Author: admin

My Top 5 Retail Rugs to Buy!

My Top 5 Retail Rugs to Buy!

A great can really set the tone for any room in your house/apartment. As well as being a style statement, a rug can add softness underfoot to make standing or sitting on the floor more comfortable, warm and can help insulate the room against chilly temperatures as well as buffer sound from echoing through your home. Rugs can get expensive depending on how much you wish to spend. They can transform the look and feel of a room. They add colour, texture and personality to your space, offering the same transformative effect as a framed print or paint on the wall.

Even if you’ve already got carpet covering your floors, there’s something undeniably chic about layering a rug on top. Choose wisely, and it can even make your space appear bigger.

If you’ve never shopped for a rug before, the choice can be overwhelming and you are spoilt for choice. Here’s a quick run through on some of the most popular styles on offer today.

1. Sheepskin Mocha Rug

Nothing beats a natural sheepskin rug for that luxuriously soft, warm feel underfoot. The perfect way to add an instant touch of mid-century style to an uncarpeted room. This popular best selling 100% sheepskin rug from John Lewis, can be machine washed. Pre soak in 40-degree water and wash in a wool cycle. Rinse until water is clear and then spin dry to remove any excess water. Gently comb wool whilst still damp. Slow drying will give best results, line dry away from direct sunlight. Once dry, stretch by hand in all directions. When almost dry stretch by hand in all directions. This product can be professionally dry cleaned. Reshape whilst damp, Flat Dry, Tumble dry at low temperature. Available in lovely colours such as ivory, steel and grey. 

“Love it! I bought the ivory rug and it went well with my grey bed. Really compliments the room. It is super soft and great quality. Would definitely recommend it.”
Sam

“We recently purchased a sheepskin rug to put on our pine rocking chair. The colour of the rug is a perfect match and the size is also just right. Just what we were looking for and a great price. Thank you John Lewis – You’ve done it again!”
Bounerev

“After researching other shops I found this sheepskin rug to be the best for price and quality. As you would expect from JL, speedy delivery, well packaged and an excellent product. The best bit is that it does not smell sheepy! I can recommend this rug.”
Elle

2. Agnes Multi-Coloured Bright Stripe Cotton Runner

Intricately hand woven with stripes and patterns, the Agnes multi-coloured flat weave cotton runner is hard wearing and ideal for brightening up the hallway.100% Hand woven cotton. Flat weave and hard wearing.

The flat weave runner works well with both bright and neutral room schemes. One of the best selling rugs and matching rugs and cushions are also available in the Agnes range from Habitat.

“This Rug lived up to our expectation of quality and style. The colours were pretty accurate from picture and description so proved to be exactly what we wanted.”
Alan

“Great value for money. A beautiful runner. Lovely vibrant colours. I am very happy with my purchase.”
Kim

“Had my new runner/mat in my kitchen a few weeks ago, now everyone comments on it , it’s really colourful and complements the kitchen really well.”
Freddie

3. Multicoloured Sketch Rug

Beautifully hand-crafted over a tufted textured wool design rug from. Naturally durable, stain-resistant and easy to clean. Wool and long pile rugs shed fibres when new and during use. This is a characteristic of this product type and recommends a regular light vacuum to remove any loose fibres from the surface. Perfect for high traffic areas.This best selling rug from Next is 100% Wool. Backing 80% Cotton, 17% Polyester, 3% Other fibres.

“Good heavy quality rug as per description.”
Sandra

“Perfect rug, thick colourful doesn’t slide about- I love it.”
Rachel

“A beautiful rug. Looks stunning and I am very pleased with it. Looks exactly like the image.”
Suzanne

4. Noble Geo Natural Rug

Super thick and soft design shaggy rug. Easy care and hardwearing with no specialist cleaning required, suitable to surface shampoo. Use of rug grip is recommended. Luxuriously deep pile rug from Homebase at an affordable price for your home. Made with 100% polypropylene pile. 

