Ruggly Rug Blog

The Most Popular Types of Traditional Rugs

Rugs have been around for centuries. In fact, while Europe was undergoing the Bronze age, the Persian and Asians were perfecting the art of making rugs. Many different cultures around the world have rug making as part of their tradition and there are many types of traditional rugs available in the world today. Some of the traditional rugs include Chambord, Chiraz, Deco, Dynasty, Estate, Ghali, Laila, Kelati, Grace, Vendome, Maori and palazzo. But, the most popular types of traditional rugs are listed below:

Persian Rugs:

Persian rugs have been hailed as the most beautiful traditional rugs in the world. Persian rugs have been made for more than 2500 years and the technique of making charming, elegant and stylish area rugs has been perfected by the Persians. Persian rugs are so valuable, they are considered antiques. They are passed down as heirlooms from generation to generation. While buying them may cost a veritable fortune, their value increases with time and they are considered a very good investment.
Persian rugs are the highest quality amongst all modern and traditional area rugs. They are long lasting and sturdy. They come in beautiful geometric and floral designs and have very vibrant color. A rug considered as precious as the traditional Persian rug is sure to enhance the beauty of your home décor.

Oriental Rugs:

Although rugs from different Oriental countries are clubbed in the same category as Oriental rugs, traditional rugs from different countries are very different from each other. Area rugs, traditional and tribal come from India, Tibet, Turkey and Afghanistan amongst many others. Different types of traditional rugs have originated from these countries and are popular even today. Traditional area rugs from India are very inexpensive and are coarse and meant for rough use in high traffic areas. Tibetan traditional area rugs, on the other hand, are made from the finest wool from Himalayan sheep and undergo a very labor intensive production process. They are very richly made and cost a fortune. Traditional rugs from Afghanistan and Turkey are also expensive, but come have great quality and are long lasting. Area rugs from all these countries have very typical designs drawn from their own traditions. But, all these traditional rugs come in rich, vibrant colors and will add infinite warmth to your room.

Navajo Rugs:

Navajo rugs are traditional rugs made by the Red Indians. The Navajo traditional rugs are becoming more and more valuable as fewer people are learning the intensive skill of making these rugs. Navajo traditional rugs are considered to be an invaluable part of the American heritage. The traditional area rugs made by Navajo people are often named by their weaver and carry a spiritual significance.

So choose wisely and you will be rewarded with the style and elegance that a rug of this type can bring into your home. Visit a rug retailer and start your new room today!

The Diversity of Unique Area Rugs to Accommodate Your Home Decor

Area rugs are a great way to add charm and elegance to your home décor. Floors tend to lack the personal touch that you are otherwise able to provide to the rest of your house. Floors tend to look dull and monotonous, especially when they are single colored. Rugs are a great way to spice up the floor of any room in your house. They add color and vibrancy to your room and they let you add personal touch and character to the floors in your room. No matter what the theme of your room is, given the vast diversity of area rugs, you will certainly find the right kind of rug to complement your home décor.
Let’s look at some types of area rugs that are most popular at the moment.

Persian Rugs:

Persian rugs have been an everlasting classic and are never out of style. Their intricacy and richness of color make them hot favorites in living rooms and dining rooms. Made in Iran, Persian rugs have been considered the most beautiful rugs in the world.

Oriental Rugs:

Oriental rugs have been just as popular around the world as Persian rugs. Oriental rugs come from India, China and Tibet. Each country has a distinctive style of its own and they are easily distinguishable from each other. Lend an exotic air to your room by furnishing it with an Oriental rug.

Caucasian Rugs:

Caucasian Rugs are made with the Turkish or Giordes knot. They come from a part of the world that is now in Armenia. They are made with completely natural material by the tribal people in the region and have tribal designs. Have your neighbors talking about your unique and hard to find Caucasian rug.

