A beautiful rug is a foundation of every well-designed room. Quite often is the first purchase made when designing a room. When purchasing a rug, you should be familiar with the language salesmen use so that you can make a well informed decision and ask the right questions.
Here is a quick glossary of the most popular types of rugs:
AUBUSSON: Type of rugs with decorative floral designs, which history dates back to 14th Century France.
BRAIDED RUG: Originally made from scraps of material by colonial Americans, usually oval in shape. Braided rugs that are fabricated today are made on heavy duty sewing machines.
DHURRIE: A flat-weave rug from India made of cotton or wool.
HAND-HOOKED: Is a loop pile rug. Loop rugs are produced with a special hand-hooking attachment.
HAND-TUFTED: By using a hand-held “gun”, individual tufts of yarn are applied to a framed warp. The face is finished by cutting or shearing.
HAND-KNOTTED: Made by weavers who knot yarns around the warp running the length of the rug. The more knots there are per square inch, the more valuable the rug.
KILIM: A universal description of flat-woven rugs.
NEEDLEPOINT: Ancient hand-embroidery technique.
SHAG: A rug with a long, rough pile.
SOUMAK: A type of heavy flat weave, Soumak’s are usually seen in a herringbone pattern.
Olga Adler is an interior designer based in Delray Beach, Florida providing design and decorating services to some of the finest homes in Palm Beach County.