Q: We inherited fake but good quality oriental rugs from my parents. One is 12 x 9, the other is 9 x 6 (one for the living room, one for the dining room) These rugs lasted about 35 years, but our little family has managed to finish them off. So now we’re looking to buy replacements that are more contemporary in design. Nothing radical in terms of texture but a modern pattern would be fun. And these rugs will get a LOT of use!
The thing is, we’re not sure what kinds of materials we should be looking for and how quality relates to price. We went to La Diff here in Richmond, which has an amazing selection. But we realized that really, the ceiling is the limit for a good rug. Do you have any tips?
A. When there are so many places to buy rugs inexpensively, it IS hard to understand and/or justify paying upwards of 5k for a rug your child – or cat – may throw up on. Likely more than once.
Radical suggestion: think twice about putting a rug in your dining room; you might do well to leave the floor bare until your kids are older. I like how crisp and modern the room can look without a rug, actually. And it gives you freedom to do crazy art or a deep color on the walls without trying to coordinate. (When you DO buy a rug for the dining room, please make sure it’s big enough – 30″ or so past the back legs of each chair when they’re comfortably placed under the table.)
As for the living room – or family room – let’s break down our options into two categories: natural fibers vs. synthetic.
NATURAL FIBERS
Let’s face it: natural fibers – wool, cotton – are nicer. And probably better for us, the environment, etc. They tend not to clean as well as synthetic, so you should look for deeper colors and/or patterns.
Gabbeh rugs are fabulously plushy (they’re wool), and I love the geometric designs. They sell real Gabbehs at a lot of places now – including Ikea – but I like Rugman.com. (I blogged about this place ages ago, and That’s where the red rug at R is from.) Your selection will dwindle as you reach the 8′ x 10′ mark; I’m not sure why that is, but I’ve definitely noticed it.
Another option is to look at rugs made of Tibetan wool at the site RugsUSA.com. There you’ll find a wide variety in more traditional sizes, colorways, etc. As anywhere, some of the contemporary patterns are nice, and some are hideous. Lots of different tastes out there.
While you’re at RugsUSA.com, go to “Stripes & Solids” and then search on “Wool,” and you’ll find some nice stripes like this one.
Although there are some drop-dead cotton flatweaves out there (later post – there’s a question waiting), I don’t recommend cotton rugs for kid areas. They’re like sponges. Part of my job is limiting your choices, so I suggest taking cotton off the table.
SYNTHETIC FIBERS
If you really want a stain-resistant rug, look at synthetics. They can be very plushy and soft. For this, go to a rug store and look at the patterned samples in huge books or on the wall; Karastan and Couristan are brands to look for.
I say patterned because:
a) there are so many solid color options that you’ll get overwhelmed, and
b) I think patterned synthetics are nicer for a living room or other semi-formal space. (Definition of semi-formal space: you want the option of picking up the toys and kicking back w/ a cocktail. Not that you can’t do that surrounded by Legos, but…)
Once you’ve found a pattern, the store will bind the rug for you (ask your store if they use serging tape – it looks like stitching. My main man at Custom Carpet Shop here in Rockville automatically uses it for me). You’ll get exactly the size you want, you have a wide variety of color and pattern options, and you can go a bit contemporary if you like. (I took these pictures at Custom for a client).
Please do not even consider a synthetic Oriental/Persian rug. They’re fake in every way. The above options are better.
Counterintuitive tidbit: wool is not necessarily more expensive than synthetic. You could spend at least a few thousand $ on a large synthetic bound rug, and it’s possible to get a large wool rug for less than 1.5-2k.
And a final note: don’t skimp on the rug pad. For larger rugs, get felt, not the plastic-y non-skid kind. They’re not cheap, but for protecting your floors AND the rug, they’re essential.
