Supplying a custom runner for Channel 4’s ‘Worst House on the Street’
Knotistry and Tailored Flooring have recently been featured on the popular Channel 4 TV show ‘Worst House on the Street‘ hosted by siblings Scarlette and Stuart Douglas.
Running to secure a runner.
On a Thursday evening at the end of April 2023, we received a call from a potential customer based in Bristol. Natalie contacted Knotistry asking if a bespoke runner could be made up for her as she had fallen in love with the Gorse Chevron Wool carpet made by Fibre Flooring and was desperate to have it as the centrepiece for her hallway. This is usually a straightforward task, however, she needed it fitted to her stairs within a 2-week deadline, as filming was due to take place on Thursday 11th May.
The logistics alone would usually make this impossible as the cut piece of carpet must be delivered to a separate company, Mat Finish, that specialises in making bespoke rugs and runners and then delivered to the property to be installed. Due to this, we originally advised was not possible due to the standard 4 – 6-week lead time that it takes to create a fully bespoke runner.
Thinking that we were, unfortunately, not going to be able to help Natalie, we then received a phone call from a representative of Channel 4 who asked if there was anything that could be done as the carpet was needed for a feature as part of an episode of ‘Worst House on the Street’.
We explained that there was potential for this to be sped up and that the team at Knotistry and Tailored would do whatever we could to make the impossible possible. So began a race against the clock to provide a fully bespoke stair runner in a third of the usual turnaround time.
Moral Fibre and a photo (Mat) Finish
The team at Knotistry then made a series of phone calls to Fibre Flooring to see if there was any way in which we could have the carpet delivered to us on priority service, and then spoke to Mat Finish to see if they could also allow this particular order to be fast-tracked so that we could have it ready to be installed in what would be a record time.
Our contacts at both companies were incredibly helpful and promised to do all they could to help us make this herculean task a reality. Fibre, offered to have it delivered to us as quickly as physically possible and Mat Finish offered to bind the whipped border the same day if we could bring it to them.
Whipping is the process of attaching a strong, hard-wearing, colour co-ordinated band of yarn or wool to the edge of a piece of carpet, rug or runner. This gives it a lovely finished look that allows the carpet itself to really stand out.
In order to help speed up the process further, we got in contact with Tailored Flooring, a carpet and wood-floor specialist, that also provides an excellent fitting service, that we regularly recommend to our clients in the South West. One of their expert fitters, Simon, went to visit the property to carry out a measure of the stairs. This allowed us to order a piece of carpet that could then be cut into shape at the specified width that Natalie wanted for her runner. Despite this, it was still looking like we would not be able to complete the task, and we knew we would have to pull out all the stops in order to have any chance of getting this finished on time.
A week after the initial call we had managed to organise the piece of carpet to be delivered to our warehouse on a Friday. Once it arrived Simon then collected it and took it to the property so he could cut it into the necessary pieces to have it laid up the stairs. However, there was a spanner paintbrush in the works, in the form of a painter who was painting the stairs having not been told that anyone would be coming that day. Not wanting to risk ruining the carpet by getting paint on it, Simon was unable to carry the cutting.
Failure is Knot(istry) an option
Another weekend passed and the deadline loomed closer. It’s now too far gone to turn back and there is not enough time for any other runner to be installed. Will the filming have to happen without Natalie’s stairs having a bright, chevron look? Knot, if we could help it.
Two days of madness
- Tuesday morning 9am: Simon goes to the property, measures and cuts the carpet for the runner.
- Tuesday 10am: Elliot, another of the Tailored Flooring fitting team, drives over 2 hours to deliver the cut carpet over to Mat Finish for the Carpet to be whipped. Vicky, at Mat Finish, does an amazing job at turning it around while Elliot waits for it to be done.
- Tuesday 2pm: The whipped runner is now driven back over 2 hours by Elliot to the property ready for it to be installed the next day.
- Wednesday 9am: Two more members of the Tailored Flooring crew, James and Jamie, arrive at the property ready and raring to install the runner in record time. The film crew are then able to get all the footage they need of the carpet in pride of place.
The route from Knotistry to Mat Finish
Best Home on the Street
The finished carpet looks incredible, standing out as a warm homely feature in Natalie’s hallway and we are so pleased with how much Natalie loves the carpet.
We are super proud of the work done to make this impossible mission possible, and if you’d like to get a feature stair runner for your own home, then check out our amazing range by clicking the button below.
You can also call us or send us an email and one of our friendly expert team will get back to you.
Feel free to explore our wide selection of carpet colours, including soothing Cream, elegant Grey, versatile Beige, and timeless White, to discover the perfect hue that complements your style.
Header image copyright of Channel 4.
