November 2007
Tips on Oriental rugs
Oriental rugs have timeless allure. Our tips help you shop wisely in today's market.
Today, Oriental rugs are less expensive than they used to be, there's a wide selection of patterns and colors, and they're improving in quality. The bad news is, many Oriental rugs are still overpriced, and you can wind up with one that curls up, bleeds, or lies about its origins.
What and where to buy
An Oriental rug is knotted by hand of wool, silk, cotton, or rayon, and has a raised pile, not a flat surface. Common parlance broadens that definition to include rugs that are made in an Oriental style, of synthetic fibers, and by a machine. Historically, patterns and colors were specific to a city, village, or tribe. Today, designs are not restricted to their countries of origin. And while traditional Oriental rugs are made of wool, you'll also find them in silk, silk blends, and artificial fibers such as olefin. Wool is usually priciest.
New Oriental rugs are sold at department stores, specialty shops, home centers, mass marketers, auction houses, mail-order companies, and Web sites. Semiantique and antique rugs are sold by big-city rug dealers. Rugs at "hotel auctions" can't be returned if you're not satisfied, and you may not get what you think you're getting.
Key considerations
There are three main considerations when choosing a rug: whether it's made by hand or machine, how good the weave is, and what it's made of.
Handmade should mean hand-knotted; each strand of yarn has been tied to the rug's foundation by hand. A good machine-made rug can be a better value than a poor-quality handmade one, and the overall quality of machine-made rugs is more consistent than that of handmade rugs. Still, the best machine-made rug can't compare with the best handmade.
When it comes to the quality of the weave, a higher count of knots per square inch renders a more detailed design and will usually make for a longer-lasting rug. But the count will vary based on design and the yarn's thickness. Expect a higher knot count to mean a higher price per square foot, too.
In general, wool is generally considered the best pile fiber for a rug: It wears extremely well, takes dyes well, doesn't mat, and is generally easy to clean. But wool quality is critical. Olefin is a plastic fiber that wears well but is hard to clean if stained. It can be a good choice in a basement or in any moist climate. Silk rugs are fragile and hard to clean, and can be expensive. Your budget and your family life are the best guides to narrowing down your choices. For less expensive rugs, a good-quality machine-made wool rug combines good looks and practicality. Wool will be somewhat more durable than cotton.
Purchase and maintenance
Though the Oriental Rug Retailers Association's code of ethics says rugs must be marked with a price, many retailers ignore that guideline. Be wary of discounts exceeding 20 percent; they're usually an indication that the original price has been inflated somewhere along the line. Also beware of auctions other than those by well-known houses. In any case, you'll need to be expert in judging rugs, and you can't return what you've bought.
Also remember that, true to the old stereotype, getting the best price on an Oriental rug usually involves some bargaining.
Finally, good rugs deserve good care. Use a vacuum cleaner, preferably with a beater bar, to give it a good cleaning. Vacuum the rug's surface at least twice a month. When it's time for a real cleaning, take the rug to a professional cleaner for real cleanings, and replace the rug in a position 180 degrees from where it was before cleaning to equalize wear.
Oriental rugs have timeless allure. Our tips help you shop wisely in today's market.
Today, Oriental rugs are less expensive than they used to be, there's a wide selection of patterns and colors, and they're improving in quality. The bad news is, many Oriental rugs are still overpriced, and you can wind up with one that curls up, bleeds, or lies about its origins.
What and where to buy
An Oriental rug is knotted by hand of wool, silk, cotton, or rayon, and has a raised pile, not a flat surface. Common parlance broadens that definition to include rugs that are made in an Oriental style, of synthetic fibers, and by a machine. Historically, patterns and colors were specific to a city, village, or tribe. Today, designs are not restricted to their countries of origin. And while traditional Oriental rugs are made of wool, you'll also find them in silk, silk blends, and artificial fibers such as olefin. Wool is usually priciest.
New Oriental rugs are sold at department stores, specialty shops, home centers, mass marketers, auction houses, mail-order companies, and Web sites. Semiantique and antique rugs are sold by big-city rug dealers. Rugs at "hotel auctions" can't be returned if you're not satisfied, and you may not get what you think you're getting.
Key considerations
There are three main considerations when choosing a rug: whether it's made by hand or machine, how good the weave is, and what it's made of.
Handmade should mean hand-knotted; each strand of yarn has been tied to the rug's foundation by hand. A good machine-made rug can be a better value than a poor-quality handmade one, and the overall quality of machine-made rugs is more consistent than that of handmade rugs. Still, the best machine-made rug can't compare with the best handmade.
When it comes to the quality of the weave, a higher count of knots per square inch renders a more detailed design and will usually make for a longer-lasting rug. But the count will vary based on design and the yarn's thickness. Expect a higher knot count to mean a higher price per square foot, too.
In general, wool is generally considered the best pile fiber for a rug: It wears extremely well, takes dyes well, doesn't mat, and is generally easy to clean. But wool quality is critical. Olefin is a plastic fiber that wears well but is hard to clean if stained. It can be a good choice in a basement or in any moist climate. Silk rugs are fragile and hard to clean, and can be expensive. Your budget and your family life are the best guides to narrowing down your choices. For less expensive rugs, a good-quality machine-made wool rug combines good looks and practicality. Wool will be somewhat more durable than cotton.
Purchase and maintenance
Though the Oriental Rug Retailers Association's code of ethics says rugs must be marked with a price, many retailers ignore that guideline. Be wary of discounts exceeding 20 percent; they're usually an indication that the original price has been inflated somewhere along the line. Also beware of auctions other than those by well-known houses. In any case, you'll need to be expert in judging rugs, and you can't return what you've bought.
Also remember that, true to the old stereotype, getting the best price on an Oriental rug usually involves some bargaining.
Finally, good rugs deserve good care. Use a vacuum cleaner, preferably with a beater bar, to give it a good cleaning. Vacuum the rug's surface at least twice a month. When it's time for a real cleaning, take the rug to a professional cleaner for real cleanings, and replace the rug in a position 180 degrees from where it was before cleaning to equalize wear.
