09 Apr Timeless Methods: District Loom

District Loom in Bozeman is not your typical rug store. Step inside and the bespoke atmosphere invites you into a highly individualized experience. Preferences, chosen online before the visit, are ready for immediate viewing. The design of the space itself is highly considered: Curved sofas and site-specific lighting, along with interesting objets d’art, catch your eye at every turn.

Owner and curator Heather Cade brings a wealth of experience and international connections, along with an innate knowledge of design. “I travel to Turkey personally to look at the rugs before I bring them into my store,” she says. “It’s really more to understand the culture and to see how they repair the carpets.”

Since many of her Persian and Turkish rugs are vintage and antique, researching how they are repaired is quite beneficial. Cade considers vintage to be anything from 30 to 99 years old, while antique is anything over 100 years old. The history of these woven rugs spans over 2,500 years, evolving from simple nomadic mats for warmth into intricate, luxurious artforms symbolizing status, diplomacy, and cultural identity.

A District Loom curated vintage rug from owner Heather Cade’s personal collection found its home in DISC Interiors’ Mariner’s Residence project in Newport Beach, California. | LACEY LAND

Traditionally used on floors, some rugs are even hung like tapestries. Though, unlike the medieval tapestries that were often narrative, the Islamic taboo against figurative work means that many Persian rugs depict patterns rather than human or animal imagery.

Cade started out selling rugs from her car. “I was an ICU nurse but always loved design,” she says. “One day, I bought seven rugs and I only needed one, so I did a pop-up sale in a boutique to sell them.”

District Loom offers a stunning range of options, from one-of-a-kind vintage to contemporary, custom hand-knotted wool rugs. | ANGELA NEWTON ROY

The rest, as they say, is history.

Cade moved to Montana from northern Virginia five years ago with an idea of exactly what she wanted. By renovating a space just south of Four Corners, her vision came to life. Not only does District Loom feel inviting, but Cade curated the space to give off a hip vibe, with various antique pieces setting off the hanging rugs. In the studio, large rugs hang from a ledge near the ceiling, like veils.

Cade stands between two beautiful selections, a contemporary Afghan tulu rug on the left and a vintage Ensari on the right. | ANGELA NEWTON ROY

Cade realized that homeowners generally want something cozy and custom for bedroom and living room spaces, but most vintage and antique rugs run thin, having been worn with age. Bringing in a contemporary palette with durable but enticing fabrics, the idea of unique “floor art” came into being.

Wool and mohair, in high- and low-pile designs, are featured in this flat lay of nine neutral contemporary customizable rug samples. | ANGELA NEWTON ROY

“I set up a custom contemporary rug studio, where designers create their own custom compositions,” she says. “When they have a design they like, I have it made into CAD [computer-aided design] and sent to my manufacturer in India.”

Another District Loom customsourced and -altered vintage rug for DISC Interiors’ Mariner’s Project pulls the room together into a cohesive narrative. | LACEY LAND

The rug studio offers palettes of colors, or poms, that would appeal to any taste. With over 200 designs that can be fully modified, as well as the option for designers to submit their own, rugs can be created with customized colors, scale, and material. No limits. If you can think it up, District Loom can have it made. Sizes range from small area rugs and runners to expansive carpeting to fit any room or stairwell. With a custom seamstress on hand, Cade ensures the right fit for the right space.

A glimpse into District Loom’s Custom Rug Studio reveals color palettes and samples from Cade’s contemporary line. | ANGELA NEWTON ROY

“We can make the specific compositions in wool, cotton, silk, or nylon, depending on the function of the room,” Cade says. “And I work with textiles that tolerate stains and stain cleaners that make use of the natural lanolin in the materials.”

By thinking outside the box, Cade further realized that she could use remnants to accent rooms. Using her vintage and antique rug collection, Cade has leftover pieces sewn into throw pillows that are both decorative and innovative, putting a finishing touch on a space. And since 2020, Cade has partnered with Anthropologie to offer a selection of rugs through the brand’s dreamy home selection.

District Loom also offers a trade program for professional interior designers. With an exclusive tiered discount starting at 15 percent off and no minimum spending limit, members enjoy insider early access to new arrivals. The trade program features dedicated concierge services, complimentary custom sourcing, and in-home trials.

Aside from the carpets and pillows, District Loom carries a small collection of unique furniture. From a vintage Danish curved loveseat sofa to an African Senufo stool, each piece is chosen to stand out in any setting. Hand-selected by Cade, the offerings include an Arco lounge chair by Dusty Deco covered in sheepskin, a hexagonal console table made from ash, a selection of vintage velvet sofas, and other pieces that are continually updated and posted on the District Loom website.

In addition, chandeliers that incorporate the tumbleweed, an iconic symbol of the West, are fused with traditional fixtures, such as a version that’s painted black and peeks from a dome light or those that hang orb-like from a pendant light.

The sheep from Linderman Farm, in Belgrade, Montana, walk across a path covered in wool rugs from District Loom’s collection of vintage runners during a marketing campaign that celebrates sheep’s wool as the origin of rugs. | SAMANTHA LORD

The decor section also provides an outstanding grouping of distinctive pieces. For example, a set of three marble, pyramid-shaped candleholders — with their sharp geometry and the soft, organic pattern of the stone — creates visually interesting intrinsic contrast. As marble is a natural material, each candleholder is unique in terms of marbling and color. Another notable piece is the waterproof ceramic Frida vase, with its matte coating and sgraffito pattern, which adds texture to the subtle hourglass figure. It’s perfect for mixing and matching with other colors and shapes.

Cade completes District Loom’s gallery feel by featuring the work of one or two artists at any given time. She is currently showing work by artist Kader Boly, from Burkina Faso, Sabce, Africa. His paintings and textile art primarily showcase short brushstrokes, white space, and a limited palette. Cade chose to showcase his work because it “aligns with the traditions, history, and landscape of southwest Montana,” she says. At special events in the showroom, Cade will invite other local artists to show their work as well.

“The result is a curated collection of irreplaceable pieces that each have a rich history and integrate beautifully into any modern home,” Cade says. “We enjoy collaborating with other creatives to find the best fit for a particular project.”

Every part of the District Loom showroom feels edited and intentional toward that end, forming a personalized experience unique to each customer.

“I love the challenges of design,” Cade says. “Probably because I love problem-solving.”

Freelance art writer, teaching professor, and author Michele Corriel earned her master’s degree in art history and her doctorate in American art. She has received a number of awards for her nonfiction, as well as her poetry. Her latest book, Montana Modernists: Shifting Perceptions of Western Art (Washington State University Press, 2022), won four awards, including a national award from the Western History Association.