Nick Radford Rugs was established in 2003, when Nick Radford, inspired by creative trends in the international space, assembled the company’s first rug-making frame in a shed on his parent’s farm. A far cry from its humble beginnings, Nick Radford Rugs is now a true leader in the industry, challenging the boundaries of design with exclusive custom-made textured loop, shag and plush pile rugs produced right here in New Zealand.
We sat down with founder- Nick Radford himself who filled us in on the story behind the brand, what makes his rugs unique and the benefits of buying locally made.
Tell us a bit about the story behind Nick Radford Rugs. How was it started?
My father’s company manufactures all of the interesting yarns that we use, so I always felt that I was going to get involved in the industry in some capacity. In 2002, I had returned from 5 years travelling after finishing my degree and I saw all of the amazing products that my father’s rug & carpet manufacturing clients in the USA and Europe were creating out of his yarns. I felt that there could be a huge opportunity to manufacture high-end custom made rugs in New Zealand for our local market.
What is unique about a Nick Radford rug?
Our rugs are handcrafted, right here at the source, out of the finest New Zealand wool available. Because New Zealand wool is the whitest available, it enables us to dye our yarns the purest colours. We have our yarns ‘felted’ (an irreversible dreadlocking process) to a unique specification which allows them to be durable enough for any residential and most commercial applications.
Can you elaborate on the custom made element of your rugs?
Our rugs are truly customisable and available in any size, shape or colour. We can match our yarns to any colour sample that is provided. In the past we have matched to fabric, stone and even leaves. We manufacture to precise dimensions or shapes and can change the texture of the pile within a rug to suit.
What are the benefits of buying a Nick Radford New Zealand made rug?
Among the many benefits of being locally made is our impressive 4 – 6 week lead time. Our state of the art manufacturing facility is based in Christchurch, allowing for a super-fast turnaround while ensuring quality and accuracy is maintained. In fact we guarantee that your new rug will be within 1% of the desired dimensions. Not only are our rugs skilfully hand-made out of the finest NZ wool, but the specialised yarns that we use are the most durable available. We totally stand behind our rugs and workmanship.
How are your rugs made?
All of our rugs are hand-tufted using custom-dyed yarns. A backing material is stretched onto a large frame that we then draw the dimensions onto. From there we hand-tuft the yarn in the particular loop or cut pile required. For dimensional stability, thick rubber latex is sprayed onto the back of the rug to lock each stitch in place. Finally, the rug is edged with a beautiful hessian tape which is invisible when looking at the rug once it has been installed.
This process gives us lots of flexibility in terms of pile height, dimensions, shape and colour and allows us to custom make any rug with ease. Our team is very meticulous, so at all stages rugs are checked for imperfections and irregularities.
Did you know? Right now until the 4th of August 2019, you can get 20% off all Nick Radford rugs during our NZ Made Expo at McKenzie & Willis! Find out more here.