Braided Rugs:

Also, known as rag rugs, braided rugs are made with braided yarn or even strips of cloth. Highly economical, they can add great rustic charm to any of your rooms.
While these are the most popular types of rugs, lets also look at some of the interesting rugs can be put to in your house.

Outdoor Rugs:

Whether you have a patio, a pool or a deck, you can create some very interesting seating spaces with the use of outdoor rugs. Not only will they add to your décor, they will also add to your comfort.

Kitchen Rugs:

Choose from, classic, country, contemporary, you can choose from a wide array of rugs to add a little charm to your kitchen with. Mostly placed near the sink, feel the comfort of kitchen rugs under your feet.

Bath Rugs:

Highly decorative and very utilitarian, bath rugs are very fashionable these days and will surely add a little personality to your bathroom.

Contemporary rugs are very popular nowadays as they come in a variety of designs and can be chosen to suit your personality. Contemporary area rugs can be used to do up the floor on your living room, bed room, or any free corner that you want to look better. Hallway runners can make your hallways look classy and also keep your house warm and cozy.

When used in the bedroom, it can either cover the whole floor or the floor excluding the bed and other furniture. Area rugs contemporary designs can playful designs like animals and cartoons for kids, rugs with animal prints, checkered prints, stripes and geometric designs.

Contemporary area rugs are very interesting as they can come in pretty much any design. The scope for creativity is unlimited. It can have prints of animals, plants, vines, wildlife or even abstract art. There are no rules to be followed like in traditional designs and they can come in any color. Bright lines are also used in various angles to make the contemporary rugs including diagonals.

Contemporary area rugs fill the house with color and personality. Area rugs contemporary designs that are used in formal places popularly are impressions, where only lines crossing each other or squares and simple flowers are done using only two colors or shades of the same colors. They are never too colorful.

Zebra print on rugs make the room look fun and fills it with energy. Intersecting circles, concentric circles, or multiple concentric, intersecting circles on a rug are also quite popular.

If you feel high quality area rugs are out of your reach, cheap contemporary area rugs are also available which are made by machines and are more affordable. Some times when the stores offer a sale, you can actually get a good quality rug for a lot cheaper than otherwise and it would be wise to wait for sales. Machine made cheap contemporary area rugs aren’t necessarily low quality and are found to be durable.

Using an area rug is the easiest way to revitalize, improve and decorate your house. Contemporary rugs are perfect for wooden flooring as they also protect the floor. Cleaning is also easier when these rugs are used. When combined with wall to wall carpets, they give a feel of luxury to your home.

These rugs show that you are creative, cool and have a good taste, when you keep the designs neutral and not too overwhelming. It is something every modern house should have and they can also be changed to suit the mood or the season or the occasion. You can have a different rug for a formal occasion and a different one when your friends are coming down for an informal party. Variety and uniqueness is what you get with contemporary rugs.

How to Clean Sisal Rugs

Sisal is one of the natural fibers popularly used in the making of area rugs. Sisal is derived from a plant that is native to Central America and which has very strong fibers. Sisal fibers are strong, versatile and flexible, making it a highly conducive material for area rugs.

Made of natural fibers, dust is very easy to clean from bamboo sisal rugs because it tends to settle very loosely among the fibers. Using a vacuum cleaner on a regular basis is sufficient cleaning to remove all the dirt and dust from sisal area rugs. You just need to ensure that you use the vacuum cleaner in many different directions to ensure that even that even deep rooted dust is removed.

While dust is easy to clean from a sisal area rug whether it is 100% bamboo sisal rug or even a wool sisal rug, moisture and humidity are a different matter. Exposure to moisture and humidity can easily deteriorate the sisal area rug quickly. It may cause it to shrink or even get misshapen. Another huge problem that happens with moisture is that it can penetrate the sisal area rug and bring old, collected dust to the surface causing an unseemly stain. This is why is it very important that you keep your custom sisal area rugs in a place that is free from moisture. Also, choose a place that is not likely to have any liquid spills.

