About Detara Rugs

Detara Rugs is a premium rug brand developing its inaugural collection of original, hand-knotted rugs crafted from wool and silk by experienced artisans in Nepal.

We're building our inaugural collection with an emphasis on timeless design, exceptional craftsmanship, and long-term quality. The collection is being developed for the UAE market, with a focus on creating distinctive rugs with lasting aesthetic and commercial appeal.

The inaugural collection is expected to consist of approximately 40–50 original designs across multiple categories.

We're looking for an experienced rug/carpet designer to help shape our inaugural collection and become a long-term creative partner as the brand grows.

Role Description

This is a remote freelance opportunity.

The engagement will begin with 1–2 paid trial designs. Successful candidates will have the opportunity to contribute to a growing collection spanning multiple design styles over time. We're looking for designers who want to help define the visual identity of a new premium rug brand from the very beginning.

You'll be responsible for creating original rug designs suitable for production, working within the practical constraints of hand-knotting while contributing your own creative ideas throughout the design process.

We'll provide inspiration, references, examples of styles we like, and a standardized ARS-600 color palette. Final artwork should be production-ready, scalable across multiple rug sizes, and suitable for manufacturing. We welcome designers who can contribute their own ideas and creative direction, not just execute a brief.

All submitted designs must be original work and must not be based on copyrighted artwork or AI-generated content whose commercial use cannot be fully assigned or licensed.

Qualifications

We're specifically looking for someone who has:

• Proven experience designing rugs or carpets for production
• Excellent communication skills and a proven ability to consistently meet agreed timelines
• A portfolio demonstrating original rug/carpet designs that you personally created
• A solid understanding of hand-knotted construction, weaving limitations, knot densities, and color constraints
• The ability to create designs that maintain their visual integrity across multiple rug sizes and proportions
• Experience preparing production-ready vector artwork
• Proficiency with professional design software such as Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer, or equivalent
• Experience with industry-standard rug/carpet design software such as NedGraphics is highly desirable
• Experience working directly with rug manufacturers or rug brands is highly desirable

Our initial collection will include designs across categories such as:

• Contemporary
• Geometric
• Abstract
• Floral
• Animal-inspired
• Traditional motifs with a modern interpretation

Deliverables The final deliverables should include:

• Layered source files in an agreed production format (Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer, NedGraphics, or equivalent)
• High-resolution JPG/PNG renders
• A color map indicating which ARS-600 colors are used in the design

All designs must use only the supplied color palette. Upon payment, ownership of the approved designs and all associated source files will transfer to Detara Rugs.

How to Apply

Please include the following with your application:

• Examples of rug/carpet designs you have personally created
• Details of any experience working with rug manufacturers or rug brands
• Your typical price per design
• Your estimated turnaround time
• Whether you are willing to sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
• Links to 3-5 rug or carpet designs that best represent your work, along with a brief explanation of your role in each project.
• Describe one rug or carpet project you've worked on and any production constraints (e.g., knot density, color limitations, weaving considerations) that influenced your design decisions.

We're more interested in originality, production knowledge, and long-term collaboration than in the size of your portfolio. If you've designed exceptional rugs and care deeply about craftsmanship, we'd love to hear from you! Please note: This position is specifically for experienced rug/carpet designers. If your portfolio consists primarily of graphic design, logos, branding, textile prints, or illustrations without rug production experience, this position is unlikely to be a good fit.