What a viewing looks like

A first viewing typically runs 60 to 90 minutes. We unroll each piece in turn, walk through provenance — where the rug was woven, by whom, when, and under what conditions — and place samples against your finishes if you’ve brought them. If you’re unsure between two pieces at the end of the visit, both can be sent out on approval to live in the room for a week. We pick up whichever one doesn’t stay.

Viewings are by appointment only and never overlap with another client. The showroom is closed to drop-ins. This is a deliberate choice — every visit is one client, one host, and one set of pieces pulled for that visit specifically.

How the curation works

Before the viewing, we ask for room dimensions in feet and inches (specifically: the longest two walls and the location of any furniture that will sit on the rug); a few photographs of the room in daylight if possible, showing the dominant wood tones, wall color, and any existing fabric; and a short note on what brought you to us — the piece you’re considering replacing, the rooms in the house this would anchor, or the project you’re sourcing for.

We then pull pieces from inventory and, in many cases, hold one or two pieces from incoming lots that haven’t yet been published to the site. By the time of the viewing, every rug on the floor has been chosen for you specifically.

The Boston showroom

The showroom serves the Greater Boston metro. Viewings are held on weekdays between 10am and 6pm and on Saturdays by special arrangement.

For clients outside Greater Boston — Cambridge, Newton, Brookline, Wellesley, Lexington, Concord, Weston, Dover, Sherborn, Beacon Hill, Back Bay, the South End, Wayland, Lincoln, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and the Cape — we will, when scheduling permits, bring four to six pieces directly to your home for a viewing. There is no charge for in-home viewings within 50 miles of the showroom. Beyond 50 miles, we coordinate with our white-glove logistics partner and quote a flat travel fee, typically $300–$600 depending on distance.

In-home viewings outside Boston

For clients in New York, the Hudson Valley, the Hamptons, Greenwich, Westport, Litchfield County, Newport, Cape Cod and the Islands, the North Shore, and the Berkshires, we travel monthly. We try to bundle visits so the rugs you’re considering arrive with one of us in person — not by separate shipment. If you’re considering a piece over $25,000, the in-person viewing is included with the purchase.

For other markets — Philadelphia, Washington DC, Charleston, Aspen, Jackson Hole, Santa Barbara, the Bay Area, Pacific Palisades, Beverly Hills, Palm Beach, Naples — we either travel quarterly with a curated selection, or coordinate a single-rug on-approval shipment with white-glove delivery. Email the team to discuss.

What to bring

Bring whatever helps the decision — a fabric memo, a paint chip, a photograph of the room with a piece of painter’s tape outlining where the rug will sit. Bring a partner, your designer, a child. Bring a tape measure. Nothing about this visit is formal, and the more you bring, the more useful the hour is.

If you don’t have any of those things, that’s fine too. We have a working library of finishes in the showroom for cross-referencing palette.

After the viewing

If a piece is selected at the viewing, we can finalize same-day or send it out on a 30-day approval (longer than our standard policy, because in-person viewings tend to be more carefully considered). If no piece is selected, we keep a brief written note of your visit so future arrivals can be flagged against it — many of our clients find the piece on their second or third visit, not their first.

The follow-up after a private viewing is always one short email from the host, naming any piece we held back during the visit and offering to send swatches or photographs. There is no sales sequence, no urgency, no countdown timer. The pieces are slow-built. So is the decision.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a fee for a private viewing?
No. Showroom viewings are free. In-home viewings within 50 miles of Boston are free. Outside 50 miles, a flat travel fee applies and is credited back if you purchase.

Can I bring my interior designer?
Yes. Trade members are welcome to bring clients, and clients are welcome to bring their designers. We work with both sides regularly and we’re happy to coordinate billing through whichever party makes sense.

What if I don’t end up buying anything?
Then you don’t end up buying anything. That happens. We’d rather you choose a piece you actually want than feel any pressure during the visit. The viewings are not commissioned to anyone on staff; the person hosting you is the same person you’ve been emailing with.

Can I request specific pieces in advance?
Yes. If three rugs from the site caught your attention, name them in the request form. We’ll have those on the floor and we’ll add three to four more we think you might respond to.

How far in advance should I book?
Typically 5–10 business days. Same-week appointments are possible if our schedule allows.

Do you do virtual viewings?
Yes. A 30-minute video walkthrough with three to five pre-selected pieces is offered to clients who can’t travel, on a Friday afternoon schedule. The viewing host is on camera; pieces are unrolled live; provenance is walked through verbally. Request a virtual viewing the same way as an in-person one.

Tell us a little about the room, the project, or the piece you’re considering.

We’ll come back with a proposed date and a short list of what we’d like to put in front of you.

Request a private viewing