Tamarian

What Tamarian does

Tamarian is a Baltimore, Maryland-based importer and designer of handmade rugs, founded in 1995 by Steve Cibor. The company sources hand-knotted Tibetan rugs from Nepal (Tibetan Collection), hand-woven wool rugs from India and Afghanistan (Habit by Tamarian sub-brand), and operates as one of the largest import-export ventures in Nepal. Its core proprietary technology is the patented Phoenix Weave (PW) process, developed in 2014, which encompasses unique spinning, dyeing, and weaving methods and has become the company's bestselling quality. Production takes place in workshops near the Boudhanath Stupa UNESCO World Heritage Site, using high-lanolin Tibetan plateau wool and Swiss-manufactured Optilan dyes.

The company generates revenue through one-time sales of rugs, with standard sizes up to 13' x 18' and custom sizing available up to 40' x 80'. Distribution is exclusively through a network of over 80 fine retail and trade showrooms across North America (United States and Canada), anchored by partners including ABC Carpet & Home and Stark. End customers span luxury homeowners, interior designers/architects specifying rugs for client projects, and fine rug retailers. The company also operates a self-service custom design tool (Curated Custom) for bespoke commissions.

Since 2021 Tamarian has been a certified Label STEP Fair Trade Partner, subjecting its supply chain to independent audits covering child labor prohibition, safe working conditions, fair wages, and eco-friendly production. The business is privately held with no disclosed funding, parent company, or public ownership structure. Headcount is 11-50 employees, and the company maintains digital channels (website, Instagram, email newsletter) alongside its showroom-led GTM motion.

Name

Tamarian

Legal name

Tamarian

Website

https://tamarian.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Tamarian is a Baltimore-based importer founded in 1995 that designs and sources hand-knotted Tibetan rugs from Nepal and hand-woven wool rugs from India and Afghanistan, selling through over 80 fine retail and trade showrooms across North America to luxury homeowners, interior designers, and fine rug retailers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Handmade Luxury Rugs

NAICS

Carpet and Rug Mills (314110)

SIC

Carpets & Rugs (2273)

akta.pro primary industry

Area Rug Manufacturing (IMAOAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Woven Floor Coverings Manufacturing (Axminster/Wilton/Flatweave) (IMAOAJAF)

Keywords

• Hand-knotted rugs
• Tibetan wool rugs
• Custom rug design
• Fair trade home textiles
• Luxury home decor

Headquarters

HQ city

Baltimore

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Hand-knotted Tibetan Rugs: One-time purchase of hand-knotted rugs made in Nepal using Tibetan weaving traditions. Rugs are sold through retail partners and showrooms. Standard sizes up to 13' x 18', with custom sizes up to 40' x 80' available.
2. Habit Collection Rugs: Hand-woven wool rugs from India and Afghanistan offered at value constructions. Sold through the same distribution channels as the Tibetan collection.
3. Custom/Bespoke Rugs: Custom rug design services meeting clients' bespoke requests for color, shape, size, design, texture. Interactive custom tool available for design exploration.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Tamarian designs and imports fine handmade rugs knotted in the Tibetan tradition, woven in workshops in Nepal (Tibetan Collection), India, and Afghanistan (Habit Collection). The company offers the Curated Custom service for bespoke rug design with custom sizing up to 40' x 80', sells standard sizes up to 13' x 18', and relies on its Phoenix Weave patented construction process and Label STEP Fair Trade certification as key product differentiators.

Product overview

Tamarian is a rug design and import company specializing in fine handmade rugs knotted in the Tibetan tradition. The company offers two main product collections: the Tibetan Collection (hand-knotted luxury rugs from Nepal featuring Tibetan wool and silk blends) and Habit by Tamarian (hand-woven wool rugs from India and Afghanistan with value constructions). The portfolio is anchored by the proprietary Phoenix Weave (PW) patented process developed in 2014. Tamarian also provides a Curated Custom service for bespoke rug creation. Rugs are sold through retail shops and trade showrooms across North America, with custom sizing available up to 40' x 80'.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Habit by Tamarian: Hand-woven wool rugs from India and Afghanistan in a wide array of styles and textures, developed with the same integrity, natural fibers, and beauty as the Tibetan collection but with value constructions and techniques.

