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Posts tagged wool rugs

Bedroom Area Rug

Bedroom Area Rug

Bedroom Area Rug

No bedroom decoration is complete without the addition of an area rug because it brings warmth to the room and comfort under the feet. An area rug of the right color and design can make your bedroom seem larger, brighter, cheerier or darker.
A rug is something that can reflect your personality and taste. It is thus a window to your inner being. Each rug comes with an identity associated with it, so the choice of the rug and its placement gives you space to be creative. It lets you explore your aesthetic side and individuality.
The practical uses of an area rug can hardly be overemphasized. One of the most popular rugs for bedroom is a wool rug. Wool rugs help keep rooms cool and warm due to their insular properties. They also mitigate bacterial growth and control allergies. As they are extremely resilient and resist dirt, no matter how rough your children play, they are likely to hold up for a long time.
An area rug not only covers the floor but its touch has a soft feel that charges you with a sense of comfort and coziness. Don’t you think that’s the feeling a bedroom should exude? If you have a dog in your house it will simply love it because dogs love sleeping on anything that’s soft.
Before you buy an area rug for your bedroom you have to consider not only the taste of the person but also the color and design of the walls and the floor. The rug should match its surrounding or it will seem in congruent. Here are some rules of thumb to follow:
•    Avoid large patterns if the room is small. They are likely to make it seem smaller.
•    Do not use busy small patterns in a large room. They will make the room feel too cluttered.
•    If your bedroom is dark for lack of light, choose warm, sunny tones. They will brighten the room.
•    To set off the stark lines of contemporary or modern furniture, pick bright abstracts in primary colors.
•    Contemporary designs really shine in children’s room. Bright or pastel colors, simple designs and easy care fabrics are ideal.

Shag rugs are very popular for bedroom.

Shag rugs are very popular for bedroom.

For children’s bedrooms, it is advisable to choose a rug made with polypropylene— because it is one of the easiest materials to clean and wash—or pick a stain resistant rug or treat your rug with a stain resistant finish. Additionally, if your kids happen to destroy the rug, you know it didn’t cost you a fortune. Tempting though it might be, it is better to avoid popular cartoon character patterns. Children’s tastes and favorites change rapidly as they grow. So instead, pick a bright pattern with colors that can coordinate with a wide variety of styles as your child grows and develops his own tastes.
For fun, pick up a small area rug in a street or checkerboard design. Your child will spend hours playing on a street map with toy cars, or setting up checkers and chess games with friends.

Sometimes multiple smaller area rugs are more appropriate in the bedroom. Place one at the foot of the bed and one or two on each side of the bed. Using multiple rugs can not only cost less but sometimes they also better complement your furnishings. Besides they are easy to adjust and rearrange in case you want to make changes to your furniture arrangement.
When a large rug is used in a bedroom, the rug does not need to be centered, but it should have the same amount of floor space on two or three sides of the rug if possible.

A room-sized Persian rug or oriental rug in the bedroom is also a popular choice. Because much of their pattern will be hidden under the bed, medalion designs are not recommended. Some less busy, wool area rugs from Karastan, Momeni or Shag rugs seem to always be in style when it comes to bedrooms. Don’t miss the Karastan Sale going on right now!

Rugs and Home

Rugs and Home

A rug is something that can help your home reflect your identity and taste.

There are certain things that make a house a good home, and a nice area rug such as a Karastan or Momeni would be one of those things (especially if it comes with free shipping). A nice sunlit room with Ivy covered sills and children playing around is a beautiful thing; add a strikingly designed rug to it, in a strategic place on the floor where the soft sunlight falls on its carefully woven texture, and you have heaven.

Rugs and home; both words have an intimate relationship and one adds an extra sense of completion to the other. There are indeed few things that are able to enhance the warmth of your home, and rugs, triumphantly top the list. Why they top the list is not that hard to figure out. They are affordable, or cheap if you will, easy to maintain, keep your feet safe from cold floors and most importantly, they give you the flexibility to change infinitely. Every rug adds something new to your room and with the wide range of area rugs available nowadays, you can’t possibly ever get bored of rugs. Assuming you want to have your house feel like a home which I am sure, everybody that has ever built, bought or lived in a house does, an area rug is something that you cannot do without. A home and a rug that decorates develop a very intimate relationship, such that, over time, you cannot think of your home without remembering that old rug on the floor.

