Know your Rug!

Home is where your heart is!

An ancient proverb that has stood tall and true for generations. Homes are very special places. They are a reminder of the life you started there with your partner, it is the place which is witness to all your emotions when they are in their purest form. It’s a place which is a testimonial of who you are. Homes are truly an extension of the people that live in them. 

Naturally, when talking of homes, we ensure that we fill it up with all things special, all things that scream personal. Home décor is no different. The carefully picked furniture, the little trinkets that add that extra zing, the curtains that are reminiscent of your free flowing personality, the carpet which is just the perfect color and design.

Now talking of carpets, haven’t we all lost our hearts to a particular design and color being sold at an emporium or the simple carpet walla who knocks on the door every now and then? How many times do we actually go beyond the color and the design or just the aesthetic value of it?

While colors and designs are the first things that meet the eye, it’s the construct of the carpet that could make or break the look it lends to your home. The carpet industry today, offers a large variety along with a bag full of ambiguity. The price points seem even more alluring. But, how do you know what rug is the best for you? Let’s take you through the board categories of rugs available in the market today.

Carpets can either be machine made or handmade. When it comes to handmade carpets, there are a few styles you can choose from:

Hand Knotted Rugs:

 

This is an ancient form of rug making used to create masterpieces of elaborate designs. To weave a hand-knotted carpet one needs to have a very skilled set of artisans and a special loom. These artisans take months to weave these rugs by hand using natural materials such as wool, silk, cotton and viscose. The quality and the cost of the rug depends on the number of knots tied per square inch. A higher density of knots means a better quality carpet.

 

Hand Tufted Rugs:

Another form of carpet making, hand tufted rugs are made by both hand and a special mechanized tool. The process includes punching woolen threads into a canvas mounted on a frame with the help of a hand operated tool. A hand-tufted piece can be created much faster than its hand knotted brethren, which naturally brings the costs down. The signature of a hand tufted carpet is its backing, where a scrim fabric is used to hold the tufts in its place. The rug is complete only when the fringes are added and by either sewing or gluing.

Flat weaves:

 

The process of weaving a flat weave rug is very similar to that of weaving textile. These rugs are woven by interlacing warp and weft threads. One of the oldest weaving techniques in world, flat weaves come in myriad forms, for instance the Dhurries are from India while the Kilims are from Persia. So next time you buy a rug online or in a store, here’s hoping you select like a pro!