With all the time we are all spending in our homes at the moment because of COVID-19 lockdown, I'm sure that many people are realising that their spaces can become more cozy with the simple addition of the perfect rug. Now there are rugs... and there are rugs.
Of course, selecting a rug boils down to the perennial question of how much money you or your client is prepared to part with. For a smaller budget I would always recommend buying a vintage rug over a cheaper new one - many contemporary rugs are poorly made, pile almost immediately and simply don't endure the test of time. Needless to say that if you or your client doesn't really have a budget, then the world is your oyster, as they say.
Knowing the true provenance of a rug used to be quite a minefield, but nowadays there are now many measures in place to ensure that we can make an educated choice to ensure that the rug has been produced by craftsmen earning fair wages and having good working and living conditions; that the production is eco-friendly and that no child labour was used in the making of the rug. There are many NGOs (two of whom I have interacted with, namely Label STEP and Goodweave) which have worked tremendously hard in ensuring that fair trade standards are respected and that rug dealers do their part to commit also, giving us peace of mind that we are making a valued recommendation to our clients. So remember to check that any new rug you buy is respecting these essential standards.
Attending trade shows can teach us so much and keep us up to date with the latest technology and keep us abreast of specialised manufacturers and allow us to interact with new rug showrooms. In the US, there is a national "Rug Show", where literally millions of rugs are on display, bringing together rug wholesalers, smaller talented artisanal rug designers, such as Lucy Tupu and the larger more well-known rug showrooms such as a few of my favourites: The Rug Company (below with Kelly Wearlster after a fabulous collaboration she did with The Rug Company), STARK, Samad, ABC Carpet & Home and Rug Star. There are presentations by specialized ateliers who can create a bespoke rug from any design you specify in any palette (below I'm at an Art DayWorkshop coordinated by the Canadian company Creative Matters, who will generate a custom rug to your precise specifications - even starting from a simple watercolour painting, talks by rug designers and frankly anything and everything rug-related.
Turkey remains the world's largest exporter of rugs, followed by India and China. Sourcing good quality rugs can be intimidating, but once you learn about materials used in the construction, different qualities, its durability, knot count, whether machine made, hand tufted or hand woven, you will be in a much stronger position to make a qualified decision in the selection of a rug. I will write another post on rugs - including how to source, how to measure and determine the correct-sized rug, the differences between machine made, hand-tufted and hand-knotted rugs, the historical context of rugs, rug trends, questions you need to know to ask when sourcing, and also talk about the importance of using a rug pad. I will also explore latest trends in rugs, which include the incorporation of metal logos and luxurious metallics (see below for a teaser)!
XO
Of course, selecting a rug boils down to the perennial question of how much money you or your client is prepared to part with. For a smaller budget I would always recommend buying a vintage rug over a cheaper new one - many contemporary rugs are poorly made, pile almost immediately and simply don't endure the test of time. Needless to say that if you or your client doesn't really have a budget, then the world is your oyster, as they say.
Knowing the true provenance of a rug used to be quite a minefield, but nowadays there are now many measures in place to ensure that we can make an educated choice to ensure that the rug has been produced by craftsmen earning fair wages and having good working and living conditions; that the production is eco-friendly and that no child labour was used in the making of the rug. There are many NGOs (two of whom I have interacted with, namely Label STEP and Goodweave) which have worked tremendously hard in ensuring that fair trade standards are respected and that rug dealers do their part to commit also, giving us peace of mind that we are making a valued recommendation to our clients. So remember to check that any new rug you buy is respecting these essential standards.
Attending trade shows can teach us so much and keep us up to date with the latest technology and keep us abreast of specialised manufacturers and allow us to interact with new rug showrooms. In the US, there is a national "Rug Show", where literally millions of rugs are on display, bringing together rug wholesalers, smaller talented artisanal rug designers, such as Lucy Tupu and the larger more well-known rug showrooms such as a few of my favourites: The Rug Company (below with Kelly Wearlster after a fabulous collaboration she did with The Rug Company), STARK, Samad, ABC Carpet & Home and Rug Star. There are presentations by specialized ateliers who can create a bespoke rug from any design you specify in any palette (below I'm at an Art DayWorkshop coordinated by the Canadian company Creative Matters, who will generate a custom rug to your precise specifications - even starting from a simple watercolour painting, talks by rug designers and frankly anything and everything rug-related.
XO
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