Many brands of rugs are available for your choosing, and they all endeavor to provide you with a variety of classic and modern decoration items for your home. Anybody that has ever wanted to make their home a nicer place to live in and has tried doing it by spending truck loads of money, knows how time consuming, tiring and not to repeat, expensive the procedure is. Rugs are a much safer option than wall to wall carpet as there are no such hassles as buckles on the floor or paying someone to rip it back up. You just need to place your rug somewhere nice that pleases you and have the freedom to move it from room to room or even to your new house! These are the things you would never think of doing with wall to wall carpet.

A lot of the rugs that are available in today’s market are made of wool. New methods and materials have produced new rugs that are machine made and the level of craftsmanship achieved is astonishing. It’s really tough nowadays to figure out which one is a machine made and which one, a handmade area rug.

If you don’t want to compromise on quality and would only opt for a handmade one, then think again. If your grandma didn’t tell you, I will. Karastan is out there to prove you wrong, very wrong. They are the kings of machine made rugs and they’ve been in the business since 1928. Now, that’s a long time and you would realize their good use over time when you see their products and more importantly, touch and feel the area rugs from Karastan. It is not a matter of luck or coincidence that Karastan happens to be the largest processor of wool in America and the only ones to make worsted wool products. Be it Karastan’s Persian Renaissance collection or the Original collection you can be assured that they are products made from the best quality wool and they will not let you down when your neighbor or your mother-in-law comes for a visit.

The great part about buying an area rug for your home is that most dealers ship your rugs direct from the source for free. Your precious rug is delicate and a reliable company would take the utmost care to ship it to you at no extra charge, proof of the fact that it’s something more than business, it’s the start of a new and long lasting relationship every time you opt to purchase a rug.

Rugs and Home

Rugs and Home

Reputable companies, such as AreaRugsClub.com, know and understand the intimacy of the relationship between you, your home and the rug you choose. They endeavor in every way to maintain that goodwill by offering you the best product and the best after-sales service. Coupled with the advantage of free shipping, the world of rugs has more to offer than anything to help you realize the true potential of your home space.

A rug is something that can help your home reflect your identity and taste. A rug in your home is the window to your inner being because with all the variety available, each rug comes with an identity associated with it while giving you ample space to be creative. It lets you explore your aesthetic side and individuality. On top of that, if you’re in a city like New York, a rug is all the more a necessity because it brings warmth to your home and under your feet while watching the rain and snow falling from your window. A plush, soft and warm rug will complement your favorite warm drink like no other on a cold winter day.

10 Easy Tips to help you choose area rugs

There are area rugs and there are more area rugs, and then there is that one rug that blends perfectly into your room. The trick lies in knowing how to choose. You have to keep a lot of things in mind while choosing that ideal area rug for your home. Whether it is the color, the texture or the design, you have to consider each of these and see how snugly they fit into the general decor of your room before you buy your area rug.

10 Easy Tips to choose area rugs from a vast selection.

10 Easy Tips to choose area rugs from a vast selection.

So let’s check out some easy tips that can come handy while choosing area rugs for home decorating.

Color:

The first thing that’s important about an area rug is its color. The color of the rug you choose must be in tune with the color of the place you’re going to place that rug in. You should not forget that color coordination creates the vital bond between your room and the rug. Thirty percent of a room’s color is dominated by the color of the floor covering. If you want the area rug to be the center ‘color bank’ for your room, choose the paint color of your room according to the colors of the area rug.

For instance, choose a rug that has patterns with multiple, distinct colors. Then you can plan your room’s color scenario around the colors of that area rug and even extend the plan to other rooms with different rugs while keeping the rug colors complementary to each other. If you want area rugs that conform to your room’s general appearance, then you may want to opt for low key tones and designs that easily blend in your room’s decor while adding a new dimension to it. A textured rug is a really great choice when you want to provide a backdrop for your furnishings. You can use textured rugs that are slightly darker or lighter than the wall color to create a subtle color movement in the background.

