Capel Inc., a family-owned company for nearly 90 years, observes its long familial tradition of weaving braided rugs each season by introducing new rug designs, and every day it has the occasion to bring family together through rug design and manufacturing, it said in a release.

The American tradition of the braided rug dates back to early American settlers who used animal skins to cover cracks in the floor and to stay warm on cold winter nights. Later, settlers began fashioning strips of cloth and canvas into a braid and sewing the material together in an ever-widening circle, resulting in a multi-colored rug for the hardwood floor — the first braided rugs.

In 1917, at age 17, A. Leon Capel began the Capel rug tradition by investing in a braiding machine.

Braiding sturdy materials in concentric circles and dyeing them many different colors, Capel was able to stitch the braids together with a sewing machine in a variety of oval sizes, launching what would become the Capel original yarn braid and a popular original American tradition.

Nearly a century after stitching that first braid yarn rug, Capel continues to furnish homes with the most stylish and durable area rugs in the industry. Today, Capel has almost 40 braided rug collections from traditional color palettes to contemporary chenille designs.

As Capel introduces new designs and updated styles of the braided rug, they continue to honor the classics. Capel still carries the original line created by A. Leon Capel, appropriately named American Legacy.

With a design that harkens to the early American settlers, it is made with Capel’s signature performance blend of wool, nylon, and polyester, ensuring quality and durability for many years to come.

“Although we continue to add new styles to our braided rug collections, we strive to maintain the look and feel of our classics as well,” said A. Leon Capel Jr., executive director of Capel Inc. “We often have customers call who had a Capel braid in their living room for twenty-five or more years, and they are requesting the same rug. While we may not still manufacture the same collection, we will surely have a comparable design that will retain the exceptional style and durability of the previous rug.”

Today there is a Capel rug for every color and personality. Boasting vivid colors and innovative fibers and weaves, Capel braids are available in custom sizes and in oval, rectangular, round and square shapes. Capel is responsible for its own spinning, dyeing, weaving, braiding, and sewing, and Capel braids are constructed with either wool, cotton chenille, performance blend fibers, or all-weather olefin.

Over the years, Capel braids have evolved to fit in with every American lifestyle. With classic, contemporary, children’s styles and exclusive collections from licensees such as Colonial Williamsburg, Dick Idol and Bob Timberlake, there’s a Capel braid (or two) that’s a perfect fit for every family, according to a release from Capel Inc.

Perfect for summer, Capel outdoor braids are a new and fast-growing segment of the Capel line.

Seven years ago, Bud Young, vice president of marketing for Capel Inc., found that moisture on the deck of his summer home was damaging the wood. Young asked the Capel mill in Troy to fabricate a braided rug constructed of olefin, a nonporous fiber that will not mildew, mold, shrink or fade.

The result was a huge success. Young’s decks were preserved, and Capel launched its first outdoor braid, Woodrun. Capel now offers three braided indoor/outdoor rug collections.

Since 1917, the art of making and importing beautifully crafted rugs has been at the heart of the Capel tradition. Today, a member of the Capel family oversees each area of the company’s operations.

The Capel family carries on A. Leon Capel’s vision by making the dedication to quality, design and value its driving force as it weaves new traditions in the mastery of rug making.