the wool to express itself.

It has been our philosophy since we began our own production that, since we are making the finest quality products, we should finish them with only the finest quality washing. For many years, the finest finishing was available only in Switzerland. However, after years of experimentation and development of techniques, formulas, and equipment, we have created a wash in our factory in Nepal that meets our strict standards: the Tufenkian Wash. This a process allows us to oversee and maintain wash quality, while dramatically reducing our delivery times and improving consistency and quality control.
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Tufenkian carpets differ from machine-made carpets in several ways, including variations in size. These variations exist because of the numerous handmade processes used to make each rug. The variation in size ranges from +/- 2% in width and +/- 4% in length. Our wool is spun into yarn by hand; therefore, the yarn varies in diameter, which results in knots of varying size. The thinner the yarn, the smaller the knot; the thicker the yarn, the larger the knot. So it follows that the smaller the knots, the smaller the rug; and the larger the knots, the larger the rug. Additionally, during the weaving process, each row of knots is beaten down by hand. This also contributes to variations in size. Nominal sizes in the Tibetan Collections include 183x275cm (actual approximates 168x259cm), 275x366cm (actual approximates 267x351cm) and in the Armenian Collections the 153x214cm (actual approximates 138x198cm).

No. Each knot is separate from the others. If the yarn pops up, what we refer to as a "sprout," just clip it off with a sharp pair of scissors.

The fringes are made of cotton from India. The fringes are not ornamental finishing, but rather the ends of the warp threads, part of the carpet’s foundation.

Tufenkian carpets’ durability and beauty make them a perfect addition to public settings. They are made of durable wool that is handcarded, handspun and densely packed in pile. This great wool, combined with the European finishing process, contributes to the creation of a high-quality, soil-resistant product.

Yes, custom sizes are available for all Tufenkian designs. In our Tibetan production you can specify your own design and colors. Prices vary based on attributes such as size and style. Please refer to our Custom Rugs FAQ for more information.

After the carpet has been woven, the tips of the pile are gently sheared to smooth the surface of the carpet. Small bits of yarn and fibers may be released from the pile during use. This is a temporary phenomenon. With normal vacuuming and traffic, these extraneous fibers and pieces of yarn will work their way out the carpet. The temporary shedding in no way compromises the integrity or durability of your handmade carpet.

No. Tufenkian carpets are not treated with a mothproofing chemicals; they are effectively mothproofed as a result of the washing process.

Rug Care & Cleaning

To maintain the beauty of Tufenkian Carpets handmade area rugs, we recommend the following: Vacuum frequently with a device that has an adjustable beater bar/brush, set to the highest setting. If spills occur, blot the liquid as soon as possible. The idea is to lift the soil or liquid, not push it into the pile of the area rug. When there is a noticeable spot or residue, apply a modest amount of carbonated water and blot the liquid. If a spot remains, use small amount of mild liquid soap; apply a modest amount of carbonated water and blot with a lifting motion. Repeat if needed. If a spot still remains, contact your local certified hand-made carpet cleaning and repair company. A note on bamboo silk: it is best to use a professional. However, in times when a quick response is needed, gently blot (do not scrub) the soiled area using a clean cloth or paper towel to absorb liquids from spills. Air dry; heat drying should be avoided.
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We are happy to provide you some tips to spot clean your handmade rug. However, due to the uniqueness of our rugs and carpets, and the degree of expertise with which these spotting instructions may be used, Tufenkian assumes no responsibility related to the use of this information. All responsibility rests with the user. Blot, never scrub, spots on a rug as scrubbing can damage the carpet’s nap. Test all spotting products in an inconspicuous area first and look for color change. If the color bleeds or you are unsure how to proceed, consult a professional. Remove as much of the spill as possible before adding spotting products. Work from the outer edges of a spot to the center. Never saturate a spotting area with a liquid. Only spot with small amounts of cleaning products. Drying small areas can be accomplished with a hair dryer with the heat setting off.
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There is a unique hardiness to Tibetan wool due to the extreme altitude and climate of the Tibetan plateau where the sheep graze. Their wool is long in staple and contains an unusually high amount of lanolin, a natural stain and soil repellant. The wool is inherently strong, elastic, and resilient, all of which contribute to its longevity. Our Armenian production starts with the wool of Caucasian Mountain sheep; use of this wool dates back to some of the finest antique Oushak carpets available today.