Design:

After color, the second aspect that counts is the design of the area rug. While area rugs as a whole are an extension of the owner’s personality; the design of the rug can easily be termed as the most visual way of achieving that. Be it contemporary or traditional, both styles account for your self-expression and taste. Geometric patterns are best suited for modern settings; whereas traditional floral patterns are the ones you can use to enhance the English garden feel. When mixing patterns, it is important to remember that either the color or the pattern should be in sync with each other. This helps in binding the décor of your rooms. Another thing to note is that patterned area rugs are far better at hiding stains than solid colors. So you may want to place one under your dining table, where spills are likely to occur!

Karastan Artworks, Plum Blossom

Karastan Artworks, Plum Blossom

Texture:

The texture of an area rug matters a lot in choosing the right one, too. It is the key feature that adds to the room’s warmth. The way the rug feels, literally adds to the feel of the room. A wool rug adds warmth and definition to a room that has shiny or smooth surfaces. What you can do with this is aim to get a balance of textures. Considering the variety of area rugs available today, the possibilities are endless.

Materials:

They can be divided into two categories, natural and man made. By far, the material that dominates the world of area rugs is wool. Wool rugs are elegant in texture, highly durable, maintenance is easy and they are crush resistant. Other natural materials like silk, viscose, cotton and jute are used. Silk is expensive but is highly appreciated for its luster. The original rugs which Karastan’s Persian Renaissance collection were inspired from, offered exhaustive examples of how silk is used as accents along with other material. The effect is exquisite. Apart from silk, cotton is used as a foundation for many rugs and viscose (which is derived from wood pulp) acts as a good substitute for silk when used as accents with another material. Jute, coir and sisal are also used but though they have interesting textures, they get stained pretty easily. Man made fibers like nylon and polypropylene are cheap and easy to maintain but traditionalists may say that they lack the warmth of natural fibers, and environmentally conscience consumers find these choice unacceptable due to the effect they have on mother earth. We, AreaRugsClub.com, offer Echo-Friendly, or “green rugs” inline with our commitment to save our environment for us and our future generations.

Quality:

Now we can talk about the whole new concept of quality. Various factors blend in to determine an area rug’s quality. The first thing to notice is the craftsmanship of area rugs. They can be hand woven, hand tufted, machine-woven and tufted. To figure out the best option for you, consider the general make of the rug along with the fiber used and the precision in design. All of these account for a good area rug.

Among the materials used, wool tops the list for various reasons. It is the unanimous standard for comparisons with other materials. You pay more than man made fibers but it’s worth the price.

Skill:

The skill of the artisan who has made the rug (and the machines in power-loomed rugs) is another important factor. The skill of the artisan and the beauty of the rug are directly related.

Pile Density:

This, along with the fiber which was used to create the rug, is arguably the most important indicator on how long your rug will going to last and keeps its original look. It refers to the amount of yarn used in making of the rug and how close the Knots, or weaves, are to each other. Denser the rug, the better it will stand up to time.

Finishing:

This is important as wool area rugs need moth proofing and you should make sure when buying a wool rug that it has been done.

Size:

It is also necessary that you know the size of the room where you want to place your rug. For family rooms, it is good to have one large rug with 12 to 18 inches floor space to frame the rug. Measure the dimensions of your dining table if you intend to place one in the dining room. The table should fit within the rug with extra space for the chairs. We recommend pulling the chairs out on each end, then measure from the back legs and add a few inches. Long runners are good for hallways, and you can even opt to put different runner rugs one after the other, but keep the colors in mind. Bedrooms usually demand a large luxurious rug that is heaven for your bare feet, so that you wake up every morning on the soft side of the bed!

Kids and Pets:

If you have kids or pets at home then it is very likely that mishaps will occur. In such a situation, you should always choose a rug that is easy to clean. Wool is the best choice as it is resistant to soil and stains while being easy to clean.

So when buying a new area rug, keep these things in mind and it will help you to streamline your options because you WILL have a lot of options if you are buying from Arearugsclub.com.

