The beauty fine handmade rugs can add to a home is amazing. But fine quality rugs are not normally what I term “affordable”. Often very expensive, shopping for them can be an overwhelming task. Some dealers are scam artists marking up substandard rugs to superficial highs and then constantly having a “Going Out of Business Sale”. Lucky for us, there are true dealers, importers and manufacturers of fine quality rugs. Catering to the interior design trade is Tufenkian Rugs.

As I snooped around, I was thrilled to learn that Tufenkian Artisan Carpets had quietly opened an outlet or “archive” for their discontinued styles and odd color lots, custom orders, samples and one of a kinds. Since Tufenkian is the manufacturer/ importer and their pricing is consistent at all their retail outlets, the savings here are a real 50%-75% off the original retail.

These special rugs are available at a much lower cost because Tufenkian design is constantly evolving. More than 100 new design/color combinations created by the Tufenkian design team are added to the 500 or so carpets already in their ongoing collections every year. In order to make room for them, a number of carpets must be dropped from the Tufenkian collections. The design process also makes hundreds of test samples in a huge range of designs and colors. Those that are not added to the program line are sold at the archive outlet at steep discounts.

Made in Nepal or Armenia, Tufenkian rugs are all handmade, hand knotted, 100% wool or wool and silk blends. Sold at their showrooms, Bloomingdales and better designs centers nationwide, their line has everything from classic Armenian and Tibetan rugs to modern contemporary original Tufenkian designs by such notable designers as Barbara Barry, Kevin Walz and Vincent Wolf. The wool fibers in Tufenkian rugs are not stripped in the manufacturing process, making them even more resilient to daily wear and tear. Tufenkian is also one of those wonderful, rare businesses that practices good ethics in their relationships with their factories. They also purchases one-of-a-kind “special creations” created at the factories to keep the weavers working during slower periods. These pieces will also show up at the outlet.

Though still a bit pricey, the savings here are spectacular. An 8 x 10’ “Chelsey Garden”
rug retails at $7950. The archive outlet price is $3180. A 6’ x 9’ that was $3075 is here at $1230. If you have a larger modern home you can find a silk wool blend geometric patterned rug in a 10’ x 14” at $7710 instead of the original $19,275. For a smaller space you may be interested in their 3 x 5’. A spectacular “Stripped Rag Flag” was $750 instead of $1875. Have a long hallway? A 3’x10’ runner was $1275 instead of $2550. Since they also have an outlet in Portland they will search for a pattern in a size you need. Persnickety shoppers can special order any design, current or past, from their catalogue but you don’t get the steep discounts. Being a bit flexible will save you a lot.

I tend to love the classic Middle Eastern designs. A classic Armenian “Mahabad” 9’ x 12’ rug lists at $10,125, but here its $4050. A rich “Jasmine” design was originally $12,825. But it’s much more affordable at the outlet at a 50% savings at $6412.

Also, unlike other outlets, here you’ll also experience incredible, knowledgeable service and no sales pressure from a staff that really knows the line. You can also “Test Drive” a carpet here for three days. Take it home, test it out with your décor before you purchase. All at 50% -75% off.
But be forewarned. You will fall in love with beautifully crafted rugs here. The designs are spectacular and breathe taking works of art that stand up to the test of time. You may never be the same.

The Tufenkian Archive Outlet is inside the Tufenkian Showroom.
8462 Melrose Ave
West Hollywood, CA 90069
800.432.9917 Ext 14
Hours: Mon-Fri 9-5:30
Sat 10-5

Suzanne O'Connor