Welcome to our blog! Whether you’re a faithful follower or this is your first time on our blog we’re glad that you are here. We’re persistent in finding some of the most unique and sought after products and bringing them right here to Springfield Missouri.
We couldn’t be more excited to introduce our newest rug line Capel Rugs to all of you. If this name sounds familiar it’s because they’ve been creating the highest quality of braided rugs since 1917.. that’s over 100 years!
These rugs are available at some well known retail shops such as L.L. Bean and Pottery Barn, but we’re excited to have over a dozen of these made to order rugs here, in-stock, at even better prices!!
About Capel Rugs
A. Leon Capel is the founder of Capel Rugs. His original business was in the plow line, but when the tractor came out, he was left lost trying to figure out what to do. This led to him buying a braiding machine. He fed yarn into the braiding machines and then sewed the braids together side by side to form the famous round rugs. From there, the rest is history- Capel Rugs was born.
Capel has their hands on each part of the manufacturing process to ensure the highest quality rugs. They start with all of the raw materials and put them through a process of parting and spinning. Once the fibers have been strung into strands they are put into braiding machines similar to the ones A. Leon Capel used back in 1917. Once in three-strand braids the braids are carefully sewn into either the round, oval or rectangular shape.
The men and women in the sewing department of Capel rugs take so much pride in their work creating these rugs they sign the tag of each one as a stamp of their accomplishment.
from 1917 - today
1917 Capel Rugs is Born:
Using the raw material from his venture Gee-Haw Plow Lines, A. Leon Capel fashioned braids and created the very first reversible braided rug, calling it "New Departure." This was the beginning of the Capel family rug business.
1919 20"x30" Capel braided rug first appeared in Sears Roebuck catalog. Sears bought 5000 of these scatter rugs.
1926 Troy Knitting Mill Company, now the corporate headquarters, was purchased
1935 Capel partners with JC Penney
1939 Three large braids were made for President Franklin Roosevelt's Hyde Park home: 12' round, 12'x15', 9'x12' oval
1942 First Braided Rug Catalog,
Marshall Fields ordered braids, but since raw materials were being used for the war, Leon Capel proposed that Marshall Fields (who owned Fieldcrest) exchange cotton for rugs.
1947 Capel partners with Montgomery Ward
1954 A. Leon Capel, Jr. joins family business, the first of the second generation of Capels to work at the company, affectionately called ‘G2’, Capel partners with Spiegel
1957 Jesse Capel joins family business
Company renamed A. Leon Capel & Sons, Inc.
1961 Arron W.E. Capel joins family business
Pee Dee Mill purchased
1963 Capel launches imports business: Seeing a demand for a more diverse product line, Capel branched out from braids and began offering imported collections from Japan and Finland. The line would continue to expand to include high-quality hand tufted and hand knotted rugs from India and China.
1976 Smitherman Mill purchased
1978 Old Homestead, one of Capel’s first rugs, inducted into World Floor Covering Association Hall of Fame
1980 Company renamed Capel, Inc.
1981 Mary Clara Capel joins family business, marking the beginning of 'G3' : It was customary for the Capel children of 'G3' to start working for the company part-time in the summer at the age of 14—the girls in the home office, the boys in the maintenance department.
1982 Capel rug appears in Steven Spielberg's sci-fi classic, E.T.
1984 Capel partners with LL Bean
1987 Ron Capel joins family business
1988 Debut of Capel Galleries: In response to dealer input, Capel developed the first-of-its-kind in-store gallery concept—a customizable point-of-sale environment set up as a stand-alone brand showroom—which debuted at the annual High Point Market tradeshow.
1989 Richard Capel joins family business
1990s Woven Spirits Navajo program started
1991 Cameron Capel joins family business
1996 Capel partners with Pottery Barn: Pottery Barn was instrumental in the revival of rectangular braided rugs by putting a fresh, colorful spin on this traditional style
Capel Incorporated Endowed Scholarship for Montgomery Community College established
2002 Williamsburg® license begins
2005 Biltmore® license begins
2013 A. Leon Capel Jr. inducted as a Fellow Member into the American Furniture Hall of Fame - the inductee from outside the furniture industry.
2015 Capel rug appears in Netflix original series Grace and Frankie
2017 Capel’s centennial celebration
These high quality rugs are made to order. So typically from purchase date you can expect wait anywhere from 6-8 weeks before you get a completed rug; this is one of the reasons we’re so excited to have several of these rugs here in our showroom. You can fall in love with a Capel rug here at Mouery’s and take it home the same day!
Take a look at our current in-stock inventory of Capel Rugs below.
We would love to invite you to visit our showroom and see these stunning rugs for yourself! Our showroom is located at 2516 W Battlefield Rd in Springfield Missouri. We are open Monday - Friday 8am-6pm and Saturdays from 9am-2pm. Consider giving the gift of handmade this holiday season!