Area Rugs, Free Shipping

These days, you cannot buy an area rug from a reputable seller without being offered free shipping; the two go hand in hand. It is always nice to know that companies care about not only the selling part but also the safe and trouble free shipping of your precious area rug. With the area rug industry growing with leaps and bounds, the aim shifts from only selling the product to creating a new bond between the company and it’s valued customer, you. Free shipping is one of the most important values that can be added to the selling of a product. Customers love it, and when it comes to be a matter of choice, they will always go for that area rug which comes with free shipping.

AreaRugsCLub.com offers free shipping and no tax!

AreaRugsClub.com offers free shipping and no tax!

Speaking of area rugs, the limits to your choice are endless. From the representation of your whimsical desire to pure class and elegance, the area rug of today provides for all of that with little or rather no difficulty at all. With the shattering of the barrier between the machine woven area rug and the handmade, the diversification in terms of quality, style and design is wondrous. And, the best part is that you don’t have to pay a single cent to ship it to anywhere you want. They have not started fedexing to moon at the time of this writing, but if there were people up there, and they were buying area rugs, I wouldn’t be surprised if these dealers offered free shipping. In today’s competitive market, that is, to reiterate, one of the best values that a seller can add to that splendid rug for your home décor.

Do not be under the impression that you have to spend a lot of money in order to elevate the mood of your home to a new exquisite height. An area rug does the job with acute precision. Brands like the famous Karastan sell affordable area rugs that will simply blow your mind. Though Karastan manufactures machine made rugs; don’t get fooled with that, because when placed beside a handmade rug, even the experts have doubts deciding which one is the machine-made one and which the handmade. To create something like this, a complete mimicry of human artwork, this is sheer mechanical excellence. It is not though that Karastan makes only machine made area rugs, as they import a lot of Persian rugs and Indian ones. Whether handmade or machine woven, one general assurance that the brand provides you is the guarantee of the quality of the wool, which is used to manufacture the rugs. Karastan uses wool of the highest quality to make their wonder rugs. This is a guarantee that has been there since 1928 and they intend to keep it that way, with no compromises on this one, ever.

Discount rugs are available from most dealers and you’d be amazed to see the level of quality you can get even when there is the discount tag attached to it. The discount is not because the rugs are bad but rather it is the celebration of the goodwill of the various companies as they are out to provide the customer satisfaction and in return, the inception of a life long relationship between them. The free shipping policy plays a pivotal role in developing this relationship.

Choice of material is never a matter of constraint. So what if you don’t like wool? There’s so much to choose from. New materials and fibers are being introduced constantly, in an effort to provide you the best possible option that you can have for your home. For example, manufacturers are using nylon in ways that you can’t imagine. It won’t even feel like nylon to you. Some may say that this is overworking the methods of rug making but on the contrary, it is the evidence of the untiring dedication of the manufacturers to furnish the maximum possible choices for you. They are very well aware of the fact that your home is important to you and it is important that you get an exhaustive range of options from which you can find the perfect one for your home.

Rugs and home; the former complements the latter and becomes the pride of any home owner for whom the look and feel of his or her home matters. This relationship has its own history and the variety of rugs that are found all across the globe are a testament to it. The Persians made their rugs a whole aspect of their identity and so did many other cultures. The explanation is simple, because rugs can define one’s home, add that essential warmth and color to any part of your home. This wonderful property of the area rug makes it the pride of any room and of course, your home. Use a rug to change your home and the way you will remember your home when days have passed across the landscape of time. A rug adds to the perfect home and takes the not so perfect home to the pedestal of perfection. If you own a good rug from a reputable collection, your satisfaction, so far as making your home a more livable place is concerned, is guaranteed.

So stop looking for expensive ways to achieve your goal of beautifying your home, and go buy an area rug. You’ll most definitely end up saying, “why didn’t I try this before?”

