Loom Rugs

Loom Rugs in Melbourne

Have you ever seen a more incredible rug than this black/white/brown spotted number? Looks like a clear twinkling starry night...


I have been hearing about Loom Rugs for quite some time and have spotted their stunning rugs in some very special homes over the past few years, but it wasn't until last month that I finally popped in to their Prahran East store to check out their incredible collection for myself.

Oh my. Truly, it is such an incredibly beautiful little shop... you will be amazed. The colours are like nothing I've ever seen - vibrant and unexpected combinations, striking monochrome designs, muted tones brought about only by using aged vintage fibres... and the variety of designs is vast - from super traditional to very contemporary styles. Aggh. So so beautiful.

Also it must be said that Doan Bilgis (who owns Loom) is just seriously the nicest man I have ever encountered in a rug shop. Or in pretty much any other shop to be honest. Doan first moved to Australia in 2004 and says he was immediately taken with Melbourne’s design scene and local architecture. He saw an opportunity to introduce some different rugs to the market - rugs he had always loved and didn’t really see in Australia... and so he opened Loom in November 2006. He is an incredible person to chat to - so friendly and approachable and softly spoken, and truly passionate about his work.

Doan's family in Turkey have a nomadic background, and rugs are very much part of their culture. As a child, Doan's family and relatives were always making rugs, and he says he was fascinated by the different colours and patterns... Doan was seduced by the history and stories behind each rug, and the amazing diversity in design. 'Rugs almost became an addiction to me!' he says. Eventually Doan started his own business working with international designers, architects and antique rug dealers in Istanbul.

What is most interesting about Loom's rugs is that although they are made using traditional techniques, Doan has also introduced some really innovative contemporary ideas into his business. His 'Hepsi' rugs are formed using a patchwork technique which is not traditionally used for rugs, but when Doan discovered some artisans in Turkey playing with this idea in 1999, he fell in love with the concept and began working with them. Doan named this style 'Hepsi', meaning 'all' - as the technique uses everything and anything to create these unique rugs.

Top - Hepsi patchworked rug 275cm x 380cm, Bottom - Nepalese Rug 302cm x 423cm.

Top - Old Yarn Kilim 197cm x 283cm, Bottom - Old Yarn Rug, 243cm x 350cm.

Another special technique Loom has introduced is the recycling of vintage yarns. Their Old Yarn rugs and kilims are hand woven using yarn that has been unraveled from vintage kilims. This recycled yarn has a softness of colour and variation of tone that can only be achieved with age... it's an incredibly intricate process, and these Old Yarn rugs really do seem to have something extra special about them.

Next time you're in the area, do pop in to Loom and spy their stunning collection! A limited number of Loom rugs are also available through Mark Tuckey in Melbourne and Sydney, and at Koskela in Sydney.

Loom Rugs
575 - 577 High st
Prahran East

ph. 9510 3040

Open Mon- Sat, 10.00am - 6.00pm

Top - Old Yarn Rug, 398cm x 302cm. Bottom - Vintage Turkish Kilim, 315cm x 205cm.