Scotchguarding or using some other type of soil-retardant on the carpet is normally not required because Tufenkian carpets are naturally stain resistant.

Design & Buying Tips

When shopping for the perfect rug for your space, rug size and placement should be the initial contributing factors in your purchasing decision. While there are no set rules, there are certain guidelines and design aesthetics to consider during the shopping process.
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We recommend the following to help you choose the right rug for your space. When decorating your home, think of your floors as the foundation for your design.There's an endless array of rug designs to choose from, so visualize the desired goal for the room. Do you want a room that's uncluttered and monotone, or a room rich with eclectic colors or textures? If you start with a totally empty room, choose a rug, then paint or paper the walls in colors found in the rug.
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Here are eight benefits suggested by our partners at Northwest Society of Interior Designers (NWSID): 1. Every project, large or small, presents challenges, from living space and storage constraints to maximizing light. A knowledgeable designer will guide clients efficiently through the maze of design choices. 2. Experienced designers know what works and what doesn’t, and can help you choose the products that make sense both aesthetically and practically. 3. Designers have access to local and national manufacturers and products that are unavailable to most consumers. 4. Design is only as good as its execution. Seasoned designers know how to find and work with the most qualified contractors, tradespeople, and painters. They make sure price meets quality, and they can apply leverage to repair or replace items when necessary. 5. Designers save you from countless hours of shopping time and will work on-site. We bring options to you. 6. A designer helps allocate your design dollars effectively now and for future phases of your design project. Designers make sure workers follow the construction schedule, complete every detail, and finish the job to your delight. 7. Designers serve as a neutral third party to link taste and style between partners and help them decide on a direction. 8. A designer’s experience more than proves its value. All of our designers have risen to educational and professional standards, and are well-versed in navigating the many state and city codes, safety, or convenience issues.

One of the most valuable tools on our website is the ability to tag items as 'Favorites'. Rugs tagged as a Favorite are saved to your Wishlist, and you can create as many Wishlists as you like! For members of the trade working on several projects at once, this can be a useful way to organize by project or client; for our retail customers shopping for their personal residence, it can be a helpful way to organize products you're considering by room, size or color and make the decision process more organized.
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Pile is a common term found when searching rug e-commerce sites, but what does rug pile mean? Rug pile refers to the visible tufts of yarn on a rug’s surface. In other words, the pile is the face of the rug. Rug pile can be cut or left in loops, thick or thin, soft or coarse. Read More

Tufenkian Custom Rug Program

Tufenkian’s Custom Program gives you the freedom and flexibility to design the perfect handmade carpet with a process that is fast, simple, and limited only by your imagination. With access to the same tools used to create Tufenkian’s celebrated Tibetan and Armenian rugs, you’ll benefit from more than thirty years of experience helping clients realize the perfect custom area rugs, runners, and wall-to-wall installations. Our international reputation for exquisite design, craftsmanship, and customer service will exceed your expectations.
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Orders, Shipping & Returns

Rugs available in our Archive Sale and Vault selections can be purchased online at any time. Once you’ve added the rugs you would like to purchase to your cart, proceed to checkout. If you have any discount codes, please enter them during checkout. If you are a member of the trade, you will be required to log in to receive your trade discount. Submit your order by entering a valid Visa, MasterCard, or American Express credit card. You will receive an order receipt via email and a salesperson will contact you same day or the next business day to confirm your order and estimated time of your delivery. If you are working directly with a salesperson you may also place an order over the phone by calling +44 (0)20 7352 8183. Our UK sales team is available 9:30am until 5:30pm GMT, Monday through Friday. Please visit our Returns FAQ for more information.

Rugs included in our Design Catalog are currently available only via Tufenkian showrooms and through authorized dealers. Most designs are in-stock and available for immediate delivery in a wide range of sizes from 61x92cm to 396x549cm. You may request more product information online submitting our Price Request form, accessible on every product’s detail page.

Please contact us. Our UK sales team is available 9:30am until 5:30pm GMT, Monday through Friday. Email support can be obtained via our Contact Form. if you are experiencing problems finding the right rug for your needs, please call our experienced sales support team for assistance. We often have additional inventory, more than what is posted on the site, and we would love to work with you personally.
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Every order placed online is eligible for a no questions asked return within 21 days of receipt. Contact our sales team for more details. Our UK sales team is available 9:30am until 5:30pm GMT, Monday through Friday.