If liquid has spilled on your bamboo sisal rug or your wool sisal rug, try and blot it out immediately. Use a clean cloth or tissue paper to quickly absorb the spilt liquid. Remember to never rub on the spill. It will lead to discoloration and staining. Lift the sisal area rug and blot from the underside as well. If the spilt liquid is likely to leave a stain, then use a mild soap water solution or a half water- half vinegar solution to clean the stain. Dampen the cloth with the liquid. Blot the sisal rug with it and then immediately bolt the rug with a dry cloth. Remember to use as little water as possible.

If there are any dry materials stuck to the surface of your custom sisal area rug, you can use a blunt knife like object to scrape it off. You may want to consider using a dry carpet cleaning powder that is available in most carpet cleaning stores. Use the cleaning powder exactly as instructed on the label.

Avoid all cleaning techniques like steam cleaning or wet shampoo that require total water saturation of your sisal area rugs. Sisal rugs will shrink in water as well as get discolored. Only use dry cleaning techniques to clean your sisal rugs.

Rug Runners are a great way to create a very unique and personalized feel for every one of your rooms. Rug runners can easily enhance the look of any room, no matter how drab it may be, by infusing it with vibrant shapes and colors. Use rug runners to define an area of interest within a room or simply to create a visual focal point. No matter what the theme of your room is, rug runner can be used to complement your home décor as well as tie all the elements of your theme together.

No matter what kind of flooring you have, rug runner can be a great way to add color to your floor. If you have concrete flooring or tiles on the floors of your house, a rug runner will add exceptional warmth and comfort to that room. If you have a wall-to-wall carpet, it is likely to be of neutral colors. Add rug runners  or and area rug to create interesting patterns on your carpet. You can also use rug runners on high traffic areas of the carpet to reduce wear and tear. Also, washable rug runners are very easy to clean compared to carpet cleaning.

If you have wooden flooring, rug runner can go a long way in preserving the quality of the flooring. Wooden floors provide an excellent back drop for a colorful rug runner and can add warmth and charm to your room. Whether you choose an Oriental rug runner or a braided run runner, they will look equally great on a wooden floor.   No matter what room you are decorating, you will find the perfect kind of rug runners to match with its existing décor. Contemporary rug runners are the first choice when it comes to decorating children’s bedroom with an area rug or a rug runner. Geometric designs or cheerful pattern are the most preferred options. As far as the kitchen is concerned, you may want to choose between a cheerful country rug runner or a modernistic block print rug runner to complement the theme of your kitchen.

If you have a formal living room and dining area, you are most likely to prefer  Oriental rugs or a Oriental rug runners in these rooms. On the other hand, if you have a more casual living space, you may want to consider braided rug runners for these rooms.

Depending on your existing décor, country, classic or contemporary rug runners can be used in different rooms of your house. You can also choose between Caucasian, tribal, hand knotted, hand tufted and southwestern rug runners among many different varieties. You can even get custom designed rug runners made to give the rooms in your house a highly personalized touch. No matter what kind of look you have in mind for your room, you will find the perfect rug runner to go with it.

Wool area rugs can add a lot of charm and vibrancy to any room. They will complement your home décor no matter what the theme is. You can easily get either traditional or contemporary wool area rugs to match your theme. They come in different shapes and sizes so you that you can find the perfect wool rug for your house. Additionally, wool rugs are of a very high quality and will last you very long, if maintained properly. But there is just one problem. Wool rugs tend to absorb a lot of smell and end up becoming musty smelling themselves. But, much to the relief of owners of hand woven wool rugs or braided wool rugs, there are many quick and easy ways of getting rid of wool rug odor. Just follow these simple instructions are your wool area rug will be free of odors.

• Place a few briquettes or charcoal in an old pair of nylons or pantyhose. Ensure there are no holes to prevent the charcoal from coming into direct contact with the wool rug. Fold the rug around this charcoal and place the folded rug and the charcoal into the large garbage bag. Seal it tightly. Keep the rug sealed in the garbage bag for a few days and when you open it, you will find that the odors have dissipated.

