INTRODUCTION

The area rug market today offers such a wide and varied choice that the most often heard question is "where do I start?". These wonderful pieces of art come in so many different colors and designs, with so much history reflected in them, that each consumer is able to find a rug to suit their taste, decorating needs and budget. The range of rugs offered does not only cover such designs as Traditional, Contemporary, Art Deco but also varying qualities of materials used such as wool, cotton, silk and synthetics. Based on the above we can class the rugs by design, content, durability and construction, which in turn affect the value of the rug.

Naturally the design is a personal choice and there are no hard and fast rules to stick to. By browsing through all the different categories you will come across what appeals to you most and incorporate it into your décor. The colors do not necessarily have to be an exact match to your fabric or walls, they just have to be complementary to your color scheme. The easiest way to decorate is to work from the floor up, in which case you are free to choose any design and build your room around it. If the rug has intricate patterns it is best to keep your fabrics plain and vice-versa, this way you will bring out the best in all the aspects of your décor and the rug will be a focal point.

Rugs are made using the following techniques: hand knotted (hand woven), hand hooked, hand tufted and machine made. Hand knotted rugs are considered more durable and valued. The weaver can vary the knotting technique, for more intricate and delicate patterns they use smaller knots, which makes for a brighter and clearer pattern and use coarser knots for a denser, thicker pile. The quality of a rug is judged by the number of knots it contains per square inch, the higher the number the more the value.

As opposed to hand knotting, a hooking device is used by the weaver to punch the wool through a canvas cloth in the making of hand hooked and hand-tufted rugs. The pattern is already drawn on the canvas and the weaver has to follow it to create the design. Once the rug is finished, a layer of glue is applied to the back of the yarns in order to keep them in place and finally a cloth is positioned to fully cover the back. The durability of these rugs also varies: again the size of the loops is the determining factor: the general rule is that smaller loops produce better quality and more durable rugs. Since these rugs are on canvas, the fringe is only sewn on after they are completed. There is one aspect that differentiates hand hooked and hand tufted: the loops on the hand-tufted rugs are shorn to make a flat pile and the canvas used is usually made of thicker, heavier material. This gives hand-tufted rugs a slight edge as far as durability is concerned.

Finally, the machine made rugs consist of either synthetic fibers or wool and are produced on power looms, which are computer or hand controlled. In general those containing wool are longer lasting than the ones containing man made fibers. For the budget conscious the machine made rugs offer the best value.

Besides the weaving techniques, the content also affects value and durability. Wool is the principal content used in rug weaving, as it is a durable and easy maintenance fiber and environmentally friendly. Different quality wool is produced worldwide, with New Zealand producing the finest. Wool containing Lanolin is preferred as it resists stains better and the natural oils it contains take to the dying process better than other types of wool. Wool sheered from different parts of the sheep also produces different quality wool: for instance the wool underneath the neck is softer than the wool on the back. Weavers use silk to highlight the intricate patterns on fine rugs and rugs made of 100% silk are the ultimate in quality and luxury. Finally the synthetic materials, which are only used in the machine made industry, comprise of nylon, olefin, polyester, acrylic and polypropylene, which in turn are less durable and do not clean as easily as the natural fibers.

It is always recommended to know the exact dimensions of your room. Although rugs are grouped by general sizes, 4 x 6, 5 x 7, 9 x 6 and so on, each rug will have its exact measurements. For example a rug measuring 9'9" x 7'9" will fall into the 10 x 8 category. In helping you make this choice, also take into consideration how you would like to arrange your furniture: you can have a large enough rug so that all your furniture is placed on it, a medium sized rug so that it is partially covered by your furniture or a smaller rug where the furniture is placed around it.

Once you have taken all the above into consideration and decided on your preferences we hope that you will enjoy your rug buying experience. Oriental Rug weaving is an art that is traditionally handed down from generation to generation. In countries where these rugs are woven, especially the finer quality ones woven by Master Weavers, they are highly valued and considered an investment. It is a craft dating back thousands of years, that has adapted itself to the modern living standards, offering a range of designs, colors and sizes to accommodate any taste, use and budget.