Free outbound shipping is included for orders within the UK and EU. Customers outside the UK and EU, please contact our UK sales team, available 9:30am until 5:30pm GMT, Monday through Friday, for questions about shipping outside of these areas.
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To place an order shipping outside of the UK or the EU, please use our Contact Us form or reach us by phone at +44 (0)20 7352 8183

Returns are accepted on unused, unsoiled goods within the 21 (twenty-one) days. Rugs returned to Tufenkian shall be in the same condition as when received. Rug tags are required to be attached to any returned rugs; there may be an additional handling fee for any rug returned without all tags attached.

If you are looking to exchange a rug purchased within the last twelve months for a larger rug or another rug of equal or greater value, please please use our Contact Us form or reach us by phone at +44 (0)20 7352 8183.

Written P.O. & 50% deposit required, balance due before delivery. Custom/Special Orders are Non-Cancelable/Returnable. Due to the nature of handmade rugs, sizes and color may vary slightly. Standard allowable variance is 2% in the width and 4% in the length.

Designer FAQs

Members of the interior design and architecture community have been the life blood of our business and a vital part of our success for more than 30 years. If you are a professional designer or member of the trade, please contact your Tufenkian Authorized dealer, visit a Tufenkian showroom, or register online for more details.

The easiest way to register as a member of the trade is through our online trade application.

Complete our online trade application form
After verifying your professional status and billing/shipping profile, you will be notified via email once your application is successfully processed
To complete the online application and finalize your account, click on the registration link in your acceptance email

If you are in a sales tax state we require your state resale identification number. You must provide valid credit card information at time of order. Membership with ASID, IIDA, NCIDQ, or a similarly accredited interior design professional organization is preferred. A website or social media accounts for your business are preferred. All account must be verified by a Tufenkian sales associate. Trade accounts must have a valid driver’s license, and your business must have a Federal Tax Identification number; we only need the latter if we have to send you IRS form 1099. To receive the Tufenkian trade discount, orders must be paid for by the designer. If you wish to have a client pay with their own credit card, please fill out the Payment From a Secondary Customer form supplied by your sales associate.

Tear or cut sheets are available for all designs currently in production as part of our Design Catalog. Tear sheets can be downloaded directly from each product’s detail webpage.

General FAQs

There are “handmade” carpets with finer knotting available at a lower cost. They tend to be machine-made (except for the knotting process), and they utilize common New Zealand wool. These rugs are not all that different from completely machine-made carpets, which are even less expensive. At Tufenkian, we refuse to cut corners; only rare and wonderful Tibetan and Armenian wool is used, and the yarn is spun, carded, and dyed entirely by hand. This process is costly, but Tufenkian is committed to providing our customers with an exceptional product. Additionally, Tufenkian is dedicated to addressing the social, economic, and environmental concerns of the communities in which our facilities are located. Tufenkian houses, feeds, educates, and provides medical care for thousands of weavers in Nepal. We keep their water clean and further safeguard Nepal’s fragile ecosystem against chemical by-products by washing most of our carpets in European facilities, which feature environmentally sound finishing processes. In Armenia, the Tufenkian Foundation funds an orphanage and senior citizen housing. To learn more about the Tufenkian Foundation, visit www.tufenkianfoundation.org

Every rug produced by Tufenkian uses the finest materials available. The majority of our designs are made wholly or partially of wool from the Himalayas or Caucasus mountains, but you’ll also find blends of delicate silk, bamboo silk, hemp, and linen.
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Please note that Tufenkian does not buy rugs via our online store but we present these hints if you have rugs that you want to sell. Have your Rug Professionally Cleaned: If it has been more than one year since your rug was purchased, or obviously needs a cleaning, you should have it cleaned by a professional. Locate your Receipt or Statement of Value: If you purchased directly from a Tufenkian Artisan Carpets Showroom and the carpets were imported by Tufenkian from Nepal or Armenia, you may wish to contact us for an updated statement of value. Please call our New Jersey office at 201.221.1055 X335 Obtain a Professional Appraisal: For non-Tufenkian brand rugs that do not have any original paperwork, it is helpful to contact a rug appraiser in your area. The appraiser would also be your first guide to know what you need to do next. To find an appraiser near you we suggest contacting the Oriental Rug Retailers of America. Use a Consignment Store: Look for a reputable consignment store in your area that is known for selling handmade carpets. Craig’s List: This option allows you to post your listing for free; simply attach a photo and description of your rug. The buyer usually picks up the rug, and you don’t pay a percentage or commission. Donation: Donate your old handmade rug to a charity auction. Check with your tax adviser and the Internal Revenue Service to see how to navigate this process and what you can claim for artwork.

