Van Besouw’s 3801 started a carpeting revolution like no other.
“Creating rather than imitating.” Although it has been over 40 years since Van Besouw created their legendary 3801 design, they still adhere to that famous motto. In fact, it is their mission and duty to create amazing products and metered color concepts that give every room the right look and feel. In other words, they believe that their customers should be aware of the significance of the correct choice of carpet or rug. This mentality, combined with their incredible craftsmanship, has provided Van Besouw with success since the very beginning.
Started in 1839, Van Besouw was known for weaving together jute mailbags. Yet by World War II, Van Besouw had expanded into the business of rug production. However, since resources had become scare due to the war, they knew they had to be innovative. Therefore, the owner’s grandson took a chance and built a mill for spinning paper. Used paper could be spun into yarn which in turn, could be woven into rugs. As a result, the tone for Van Besouw’s future had been set.
Despite their innovation and determination during the war, Van Besouw’s greatest success didn’t come until 1967.
Led by industrial designer, Benno Premsela, the newly established carpet factory created the now famous cotton loop carpet known as 3801. The most notable characteristic of the 3801 is the curly loop that falls playfully in all directions. Therefore, 3801 quickly became an icon and was often copied by other carpet manufactures. Yet these imitators were never able to equal the true craftsmanship and design of the original 3801. As a result, the 3801 was truly one of a kind and has continued to be a key part of Van Besouw’s success.
Numbers with a name
While it may be true that Van Besouw doesn’t provide their carpets with names, they do provide them with numbers. This allows for their customers to create their own association with the carpets and over time, make their own name. However, the assigned numbers are not chosen at random. For example, the 3801, the genuine design classic. The first number stands for the type of material used and the second for the production method. The final two numbers are the serial number.
( 3= cotton | 8= knit | 01 = serial number )