• A surprising ingredient to help absorb moisture and odors is cat litter. Sprinkle cat litter on the wool rug and leave it overnight. Ensure that no particles of cat litter get crushed into the weaving of the wool area rug. The next morning, shake the wool rug outside the house and then thoroughly vacuum it. You will find that the odors have disappeared.

• In a clean spray bottle, add 2 tsp. of pure tea tree oil with 8 ounces of water. Spray the front and back of the wool rug with it. Avoid saturating the wool rug with this solution. Since, tea tree oil is very strong smelling; it is highly recommended that you keep children and pets away while the wool rug is still wet. The strong smell will soon fade away.

• Hang your wool area rugs outside on a clothesline in the sunshine. Else, you could even consider spreading the wool rug on a tarp in the sun. Allow the rug to have direct sunlight for approximately two hours on each side. Choose a hot and sunny day if possible, but avoid a day with high humidity. The UV rays in sunshine will zap mold spores hiding within the wool. However, avoid over exposure to the sun. It may lead to discoloration of the rug. Avoid this treatment if sun drying is recommended against in the instructions.

If you have ever done a search over the internet using “Rug” as a keyword then you will be astonished to see how many different types of rugs there could possibly be in this world. Well right now we will be discussing about contemporary rugs and traditional rugs and how they differ from one another.

Well let us have a look at what exactly a contemporary rug is. Contemporary rugs are those with a wide variety of patterns and many themes that will go so well with the modern interior of any house, as well as matching with the different tastes of the customers. The easiest way to identify a contemporary rug is by its clean design and lack of symmetrics and old-fashioned floral and paisley decoration.

Contemporary rug manufacturers have started incorporating some very uplifting designs into these rugs so that even the dullest interiors of any house can come alive and look inspirational. The designs of contemporary rugs can maintain a slight tinge of traditional designs in them without overdoing it too much. Geometrical and linear patterns are the most wanted patterns for contemporary rugs these days though traditional patterns are also making their way into contemporary rugs.

Contemporary rugs come in a wide variety of sizes, from area rugs to rug runners to round rugs,   so you should measure the dimensions of the room where you want it to keep it. The designs of contemporary rugs are such that they can be easily matched with the decor of your house or office without looking out of place.

Traditional rugs on the other hand have an extremely rich and aristocratic look to them. They can be very expensive when compared to contemporary rugs and are almost treated as a luxury item.  However, now manufacturers and retailers can offer them quite affordable, due

to their increasing availability.   These rugs often have a rich and antique look to them. These rugs are often handwoven or made by  hand knotting on a loom. They can add a lot of class and at the same time they can maintain a lot the casual atmosphere in the room that they are placed.

Traditional rugs have a wide variety like Persian designs or floral patterns or even Oriental designs. There are over hundred kinds of rugs available these days and now they are quite affordable thanks to discount schemes. There are various colors that you can choose from so you will be spoiled for choice unlike contemporary rugs that also have a wide variety but not like traditional rugs.

So these are the basic differences between contemporary rugs and traditional rugs .If you are looking to bring that antique and classical touch to your interior be it your office or house, you can go for a richly designed traditional rug, but if you are looking for a more modern approach in making your interiors look lively then you could go for contemporary rugs; they can definitely do the job for you.

