Two years ago, Axminster Carpets was commissioned to design and weave a new carpet for the Drawing Room at Drapers’ Hall, replacing a Messrs Morris & Co. Aubusson carpet that had been commissioned by the Drapers’ Company for that room in 1925. Covering more than 100 square metres, its replacement demanded exceptional sensitivity, technical expertise, and deep respect for the significance of the room’s historic setting.
The commission was undertaken by Axminster Carpets’ Historic Division, drawing on decades of experience working within some of the UK’s most important heritage interiors. From the outset, the objective was clear: to create a carpet that would sit naturally within the richly ornamented Crace architecture of the Drawing Room—enhancing the space without competing with it—while ensuring durability and performance suitable for continued use.
The design and manufacturing process proved extraordinarily complex. The finished carpet has since been described as the second most intricate Axminster Carpets has produced in the past forty years, reflecting the sophistication of the pattern, the depth and subtlety of colour, and the technical demands of weaving a bespoke carpet of this scale and detail. Traditional craftsmanship lay at the heart of the project, supported by modern precision and meticulous project management throughout.
Axminster Carpets undertook the formidable challenge of accurately replicating the original design, assembling a specialist internal team to engineer the production of a 28-colour carpet on a 12-colour loom. Drawing on experience from other prestigious historic replicas, and adapting established techniques, the design studio successfully integrated more than 20 colours, with colour changes occurring approximately every two metres. The tracing process alone took two days, followed by a full day of colour matching across six separate visits. The work of Helen Owen was central to this process, particularly in achieving the accuracy and subtle balance of the colours, ensuring the finished carpet faithfully reflected the character and tonal richness of the original.
This was followed by the substantial task of translating the artwork into CAD. Numerous site visits were required to review scale, colour accuracy, and detail, ensuring the spirit, style, and character of the original carpet were faithfully captured—an undertaking few companies possess the experience or capability to achieve.
Now fully installed, the carpet looks superb. It complements the Crace interior beautifully, reinforcing the room’s visual harmony while allowing its architectural features to take centre stage. The carpet also sits confidently alongside the recently unveiled portrait of His Majesty The King by Jonathan Yeo, demonstrating how historic craftsmanship can coexist seamlessly with contemporary artistic expression.
This project stands as a testament to the skill, dedication, and collaborative approach of Axminster Carpets’ Historic Division. It reflects the company’s ongoing commitment to preserving and enhancing the UK’s most significant interiors, creating bespoke carpets that honour the past while contributing meaningfully to the future.