History of Area Rugs (Part I)

Wool area rugs, and area rugs in general, have been with us since the dawn of human civilization. From the first reed and animal skin rugs used by Paleolithic men, to modern machine-loomed wool area rugs decorating multi-million dollar homes, area rugs have been prized possessions of many a household. In the days of Jesus, sheep was reared, their wool sheared and made into wool area rugs, one or two of which He probably might have used; 500 years earlier, it was not unusual for another such man, Buddha, to sit on a coarse woolen area rug and talk to his disciples. Both were eastern men, and oriental rugs were an important part of the life of the Orient.

Area Rugs History

The earliest area rug was discovered by Sergei Ivanovich Rudenko in a Russian archaeological exploration in 1949. Made of hand-woven wool, the Pazyryk area rug’s exquisite design, texture and its rich colors were remarkably well-preserved in the frozen Siberian burial site where it had laid hidden under the earth for 25 long centuries. This wool area rug is an exceptional example of Saka art, featuring a hand-knotting technique still used in modern times.

Pazyryk Rug

Another famous wool area rug from the ancient times is the legendary “Spring of Khosrau,” an enormous and richly decorated hand-knotted area rug belonging to the King of Persia. Made about 550 BC, this area rug was made of wool, silk, gold, silver and gemstones. It had beautiful springtime sceneries woven into its texture, and its “flowers in bloom”, birds, green meadows and other carpet art are wonders of Persian carpentry. No wonder the King spent many a long winter evening wandering along its four hundred thousand square feet area, and admiring the exquisite art of his carpeteers.

Carpetmaking is an ancient household tradition in Turkey as well. A group of eighteen carpets, called the Konya carpets, is the oldest surviving knotted pile area rug in the world. Woven in the 13th century, in the Anatolia peninsula, these wool area rugs were produced under the Seljuc dynasty and had calligraphy borders called kufi, as well as symmetrical geometrical designs repeated at the center field.

The Indus Valley civilization in modern day India and Pakistan shows signs of some of the earliest area rug manufacture. A wide variety of spindles and weaving material has been discovered in these ruins. Four thousand years later, the Mughal conquerors brought to this very same region the art of area rug-making, an art that was developed in India into the exquisite perfection that it has today.

qashqai rug making

Oriental area rugs first entered Europe with the returning Crusaders. But these were mainly used on walls and table tapestries, and were considered too precious to be actually used as area rugs. With the colonization of the Orient, a large importing of oriental area rugs began to take place.

The earliest known European-made area rugs began to be produced in Spain around the time of the Moorish invasion. A lot of these were wool area rugs. These had the distinct impact of the conquering Islamic civilization; they had the same floral motifs, geometrical patterns, delicacy of color and lack of any human figures as had the Persian and Turkish area rugs and other Oriental rugs.

History of Area Rugs

From Spain, the art of rug-manufacturing spread to France. During the seventeenth century onwards, important battles fought by France were gloriously depicted on area rugs of that era. The art slowly spread to England and other areas of the Continent; in England, the earliest surviving rugs, called the Bayes rug, are to be found in the Cathedral of the city of that name. They have exquisite designs and depictions of battles against France.

Round Rugs

Dare to Stand Out with Round Rugs

Karastan Round Rugs

If you are bold enough to think outside the box when it comes to redecorating your home, round rugs actually present the ideal solution for many decorating dilemmas. This is because these particular rugs are versatile enough to complement a variety of interior settings. Whether you want to add a soft contrast against the gleaming hardwood flooring, or break the almost stark and cold effect of tile flooring, round rugs definitely make good choices.
When one thinks of buying an area rug, the traditional choice would be the rectangular-shaped ones. However, if you want to add more interest and an unexpected touch to your décor, a round rug makes a fun alternative. Update, revitalize and enhance the beauty of your living room by creating a focal point or defining a particular area of interest with a round rug.
Area Rugs Club offers an extensive array of superior quality round rugs that you can choose from, showcasing a variety of colors, texture, and themes. Among the popular choices of brands for round rugs include the Karastan Collection and the Andy Warhol rugs that come in vibrant colors and intricate designs you can choose from. Area Rugs Club offers maximum satisfaction by offering their loyal clientele only the finest quality area rugs from the best brands available in the market today.


