Blog
Oriental Rugs (Size)
(Posted on 26/10/13)Choosing the correct size is not as simple as merely ensuring that the rug fits into the appropriate space. Oriental rugs need room to breathe, and unless they are given the right amount of space they can either be swamped by the surrounding decor...
Decorative considerations
(Posted on 25/10/13)DesignIn many ways, design is less critical than colour, as the colour of a rug has far more impact on its surroundings; a discordant pattern will still blend into most rooms, providing the colours are harmonious. How ever, choosing the right design...
Buying a rug (Colours)
(Posted on 19/10/13)Decorative considerations (Colour) Today, rugs are an important export for most producing countries, and many weaving groups have consciously broadened their palette in order to appeal to Western tastes. This is particularly true of India...
Buying a rug (Choosing)
(Posted on 17/10/13)Choosing an oriental rugThe most important factor when choosing an oriental rug is he reason 'why' the rug is being bought. This may seem self-evident, but it is not unknown for people to purchase extremely attractive and reasonably priced items...
Sizes and Shapes
(Posted on 10/10/13)In the East it is customary to employ several rugs in an overall floor plan, rather than opting for one large, centralizing carpet as in the West. This has a number of practical advantages from a furnishing and decorative point of view. If...
Washing
(Posted on 02/10/13)After the rug has been clipped, it is washed to remove any dirt that may have been collected during the weaving process and to give the pile its particular 'finish'. Some-times the rug is simply washed in water and then left out in the...
Fineness of the Knotting
(Posted on 28/09/13)This refers to the number of knots that have been tide per sq inch of pile. The higher the number of knots, the finer the weave. There are no hard and fast rules determining the exact knot-count required to justify a rug being referred to...
Knotted, or pile rugs
(Posted on 24/09/13)In oriental rugs the pile is created by tying a short length of yarn around two adjacent warp strands so that the ends of the yarn protrude upwards to form the surface (or pile) of the rug. This process is referred to as 'knotting', because...
Flat-weaves, or kelims
(Posted on 12/09/13)Flat-woven rugs are generally referred to as kelims (or gelims), which is a Turkish word meaning prayer rug. They are made by tightly interweaving the warp and weft strands to create a flat, pileless surface. The design is produced by threading...
Dyeing and Colours
(Posted on 07/09/13)The dyer is an extremely important, and often somewhat mysterious figure in rug-making. In nomadic and village cultures, the master dyer - almost invariably male - often acts as the tribal wise man, whose advice is sought on a whole range of subjects...