A well designed rug, placed appropriately, can do wonders for your home décor. Similarly, a dirty or unkempt rug can ruin your décor in no time. If you are considering adding a rug to your room to improve its appearance, it is also important that you keep the rug clean to ensure that it adds to the attractiveness of the room, and not ruin it. Here are the top nine ways to keep your rug clean and attractive:

Carpet Vacuum Tips

1. Divide the carpet into areas depending on their usage. You will get high traffic areas that are used most  frequently, medium traffic areas and low traffic areas. High traffic areas need daily vacuuming, while medium traffic areas can do with vacuuming every other day. With low traffic areas, even biweekly vacuuming is sufficient.
2. Ensure that you vacuum your rugs with slow deliberate passes instead of a quick once-over. This will ensure that dirt and grit embedded deep into the rug are also removed.
3. .Ideally, use a vacuum cleaner with at least 80 cf/m (cubic feet of air per minute) suction power, to ensure that even the most abrasive grit is removed. You may also want to consider a dual-motor, upright vacuum with beater bar or double row of brushes with high suction.

Stain Removal Tips:

1. When removing a stain from a rug, always work from the outer edges of the stain to the center.

2. Never rub a spill on the rug. This will make the spill spread deeper and wider on the rug.

3. Before using any cleaning agent on a spill or a stain on the rug, ensure that it won’t damage or discolor the rug. Test the cleaning agent on a corner of the rug before using it on a spill or a stain.

4. After using a cleaning agent, it is important to blot out all the moisture on the rug to avoid bad odor. Place towels or paper napkins on the area and weigh it down with a heavy object to soak up the remaining moisture.

5. For dry spills, quickly vacuum the excess matter from the rug and scrape off any attached matter with a spoon. As far as wet spills are concerned, there are different techniques to deal with wet spills of different kinds. In fact, there are different ways of dealing with spills from hot liquids and cold liquids as well. Read up on all the different methods and keep a copy handy for easy reference.

6. If there is only moisture to be removed from the carpet, you may even consider using a standard hair dryer over the wet portion of the rug this works great on Persian rugs .

Generally in design, you have one piece that really stands apart from everything else in the room. Take a look at your own living room. What piece of furniture stands apart the most and really defines the rest of the room? Is it the kind of piece that you actually want defining your room? Rugs are an excellent way to really pop and shine in a room, giving it a more impressive, designer look, while not adding clutter or taking up unnecessary furniture space. Take this for example, via Design*Sponge: 

While most of the room sticks to basic clean lines and primary colors, the rug in the center really stands out and brings life to the arrangement. Adding a casual or contemporary style rug in vibrant colors such as this might be just what you are looking for, such as the Homewood Rug or Ibiza. Some use exciting textures to enhance the layout of a room, bringing flair, but not drawing attention away from a lovely view or art on the wall.

 A good example of this would be the Samantha area rug.

 While it’s colors do not jump, the texture definitely adds something to an otherwise plain situation. Not to mention, the fibers of the Samantha would be a lot easier to clean than your average wool or faux fur rug. 

Why Bamboo For Area Rugs

With deforestation slowly decimating our planets tree reserves and greatly degrading our environment, in recent times bamboo has been more accepted as a viable alternative for the ubiquitous tree. For hundreds of years, bamboo has been used in many different cultures and industries including but not limited to housing, food, medicine, landscaping, and furniture.

Bamboo is a fast-growing, renewable resource approximately eleven times stronger than most market wood fibers. Harvesting won’t kill a bamboo plant, thereby allowing for several yields, making it effective against soil erosion and greatly minimizing deforestation concerns. It can also grow six or more inches daily which allows several yields in a very short time. Trees, on the other hand, must be replanted after being cut down. The process from planting to harvest can take anywhere between 20 and 120 years, significantly longer than bamboo, which does not die upon its harvest. The manpower and energy required to harvest trees is also very high compared to the energy needed to harvest bamboo.

Let’s not forget that bamboo is also a very good looking plant; its unique look is highly regarded and is coveted by homebuilders for its high strength similar to steel. Also, bamboo area rugs are a great way to decorate and protect your floors while being eco-conscious.

Check out these popular bamboo rugs from GCRugs:

Area Rug - Beijing Bamboo Rug

Area Rug - Tomeo Bamboo Rug

Area Rug - Tang Bamboo Rug

Thought this pic was funny….haha