Design Ideas


Round rugs can serve a number of wonderful purposes in your home. For instance, a soft pink round rug will definitely fit right in to any girl’s bedroom, adding just the right touch of femininity and coziness. If you want to add an understated elegance to your dining room without making it appear too stuffy and stiff, a round-shaped wool rug would definitely be a great choice. Medallion rugs in particular are perfect for the foyer and living room areas with artistic scalloped edging designs that adds a stunning accent to the entrance way. Take a design cue for those plush hotels that expertly use large round rugs on lobbies, complementing them with floral arrangements and decorative tables. Unlike wall-to-wall carpeting, a round rug can easily change with the season, transcend design trends, not to mention durable enough to last several generations.


Color Combination


Like shapes, play an important role in rug choice. Contrasting color combinations such as orange and blue, green and red, violet and yellow definitely make a rug an eye-catching piece. Using related colors can also make a great effect. Among the wonderful combinations are orange and red and green and blue. Keep in mind to blend your rug color with the rest of your existing interior colors for that put-together look.

Karastan Round Rug BlackRound RugsBlack Karastan Round Rug

Care and Maintenance


Area rugs have also been known to be an inexpensive solution to protect your flooring, most especially in areas with high foot traffic. However, a round rug can do more than that. You can group a set of furniture together over a round rug to give you that perfectly set look and feel to it, creating an interesting display without spending a fortune on new interiors.
Most interior experts recommend to use a rug pad under your round rug to keep it in place and promote safety by preventing accidental slips and falls as well protect your rug from the usually wear and tear. Never attempt to use adhesive tapes to anchor your round rug in place since this will only damage both your rug and floor surface. Round rugs only need regular vacuuming and gentle thumping from time to time to preserve its original beauty and grandeur.
With all these, design tips in mind, enjoy browsing through the vast array of selections that you can choose from. Visit Area Rugs Club today and get that spark of inspiration with their strikingly beautiful catalog of round rugs.

Wool Rugs and Carpets; made from nature’s best!

wool rugs

Copyright © 2008 Area Rugs Club

Wool is one of the oldest textile fibers known to man and because of its unique natural properties it has been treasured from Stone Age human to today’s top fashion divas. Wool has been providing man with shelter, clothing, decoration and floor covering.

But to talk about wool area rugs and carpet I like to go over a brief history of sheep, where wool comes from. Sheep were among the first animals to be domesticated by man. This was a marriage of convenience - man protected the sheep from predators, while the sheep provided man with food and clothing. Domestication of the sheep took place in South West Asia at the foothills of the Zargos Mountains (modern day Iran) around 9,000 B.C. Flocks were a medium of exchange in barter economies. Babylonians, Sumerians, and Persians all depended on sheep. Since then sheep have become an important part of the global agricultural economy.
Sheep also have had a strong cultural presence from ancient times when Egyptians considered ram as sacred, symbol of several gods and mummified them to Mary Had a Little Lamb and the St. Luis Rams.

wool for rugs

Wool Characteristics

Wool is a natural fiber given to us by mother nature and no synthetic fibre has been able to combine all wool’s characteristics (see glossary of wool terms). It is truly a nature’s masterpiece of design.

 

wool production chart

Image Courtesy of Australian Wool Innovation

 

Wool is Healthy:

Wool does not promote the growth of dust mites or bacteria, it actually contributes to air purity indoors by absorbing polluting gases. Wool resists mildew and mold which are one of the most detrimental irritants to the immune system.
Because it has the ability to insulate against heat and cold, wool protects against sudden changes of temperature. A study conducted by scientists at the Polytechnic Institute of Wales measured the effects of many common fibers on human subjects as they slept. The scientists discovered that the subjects using wool-fill comforters actually had lower heart rates which indicates the sleeper is in a deep, relaxed state.

Natural Resistance To Mildew:

The wool fiber while holding moisture within itself, allow moisture to pass through without retaining any of the moisture in the wool itself therefore it will never mildew.

Wool insulates against heat and cold:

Rooms covered with wool rugs and carpet stay cooler in summer and warmer in winter therefore reducing energy usage. It’s good for your health and your pocket. Wool is commonly used in insulation for buildings, ventilation ducts, pipes, boilers, vehicles, ships and other applications.