No one really knows for sure, but there is considerable evidence to indicate that the art originated in Armenia. It is clear, in any case, that until about four hundred years ago, Armenian carpet weaving was preeminent in the world, and was generally recognized as being so. There is evidence that carpet weaving in ancient Armenia was already a well developed art five centuries before the birth of Christ. The oldest carpet discovered is called the Pazyryk Carpet after the royal burial tomb in the Altai Mountains of Mongolia where it was unearthed in 1949. The carpet is finely knotted, even by modern standards. European scholars have argued convincingly that its origin was in pre-Armenian Urartu based on its design elements and depictions of Hittite dress and horse ornaments, as well as an analysis of the red dyes used in the carpet originating in that Ararat plain and recognized for thousands of years as an exclusive product of the region.
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Most Tufenkian carpets come in a variety of sizes and colors. Keep in mind that the designs are constantly evolving; new designs and colorways are introduced a minimum of twice per year. Rugs currently in production, and available in a wide range of stocked sizes, can be found in our Design Catalog. Although these rugs cannot be purchased online, they are available through Tufenkian-owned showrooms and our international dealer network. Click here to find the location nearest you. Our Closeout Sale and Vault rugs are available first-come, first-served, and most available inventory is posted. However, we do have sizes, colorways, and designs that aren’t yet published to our site. For help in purchasing Closeout Sale rugs and pieces from James’ Vault, please Contact our Customer Service team.

The answer depends upon the rug in question, as well as the intended room setting. Tufenkian dealers and our Customer Service team are qualified to offer assistance in selecting appropriate color/design combinations from our diverse collection.

In our warehouse, most rugs are folded several times over and stored on wooden pallets to maximize space and ease of transportation. When we photograph many rugs at time, they are removed from storage, laid flat, then returned to the stack in minutes. Wool does not have much of a memory, and such fold marks go away in the first few weeks of normal use when a rug is laid flat and gravity takes over. For the lighter weight weaves such as Kotana, Timpa, or Shakti, the use of a rug pad can help smooth out the folds, hold the rug in place, and keep the rug from buckling. The challenges of projected and reflected light will never go away, but we are always working to improve image quality.

Every rug we weave from Tibetan wool is produced in Nepal, and this accounts for about 80% of our current production. In addition, these rugs are crafted with a very specialized knotting technique called the Tibetan Loop Senneh knot, which also differentiates them from rugs produced in Turkey or other regions across the world. We also produce rugs in Armenia, where we use wool from Caucasus Mountain sheep and employ the traditional Persian Senneh knot.

The handmade nature of our rugs makes slight variation in size a distinct possibility. Every manufacturer has their own idiosyncrasies around this issue. The standard variation is 2% on width and 4% on length, and we have particular sizes that deserve more qualification: Tibetan 183x275cm, 275x366cm, and 336x518cm, and Armenian 153x214cm. These sizes run smaller due to the size of the respective looms. The Tibetan 183x275cm averages 168x259cm, Tibetan 275x366cm averages 267x351cm, Tibetan 336x518cm averages 320x503cm, and Armenian 153x214cm averages 132x198cm. When you measure your space for one of these size rugs, please keep this information in mind. If you have any specific size limitations that may be outside our normal standard sizes (61x91cm, 91x152cm, 86x305cm, 84x366cm, 122x183cm, 152x2221cm, 183x183cm, 183x275cm, 244x244cm, 244x305cm, 275x275cm, 275x366cm, 305x305cm, 305x427cm, 336x519cm, 366x488cm, or 396x549cm), please contact us. Non-Tufenkian or one-of-a-kind rugs will more frequently have non-standard sizes that will be noted in their name or description.