Looking to buy an oriental rug? Confused about all of the options available? Don’t worry, many new rug buyers have been in your shoes. The oriental rug world is steeped in history. This has allowed it to grow and transform in a variety of ways. To help you navigate the many choices at your disposal, I decided to put together my five best crazy rugs buying tips. This article will prepare you to choose which oriental rug is right for you. We have some amazing yet crazy rug buying tips for your, let’s get started:

Choose An Area Rug By Design

When it comes to area rugs, there are many designs to choose from. Here are a few of the main styles:

Bokhara Rugs

Bokhara rugs originate from the city of Bukhara in modern day Uzbekistan. They feature a luxurious feel, heavy pile, attractive colors and pleasing symmetrical design, and they tend to come in darker reddish and brown colors.

Ikat Rugs

Ikat rugs feature neutral tones of ivory, brick, grey and beige, together with blurred abstract patterns resembling peacock feathers, snowflakes or fossils. They provide the ideal counterpoint to modern styling in contemporary homes.

Peshawar Ziegler

Peshawar Ziegler rugs are inspired by traditional Persian rugs. They’re made by skilled artisans in the city of Peshawar in North Eastern Pakistan. Although they look antique in appearance, these rugs are in fact newly manufactured to emulate the beauty and finish of their ancient counterparts.

Kilim Dhurrie

 Kilim dhurrie rugs get their name from their knotting style and texture. As opposed to most oriental rugs, Kilim rugs are light, flat and rougher in texture. They typically feature symmetrical patterns of various color schemes.

Pak Persian

Pak Persian rugs – also known as Pakistani rugs or carpets – are notable for their attractive floral based or curvilinear designs. They are extremely popular in homes across America.

Moroccan Berber Rugs

Moroccan Berber rugs feature classic Moroccan designs of triangular patterns. They typically come in cool blue and grey colors with beautiful frayed ends.

Sootri Rugs

Sootri rugs are one of a kind in the intricacy of their designs. They feature bold colors with a framed border, also containing beautiful design elements. Two rugs may be oriental yet have different motifs that make them unique. Look at each style/design and compare your favorites. Try to find the one that resonates with you (and your space) the most.

Choose Area Rugs by Color

After choosing a design, color is the next most important element. The right color will match up beautifully with the space in your home, and it will convey a different emotion and feeling when you look at it. Area rugs can become the focal point of the room, especially if they provide the main source of color.

Rug Color Meanings

Here are the main oriental rug colors and their historical meanings:

• Red — happiness, joy, courage, wealth, luck, and life force
• Blue — honesty, solitude, power or the afterlife
• Brown — fertility, earth and soil
• Green — life, hope, Spring, and renewal
• Yellow — the color of the sun, joy of life, and living
• White/ivory — purity of the heart, selflessness, innocence, peace, and cleanliness

These colors can still invoke similar thoughts and feelings today. However, you will also want to combine their historical meanings with some interior design elements, to make sure the carpet goes well in your space. For instance, deep and rich colors help spaces seem more intimate. Soft or muted shades contrast beautifully with warm wall colors, like orange, yellow or red. They also help a room feel more tranquil or serene. Bright, vibrant colors create lots of energy.  Most likely, you are trying to find a rug to match the furniture and decorations already present in your room. To do this, try to find a rug with complementary colors to the color of your furniture, walls, and other aspects. Find a rug that combines the most prominent colors of the space with a design that you find utterly eye-catching.

Choose A Rug by Materials

A rug's cornerstone is the material it’s made of. The material provides the basis of its design, quality, and cost. When shopping for a rug, it’s important that you understand the different rug materials you might encounter and what they mean for your buying experience. Area rugs are typically made out of naturally occurring wool, silk, or cotton. If a rug is made out of synthetic material, it is not an authentic hand-knotted oriental rug.

1. Wool

Wool is the most common material used in rug making. It is the most available, as it’s harvested from sheep and other wool-bearing livestock around the world. It’s a renewable resource (wool grows back every year). Wool is durable (wool rugs can last 50+ years), soft, and easy for weavers to work with. However, not all wool is created equal. Quality varies based on the sheep’s diet, age, breed, climate it was raised in, and how they are sheared. These factors determine the quality of the wool and, thus, the quality of the rug made from it. High-end rug manufacturers understand this intimately, so they strive to use only the highest quality wool from the best sources. (RugKnots) only uses the finest New Zealand wool for our hand-knotted oriental rugs.) In general, wool rugs are on the cheaper end of the rug pricing spectrum. You can find wool rugs for less than $100 up to $20,000 or more, depending on the rug’s size, rarity, and wool quality. For first time rug buyers, a wool rug is highly recommended. Wool is one of the best materials for rug making, and it has been this way for generations. But it is not the only one.

