Custom Beni Ourain Rug: Your Size and Drawing, Knotted by Hand
A custom Beni Ourain rug answers a specific problem. You know the rug you want, ivory wool, dark diamonds, a deep soft pile, and none of the pieces that exist is the right size. Beni Ourain rugs are knotted to the proportions of the loom and the room they were made in, which is why so many are close to 6 ft 7 in × 9 ft 10 in and so few are anything else. Our atelier in Morocco knots rugs in the Beni Ourain manner to your dimensions and colours. This page explains what you choose, what stays the weaver's, and how an order runs.
When made to measure makes sense
When the room asks for a size the tradition does not offer. A sectional sofa that needs 9 × 12 ft. A square dining room. A long hall. A round table. A bedroom where the rug must clear a wardrobe door by an inch. In each case a standard piece would be a compromise you would see every day.
It also makes sense when the classic colouring is nearly right. A sand ground instead of ivory for a room with white floors. Lines in warm brown where black would be too hard. A lattice so open that the rug is almost plain. On an order, ground and drawing are chosen separately.
What you choose
The dimensions, to the centimetre, from 80 to 500 cm wide and 80 to 600 cm long, which is roughly 2 ft 7 in to 16 ft 5 in by 2 ft 7 in to 19 ft 8 in. The shape: rectangular, square or round, the round rug set by its diameter. The design: the Beni Ourain lattice is one of several, alongside Azilal, Beni Mguild, Boujaad, checkerboard and bordered compositions.
Then the colours of the ground and of the motif, picked from the palette or specified yourself. The height of the pile, deeper or closer. And the finish at the ends: fringed, as tradition has it, or a clean edge. A round rug has a continuous edge with no fringe.
What stays the weaver's
A Beni Ourain is drawn by hand, and that does not change because the rug is commissioned. The diamonds will not be identical. A line will wander. The rug may come off the loom a little wider or longer than the figure you gave. Allow for that if it has to fit between two walls.
This is not a defect to be negotiated away. It is the difference between a Beni Ourain and a rug printed with its pattern. The online preview you see while composing is a visualisation of the design, not a photograph of the finished piece. The atelier confirms the drawing and the wool with you before knotting begins.
How an order runs
Everything is composed online. You enter the dimensions, choose shape, design, colours, pile and finish, and the preview updates at each step. You can attach photographs or a sketch and add a note. The price appears as you go, with delivery and duties included, together with an estimated time in weeks.
Before production, the atelier comes back to you to confirm the design, the yarns and the schedule. Then the rug is knotted, knot by knot. A made-to-measure rug asks for patience, since it does not yet exist, and some trust, since you choose it from a preview. In return it fits.
Or a rug that already exists
If one of our Beni Ourain rugs is within a few inches of what you need, that is the shorter road. You see the very piece you will receive, in its own photographs, with its measured size. Four inches more or less almost never change how a rug sits in a room.
Most of our Beni Ourain measure 6 ft 5 in to 7 ft 3 in wide and 9 ft 6 in to 10 ft 6 in long, and a few are long and narrow, close to 6 × 12 ft. When the gap is larger than that, or the shape or colour is particular, commissioning takes over. Delivery of the rugs shown here is free worldwide, duties and taxes included.
What you can verify about us
- Origin
- Made in MoroccoHand-knotted Berber rugs from the Atlas regions. Every rug is a one-off.
- Construction
- Hand-knotted woolVerified at every stage — never machine-tufted.
- Delivery
- Duties includedFree shipping; import duties and taxes are included in the price.
- Returns
- 14 daysIn condition received, full refund of the purchase price.
Frequently Asked
Questions
- Can a Beni Ourain rug be made in any size?
- Yes, from 80 to 500 cm wide and 80 to 600 cm long, to the centimetre. Round rugs are ordered by diameter.
- Can I change the colours?
- Yes. The colour of the ground and the colour of the motif are chosen separately, from the palette or to your own specification.
- How long does a custom rug take?
- It depends on the size and the design. An estimate in weeks is shown while you compose the rug, and the atelier confirms the schedule before starting.
- Will the rug match the preview exactly?
- The preview is a visualisation. The rug is knotted by hand, so lines, diamonds and dimensions keep small variations. The atelier confirms the design and yarns with you first.
- Can I send my own design?
- Yes. You can attach photographs or a sketch and describe your idea in a note. The atelier reviews it with you before production.
The person behind the piece
“Before you buy, I’ll send you a video of the actual rug in natural light — not a stock photo. I answer the messages myself.”
I’m Youssef. I started ARINID because this market is full of middlemen and machine-made imitations sold as the real thing — and I grew up close enough to the looms to know the difference.
Every piece we list is a one-off, hand-knotted in Morocco. If you want to talk through sizing for your room, I’m on the other end of the message. A rug at this level is a thirty-year decision. You should be able to look the person selling it to you in the eye.
Youssef
Founder, ARINID
The next step
See every rug we currently offer
Each piece is hand-knotted in Morocco and delivered to your door, with shipping, duties and taxes included.