Products and services

• Tibetan Collection Hand-knotted Tibetan rugs woven in Nepal featuring Tibetan wool and silk blends; representing Tamarian's luxury line sold through fine retail shops and trade showrooms across North America in standard sizes up to 13' x 18' with custom sizing up to 40' x 80' available.
• Habit by Tamarian Sub-brand offering hand-woven wool rugs from India and Afghanistan in a wide array of styles and textures at value constructions, developed with the same natural fibers and integrity as the Tibetan collection and sold through the same retail and trade showroom channels.
• Curated Custom Bespoke rug design service with an interactive online tool that allows customers to customize rug designs, choose colors, views, and positions in the room, meeting bespoke requests for color, shape, size, design, and texture.

Quantifiable outcome

• Label STEP certification ensures compliance with fair-trade standards including prohibition of child labor, safe working conditions, and fair wages
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Label STEPcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Label STEP is a Swiss non-profit organization founded in 1995 that establishes comprehensive fair-trade standards for the handmade carpet industry. As a certified STEP Fair Trade Partner, Tamarian commits to independent audits throughout their supply chain, maintains strict standards, and collaborates with STEP to improve working conditions and empower weavers. This partnership promotes sustainability in the carpet industry and helps preserve centuries-old artisanal skills. STEP is the only NGO of its kind working in all major handmade rug and carpet-producing countries. Tamarian has been certified since 2021.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Crate & Barrel / CB2: National home-furnishings retailer with a significant private-label and sourced rug assortment spanning hand-knotted to machine-made. Indirect competitor at the consumer-purchase layer; less comparable in supply-chain model but shares the showroom-and-trade-channel distribution ecosystem.
• Restoration Hardware (RH): Luxury home-furnishings retailer that designs, sources, and sells rugs as part of a broader interior assortment. Competes with Tamarian at the high end of consumer-driven rug purchase, but as part of a much wider home-furnishings portfolio rather than a specialized rug line.
• Oriental Weavers: One of the world's largest rug manufacturers with vertically integrated production across Egypt and the U.S. Overlaps with Tamarian in machine-made and hand-finished rug categories but operates at vastly greater scale and across broader price tiers.
• Nourison: Large broadloom and area-rug manufacturer and importer with extensive wholesale and retail reach across price points. Overlaps with Tamarian in hand-knotted and hand-loomed area rugs but operates at materially larger scale and broader construction mix.

Direct peers

• Surya: Designer and wholesaler of rugs, textiles, and complementary home accessories with deep designer and showroom channel penetration. Directly comparable to Tamarian in showroom-led distribution, multi-country sourcing, and product breadth across hand-knotted and machine-made constructions.
• Stark: Premium American rug and carpet brand with a heritage position in luxury residential and hospitality specification; listed as a Tamarian retail partner. Direct competitor in the high-end hand-knotted and custom-rug category, with stronger U.S. showrooms and contract/hospitality footprint.
• Jaipur Rugs: Vertically integrated Indian handmade-rug manufacturer with a strong fair-trade and artisan-empowerment narrative, selling globally to designers and retailers. Closely comparable to Tamarian on handmade construction, ethical-sourcing positioning, and designer-channel distribution; competes most directly in the hand-knotted segment.
• Feizy Rugs: Family-run importer and wholesaler of handmade and machine-made rugs serving designers and retailers across North America. Comparable to Tamarian in multi-generation family ownership, importer/distributor model, and designer-channel focus.
• Safavieh: One of the largest importers and designers of handmade and machine-made rugs in North America, with broad retail distribution across furniture and home-furnishings channels. Highly comparable to Tamarian in business model (rug import/design, multi-country sourcing, traditional hand-knotted lines), though it operates at significantly larger scale and broader price points.
• Loloi Rugs: Designer and wholesale distributor of handmade and machine-made rugs with deep relationships to interior designers and major home-furnishings retailers. Direct overlap with Tamarian in designer-channel go-to-market, multi-country sourcing (including hand-knotted programs), and trade-showroom distribution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/tamariansocial
• Xx.com/tamariansocial
• Facebookfacebook.com/tamariancarpets
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tamarian-carpets

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Tamarian