2. Silk

Silk is tough to produce and harvest. Certain insect larvae (like silkworms) produce silk fiber, which is then extracted from the larva's cocoon. To produce a vast amount of silk, you need a lot of larvae. And it takes a long time for that silk to be made into workable material. This makes silk less common than wool and much more expensive. Historically, silk rugs were strongly desired by people of royalty due to their rarity and luxurious look. These days, most silk rugs are made from a combination of wool and silk. This helps to lower the price and make silk rugs more widely available. But this combination is still usually more expensive than a 100% wool rug. Silk rugs can come with a beautiful shine and radiance, and they feel luxurious to the touch. They’re best used as wall hangings, because they’re less durable than wool rugs and can’t handle as much foot traffic. If you have the budget for a silk rug, their beauty is unmatched.

3. Cotton

Cotton is used in all types of rugs as a foundational material. Wool or silk is woven in one direction and cotton is woven in the other to solidify it.

If you’re new to rug buying, go with a silk rug. You’ll get the best price for the highest quality, and it will last a long time. If you would like to venture out, give a silk rug a try. At the very least, your friends will be jealous!

Choose A Rug By Shape & Size

Shape and size are two of the most important aspects of any rug — not so much for the rug itself, but in how that rug will look and fit in your space. Difference sizes and shapes are best for certain rooms and designs elements. They accomplish different things within a room, which can either make or break your interior’s aesthetic appeal. For instance, a rectangular rug placed under a rectangular dining table is quite common. However, if the rug is too small and doesn’t extend past the table’s edges, it looks off. But if it does extend past, it provides a nice border and highlights the table in the center. Don’t worry if this sounds confusing. With a few basic principles in mind, you will know exactly which size and shape to go for in each area of your home:

Living Rooms, Dining Rooms, & Bedrooms

Large area rugs are best for living rooms, dining rooms, and bedrooms. These are usually the biggest rooms in the house, so a large rug helps bring the room together.  Depending on your room, the best sizes to go for are anything 7x10 feet or bigger. Smaller than this, and the room will probably look awkward. It’s usually better to have a rug that’s too big rather than too small.

In a living room, if parts of the furniture are covering the rug, that’s perfectly alright. Try to place it in the middle (under the coffee table works great) in order to bring the room together. 

In a dining room, buy a rug that’s larger than the table. Make it the same shape as the table. (If your table is rectangular, get a rectangular rug. If it’s round or has rounded edges, get a round rug.)

In the bedroom, place the rug perpendicular to the bed. Make sure it’s big enough so the ends are sticking out of the bed on three sides. This will accentuate the bed nicely.

Side Tables & Chairs

Round rugs are great for side tables and standalone chairs. Simply place the rug directly underneath, and you will give it an inviting look.

Hallways & Entryways

Runner rugs are specifically designed for hallways and entryways. They are long and thin, making them perfect for long, tight spaces. Make sure you buy a durable wool runner for these areas because they attract a lot of foot traffic.

Walls

As mentioned earlier, a wool and silk or 100% silk rug is best for wall hanging. This will maximize its lifetime and put it on display for all to see.

Benefits of a Custom-Sized Rug 

What if you could get the exact rug size in the perfect style and design? Well, you can! It’s called a custom rug. You can get a rug you love that is also perfectly fitted for your space. The biggest concerns for most shoppers are:

• Can I find a rug I like?
• Will the rug I like fit in my space?

A custom rug removes both of these concerns. We offer custom rugs for homeowners and interior designers alike. 

Choose A Rug by Customer Service

Customer service is important in any industry, but it’s extremely important in the rug industry. This is because most shoppers enter with zero to little knowledge about how to buy the right rug. (We put together this article to help more of these people out!) A rug retailer should be able to walk you through the entire rug buying process from beginning to end. And they should do it with a smile :) A knowledgeable customer service staff will help you choose a style that fits your personality, a material that fits your budget, and a color that goes beautifully in your space. Oriental rug buying is an investment in your home. Although you will find many crazy rugs online but be sure to talk to someone who knows how to help you make the best purchase.

We take our customer service very seriously:

• Free shipping and returns on ALL orders
• Ask our knowledgeable staff any questions you might have, and they will help you out
• We will even Photoshop an image of the rug in your space, so you can see what it will look like before buying

RugKnots has generations of experience in the rugs industry. Don't hesitate to get in contact with us id you have any queries.