Wool rugs wears longer:

Wool rugs wears longer, therefore they retain their good appearance for a long time. The world’s oldest wool rug that is still around was made in Iran in 5th Century BC.

Wool is fire resistant:

Wool is naturally safe and fire resistant. It does not have to be chemically treated to become non-flammable. While it can catch alight, it will not flare up nor support a flame. Because of its fire-resistant attribute, furnishings and carpets in your home are good insurance. In many rural areas, firemen ensure they dress themselves in wool before rushing to fight a fire.

Wool resists static:

Because wool naturally absorbs moisture from the air, the tendency to collect static electricity is reduced. You are less likely to receive a shock walking across a wool carpet and touching a grounded object. Wool clothing are much less likely to cling to the body or generate a spark.

Wool insulates against noise:

Wool absorbs sound and reduces noise level considerably. Wool is used in many places such as home, offices and concert halls to get the best acoustics possible.

Wool is green:

Using wool rugs and carpets in your home will reduce your energy usage. Although there is a close competition for “the greenest” title between wool and cotton, wool production is a lot less damaging to environment than production of synthatic fibers. Wool insulations have been widely used for more than 60 years as thermal and fire protection. Insulation wools make a significant contribution to energy-saving and thus to the protection of the environment.

new zealand wool sheep

Wool Rugs and Carpets

Wool rugs came to existence as simple articles of need to protect the nomadic tribesmen from the cold and damp, but their increasing beauty found them new admirers; kings and noblemen who looked upon wool rugs as signs of prestige, wealth and distinction. Wool handmade rugs have been used as a medium of currency in many cultures and just like a fine wine they have increased in value in time. Today wool rugs are rightfully one of the most desired objects in furnishing homes around the world. You can use area rugs to add warmth and colors to any room. Decorating with wool area rugs is easy, probably the easiest way to revitalize a room and tie together your home decor elements. Wool area rugs are highly regarded for their strength, durability, crush resistance, cleanability, comfort, and beauty. Wool is considered the superior fiber for area rugs. Wool has a special oil called Lanolin that stops water and spills from soaking in. That makes wool rugs more practical, easier to keep looking new and clean. Find your beautiful wool rug by browsing Area Rugs Club’s selection of high quality rugs including Karastan, Safavieh and Sphinx just to name a few.

wool charateristics

Did you know…

  • Australia is the world’s largest producer of wool followed by China.
  • There are 13 sheep for every person in New Zealand.
  • 60% of New Zealand wool is used to make carpet.
  • The majority of sheep shearing is done in spring.
  • Wool is comparatively stronger than steel.

wool fiber

Image Courtesy of IWTO

See our selection of Area Rugs. We have hundreds of fine quality wool rugs including Karastan rugs, Sphinx by Oriental Weavers and Safavieh. Your satisfaction means everything to us!

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Karastan Rugs

We all know that handmade rugs are superior in quality than machinemade rugs and are better investments as far as resell value is concerned. However, Karastan, an American rug manufacturer has been challenging its handmade counterpart from the moment its first rug came off the loom (2:02 p.m., April 8, 1928). Karastan has become synonymous with elegance and quality. Karastan’s manufacturing process was so advanced that trade magazines called its rugs “Mystery Rugs.”

karastan Kirman Panel Rug
Karastan spirit of innovation is still going strong. In 1997, Karastan invented a unique finishing process called TeaWash™. It’s a multi-step technique which transforms lusterous wool colors into a vintage patina which gives the rugs an antiqued appearance that usually comes with age. Although many rug manufacturers tried to imitate Karastan’s TeaWash™ process, none was able to achieve the beauty of Karastan rugs.
Again in 2006, Karastan introduced a new genre of area rugs called Shapura which redefined traditional styling.

The Shapura Collection emulates the softened shades of vegtable-dyed which are found in authentic handmade Peshawars. Karastan was able to give these Axminister rugs, by its newely invented LusterWash technique, a visiual texture that is indistinguishable from handmade rugs. It’s no wonder that Karastan rugs have become known as “Wonder Rugs of America.”

See our selection of Karastan Rugs.

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