Handmade rugs carry rich histories, from the hands that craft them to the homes they find themselves in. From geometric Moroccan rugs to traditional Persian carpets, it can be easy to get lost in a rabbit hole of options. Knowing a few rug basics can help you feel more confident about investing in a piece that may last generations.
Kambourian Rugs
Handwoven vs. Hand-knotted
When searching for handmade rugs, there are two types that deliver in their beauty and durability: handwoven and hand-knotted.
Handwoven rugs are crafted in a way similar to weaving a basket or a piece of fabric. “While they’re weaving it by hand on a loom, they’re inserting the pile and mounting the pile in place,” says Mark Kambourian, owner of Kambourian Rugs. The pile refers to the raised surface of the rug. These rugs are usually reversible, meaning the pattern and color on the front will be identical to the back.
Hand-knotted rugs take this a step further by incorporating tied knots at the base of every tuft, he explains. These rugs will have a distinct front and back, with natural fringes that are not sewn or glued on. The nature of their construction allows for hand-knotted rugs to have more intricate designs.
Artisans spend hundreds of hours creating one-of-a-kind designs, separating handmade rugs from the predictability of their machine-made counterparts. Handmade rugs also prove to be quite durable; they’re often able to withstand decades of use with proper care.
“The hand element is kind of like the difference between a painting and a print,” says Kambourian, who specializes in hand-knotted Oriental rugs. “Some people are fine with prints on their walls, but I prefer the original.”
Christian-Lorraine Rugs
Shopping Tips
When rug hunting, Stacy DeFreitas, general manager of Christian-Lorraine, advises having a general size rather than an exact measurement in mind, as most rug sizes can vary. Additionally, it’s helpful to consider where the rug will be used. “If you’re going to use it in a kitchen, you might not want something that’s more delicate or light-colored,” DeFreitas explains. When shopping in person, bringing fabric swatches or paint chips can help narrow down which styles best fit the mood of your space.
If shopping online, Kambourian recommends finding a trusted retailer. Look out for red flags such as lack of photos and product descriptions or astronomical shipping rates. Most importantly, make sure you can try the rug before you buy it.
“The problem with online shopping … is that there’s so many variables with how the color is regenerated,” Kambourian says, explaining that factors like the camera’s exposure when taking the picture or even the type of device you’re using can affect how the color of the rug is displayed.
Holdingforth rugs at Flourish Collective
Style Guide
If you already have a particular style in mind, doing research beforehand can ensure that you are getting something true to what you are looking for. For example, Tracey Love, owner of Holdingforth, a retailer specializing in Moroccan textiles, explains that Moroccan boucherouite rugs — which bear a resemblance to the American rag rug, with its use of longer scrap fabrics — will look noticeably different from their close-cropped companions such as the Moroccan Boujaad rug.
However, some styles are trickier to decipher. Since countries like Afghanistan, Pakistan, China and India reproduce many Iranian designs, it may be difficult for the average person to visually pinpoint specific styles, especially in regard to Oriental rugs. If unsure, DeFreitas suggests finding a trusted retailer to help sift through the details.
Quality Control
First-time rug buyers may look at a rug’s knot count to determine its quality. This is typically measured by the number of knots tied per square foot — or knots per inch. While knot counts can give more insight into a rug’s texture or design detail, it isn’t the sole determinant of its durability.
“It’s like pixels,” explains DeFreitas. “If you think about how many pixels your camera has, the more you have, the sharper the image is going to be. Same thing with a rug … the more knots you have per square inch, the more curvilinear the lines look.”
DeFreitas, who specializes in Oriental rug repairs and cleaning, says a rug’s durability mostly depends on the materials used, explaining that higher-quality wool is a safer bet over cotton or silk.
Love says that the dye can also be a good indicator of the rug’s quality.
Look for Moroccan rugs made with natural dyes and avoid those with synthetic coloring, Love says. “Synthetic coloring is a pretty immediate sign of a poor-quality Moroccan carpet.”
Overall, DeFreitas says, a rug’s general quality will likely depend on a mixture of these factors, as well as the intended use of the rug and personal preference.
