FAQs

While both were titans of Chinese Deco, Nichols rugs are known for crisp lines, deep 3D incising, and maximalist color saturation on a rigid foundation. Fette rugs tend to have a softer, more pliable foundation […]

Authentic Nichols rugs are famously heavy with a thick, hand-knotted pile on a rigid cotton foundation. They feature a highly lustrous pile, deep 3D incising, and sometimes carry a stamped “Made in China” mark in

The Palace Factory was Nichols’ legendary flagship establishment in Peking. He converted the former palace of a Manchu Prince into a grand showroom and weaving facility, allowing him to market his rugs as being literally

The Nude series refers to rarer, highly sought-after minimalist Nichols designs featuring solid fields of camel, champagne, and taupe with tonal or subtle contrasting accents.

Nichols incorporated a Botanical Calendar into his designs where specific flowers represented the seasons: the Peach Blossom for Spring, the Lotus for Summer, the Chrysanthemum for Autumn, and the Narcissus for Winter.

Nichols viewed the harsh chemical wash as a stress test. He believed that if a rug’s pile and colors could survive the saturation and chemical reaction without bleeding or degrading, it was proven to last

A standard 9×12 Nichols rug took a team of four master weavers an entire month to complete. After weaving, the pile was meticulously hand-cut at an angle around the motifs, a technique called beveling or

Nichols Blue is the signature, deeply saturated indigo blue used in many of his rugs. Nichols insisted this color be dyed in the wool to ensure a uniform shade that would never show streaks.

Nichols broke the rules of traditional symmetrical rug design by removing rigid central medallions. Instead, he featured radical layouts with falling flowers trailing organically from the corners into vast, open fields of solid color.

“Super Yarn” was a high-quality, machine-spun, long-staple wool pioneered by Nichols. It was incredibly durable and reacted to light with a silk-like shimmer, allowing it to take on more saturated and deep dyes than traditional

The “Rice Bowl” policy referred to Nichols’ insistence on total vertical integration. He owned every building, loom, tool, and “rice bowl” in his factories, allowing him to control every step from spinning to dyeing to

The Mule System is a specific spinning technique Nichols used on his carefully selected fleecy wools. Once washed, this spun yarn developed a highly reflective, metallic sheen that became the hallmark of his brand.