Custom & Bespoke
Custom made for you
We know how hard it can be to find a design that fits. That’s why we offer the possibility of customising our range, or producing something entirely bespoke.
Our custom service allows you to adapt our designs to the colours and dimensions of your choice. Completely bespoke designs are also possible depending on your project needs.
Please get in touch at contact@ishkar.com for size, colour or design changes and we will help guide you through the process.
We look forward to working with you.
How does it work?
Your custom rug
Browse our collection of flatweave and hand-knotted rugs during a free consultation and decide on your preferred technique & design. Our complimentary consultations can take place at ISHKAR's London showroom, in your home if you live within London, or remotely via phone or video call for all our international customers.
Choose from an array of colours - 50 for flatweave and over 190 for hand-knotted. We can send you physical samples and offer our expert assistance to help you create the perfect design for your home.
Settle on your colours and design & let the team take it from here, producing digital mock-ups for your approval.
Your rug is made-to-order by women weavers in northern Afghanistan. Each flatweave or hand-knotted rug takes a team of two or more weavers between 3-6 months to make, depending on the size. We will update you along the way to ensure your design has been translated perfectly to your specification.
Once completed, your rug is sent to our team in London, where it is carefully inspected to guarantee the highest quality, and packaged ready for delivery. We ship internationally via DHL express.
Before
Flatweave Rugs
Technique
Flatweave rugs, also known as kilims, are carefully crafted using one of the earliest forms of weaving. Made by interlocking warp and weft threads, the patterns tend to be linear and geometric. As the name suggests, they are flat in appearance, without a pile, and are lightweight and thinner than their hand-knotted counterparts.
Hand-knotted vs Flatweave explained
Afghan Flatweaves
Our flatweave rugs are spun from raw wool and are finely handwoven in Afghanistan, combining contemporary design with age-old techniques.
Part of what makes Afghanistan’s flatweave rugs so special is the wool they are made from. Each strand of wool is individually spun by hand, giving the rugs great character. With its unusually long strands Ghazni wool is also famously hardwearing, meaning Afghan rugs can survive for centuries.
Discover our collection
Colours
Every one of our flatweave wool rugs can be customised - at no extra cost. Personalise your design to the perfect dimensions and colours.
There are 50 hues to choose from so you can create a unique design that feels at home in your space. Made predominantly from natural dyes, each colour gives the kilims their subtle hues developing a warm patina over time.
Browse our colour samplesBest-selling Flatweave Rugs
Hand-knotted Rugs
Technique
Afghanistan is one of the last places in the world where hundreds of thousands of weavers make high quality hand-knotted rugs using traditional techniques. Depending on its size, each hand-knotted rug takes teams of 2-5 weavers four to five months to make, with individual rugs often involving over a million individual knots. This meticulous, labour-intensive process, produces rugs of exceptional character, designed to last for generations to come.
Wool
Our hand-knotted rugs are entirely made from Ghazni wool. This wool - unique to Afghanistan due to its terrain and climate - imbues every rug with a silky, luxuriant finish, absorbing and reflecting colour with rich abrash - the technical term used to describe the mottled effect given by each strand of wool's subtle variation of colour.
Endless Possibilities
Afghan rugs are an exciting canvas for any artwork or design. The weavers are extremely talented and the scope for variation is endless. Each of the hand-tied knots is equivalent to a pixel in a photograph, facilitating the accurate translation of virtually any design into a luxurious rug.
Best-selling Hand-knotted Rugs
Inspiration
Custom ISHKAR rugs at home
Custom Shapes Flatweave rug.
Custom Anar Flatweave runner.
Custom Band-e Amir Flatweave rug
Custom Anar Flatweave rug.
Bespoke hand-knotted design for a London office.
Custom Shapes Flatweave rug.
Custom Carnation Hand-knotted rug.
"I just wanted to say thank you!
We love the rug and the colours are perfect"
Sarah
"We received the rug today and LOVE it. It’s exactly as we hoped it would look and feel.
Thank you"
Kemi
"I finally got to see the rug you delivered. I wanted to tell you that it is absolutely beautiful, exactly as I had imagined it. Thank you, I find it very moving to think that Afghans made this with love!"
Marine
"The rug arrived today - so fast! It really is beautiful. I love the colours, thank you!"
Catherine
"The rug arrived yesterday and is in place, already getting compliments. It looks superb, thank you again."
Kate & Peter
Frequently Asked Questions
Hand-knotted rugs - 10m x 15m
Flatweave rugs - 4.5m x 5.5m
If you require larger dimensions, please email our team on contact@ishkar.com and we will be happy to assist.
Hand-knotted rugs - these can take anywhere between 4-6 months to produce. The larger and more complex the design, the longer the lead time.
Flatweave rugs - these usually take between 2-3 months, depending on the size specified.
For all products, we will be able to provide a more specific lead time once the order has been finalised, and will update you with progress along the way.
We use high-quality natural materials — wool and sometimes silk — chosen for their beauty, durability, and timeless appeal.
Our rugs are made using Ghazni wool, a variety unique to Afghanistan known for its luxuriant finish and unique way of absorbing colour, giving the rugs a natural abrash.
Yes, we ship all over the world via DHL Express. Shipping costs will apply, and will be added at checkout. If you require any information ahead of placing your order, please email our team on contact@ishkar.com
Once we have received your order from the artisans and successfully completed our quality checks, UK shipping usually takes 5-7 business days to arrive. Overseas deliveries can take anywhere from 7-16 days. Delivery details will be provided in your confirmation email.
