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HOW TO MEASURE
Bedroom
Living Room
Dining Room
Hallway
Caring For Your Rug
Your rug may arrive with creases, laying it out for a week will make them dissapear.
We recommend you vacuum your rug regularly. Blot spills with water, mild soap and a clean towel, don't rub!
A rug pad can prolong your rug's life, and provide extra cushion, and prevent slips.
We like to have our rugs professionally cleaned once every few years; call us to arrange a cleaning to make your rug like new.
Rugs will fade a little over time in prolonged direct sunlight. This is natural; we recommend rotating your rug ever so often, and keeping the shades drawn when it's really bright!
Construction
Hand Knotted
Individual knots tied by hand onto the rug's foundation.
The most traditional weaving technique.
Highest quality & most durable construction
Heirloom rugs that will last a lifetime.
Woven
Yarn is woven by hand onto the rug's foundation.
A traditional technique, but quicker than hand-knotting
Durable, most are reversible (hide stains!)
Rugs have no pile (thickness)
Hand-Loomed
Yarn is woven using a hand-operated wooden loom.
A traditional technique usually found in fabric making.
Faster weaving leads to more affordable prices.
Designs tend to be very simple.
Machine Made
Large machines mechanically weave yarns into a rug.
Usually made of man-made materials such as Polyester, and Polypropylene.
The most affordable type of rug, but has the shortest life-span.
4 Quick Tips
We know that rug shopping can be hard: there are a lot of size decisions, many price points, endless material and color options, and numerous retail outlets to choose from. Here are some guidelines to help you choose the right rug for your home or office
1. Know What You Like
There are so many choices when it comes to style, color and overall look that it’s important to narrow down to a few ideas, but not just one: it’s good to be open to options, as you might be surprised by what actually works best in your space. Besides just the simple “traditional vs. contemporary” condition, think about the density of pattern (busy vs. simple), hard geometric edges vs. flowing lines, bold designs vs. subtle ones, a conversation starter piece vs. a nice background to your furniture. Visit our showroom with some magazine clippings or your Pinterest board, and we’ll help you narrow down the options.
2. Think About Context
We all love to browse interior design magazines, blogs, and tv-shows; these can be great sources of inspiration for your next rug purchase. When looking for styles that you are attracted to, remember to also keep in mind the context: does the room mimic your personal decor? A rug can look drastically different in different environments, so try to look for inspiration that’s in the same vein as the space your trying to decorate.
3. Understand the different types of rug
Rugs come in a variety of materials and techniques. On our site and in store, you’ll see terms like “Hand-Knotted,” “Hand-Loomed,” “Hand-Woven,” or “Power Loomed.” These all reference the technique used to make the rug. There are marked differences in look and price to each technique, as well as differences in durability and functionality. Materially, you’ll see wool, cotton, silk, viscose, bamboo and more. Each of these has different maintenance requirements and price points. Read up on our blog pages about these topics to get a feel for what you want to look for in store and online.
4. Sizing
As it turns out, this is one of the hardest parts of picking a rug! There are some rules of thumb to help you find the right size for your room, but these rules are also based on preferences: do you want an accent look or a carpeted look? Are you trying to frame the rug with your floors or overshadow your flooring? Rugs come in a number of typical sizes, such as 5’x8’, 6’x9’, 8’x10’ and more, but also in some odd sizes that fall outside of these molds. Your best option is to measure the major piece of furniture in the room, and discuss with sales staff what best compliments this piece of furniture. We have a sizing blog that will give you some direction on how to measure, and what to hone in on.
Pricing
A rug is an investment no matter what you spend on it, but not in the sense that you should expect to MAKE money off a rug. Instead, consider that a cheap rug will require you to replace it in a short amount of time, while a more expensive rug will outlast its current home many times over. Antique rugs (over 100 years old) continue to appreciate in value over time, much like great works of art; contemporary rugs made in the last 40 years are less likely to do so. Like fine art, learn as much as you can before you decide to shop for antique rugs.
For newer rugs (most of what we carry), there are a great number of rugs at different price points. Rugs are NOT just for the wealthy! Much like other items of home decor, a more expensive rug usually means better materials (nicer feel), more hand-made (quality), and denser weave (durability). With a little compromise and balance to these and other factors, you can find the perfect rug for your budget, and that is the key: set a realistic budget for what you want to spend, and browse the many options that fall into that price range.
Try not to get stuck on a price that you saw at one store and make all your requirements fit into that. Chances are, the rug you saw may seem affordable, but its qualities fall far below your expectations. Instead, set your limit and see where you need to compromise; you might end up with something that costs less and hits all your requirements, but in that journey, you’ll get to see more options if your price expectations are more realistic.
A final important note on price: size is one of the major factors in the price of a rug. No matter what the other attributes are, the bigger the rug, the more expensive the rug. In this regard, sometimes dropping to a slightly smaller size while hitting all your other requirements might do just the thing to get the right rug for the right price.