5. Beahm Hand Tufted Wool Teal Rug

Natural Materials; 100% Wool Handmade Rug from Wayfair. Bold colours, intricate designs and traditional silhouettes for a style inspired by artisans from around the world.

“Absolutely love this rug, the colours are amazing, and it feels really warm and cozy.”
Valerie from Oldham

“Absolutely love my new rug, it looks great in my hallway. It is exactly as in the picture. It’s nice and thick and it feels like a good quality wool rug. I’m very pleased.”
TKH from Sutton

“Posh looks the same as it looks in the picture. Looks lovely in my front room.”
Sarosh from Cheam Sutton

Top 7 Interesting Facts About Rugs

Top 7 Interesting Facts About Rugs

At least one person owns a rug in their lifetime. Rugs are probably in everyone’s house with some used as mats and some as floor covering. Rugs provide practical benefits like keeping us warm in cold winters. If there is one investment piece that can instantly change the appearance of your living room it is the rugs. Rugs and especially the oriental rugs are so exotic to look at. They are soft, beautiful and fit in perfectly with your interior decor.

Did you know that wool today is most commonly used natural fibre for area rugs and carpet? As a soft, yet durable fibre with a lot of versatility, wool area rugs are a popular and great choice for any home. They can also be dyed in a wider range of colours, making for more vibrant and diverse interior design.  

Rugs are a form of traditional artefacts that is traced back thousands of years. They have been used in a wide variety of ways, ultimately becoming a decorative flooring option. In fact, rugs are considered a luxury item because a lot of work is put into the making of these luxury items.  Check out these Top 7 Interesting Facts About Rugs.

  1. It is not known when the first rugs were produced, but it is known that it was probably started centuries before Christ by the nomads of Central Asia to insulate their tents. Which was carried across Asia and the Middle East by the armies, traders and nomads (a member of a people that travels from place to place to find fresh pasture for its animals and has no permanent home).

  2. What is the difference between a rug and a carpet? It is generally a matter of size where any piece smaller than 40 square feet is a rug while another larger is a carpet.

  3. Most Expensive Rug The world’s most expensive rug to be sold is a 17th century Kerman carpet measuring about 8’x6’. In an auction in 2013, it was sold for $33.8 million. This carpet was initially expected to have a bid of around $15 million but to everyone’s surprise, it blew everyone away as this broke the record of the previous record holder of a carpet being sold at $9.6 million.

  4. Rugs are healthier than wall to wall carpets because they are easier to clean, and are often less permanent in a home.

  5. Did you know a good quality 9×12 Persian Rug has more than 1.5 million hand-tied knots, takes 300 people 400 days to create and requires about 5000 cups of tea to complete!? These rugs have a symbolic meaning. They are mainly flat hand-woven rugs that are often hung on walls and also used as prayer rugs. 

  6. World’s Largest Handmade Carpet The world’s largest carpet which was handmade was originated from Iran. It is called Qasr-al- Alam designed by Ali Khaliqi. The size of this carpet is approximately the size of a football pitch. It is exactly 5,625 square feet in size. This carpet was assembled in 9 different pieces before being installed in a mosque in Abu Dhabi.

  7. All the rugs are delicate, but the oriental rugs known for their superb and exotic designs are extra delicate. Their fibres can easily get damaged so it is important to take great care of them when cleaning them at home. The hand-wash only method is most suited for them.

Image: Lida Sahafzadeh-unsplash

10 Most Expensive Oriental Rugs In The World

10 Most Expensive Oriental Rugs In The World

If you would like to learn more about luxurious rugs then check out the 10 Most Expensive Oriental Rugs In The World by CatalinaRug. I hope you have a huge budget for this as these rugs are incredible and remember before you refuse an ugly rug, not to your liking and given to you by a family hair loom, think again as this is worth an investment in years to come.

Rug Pad is the Best!

Rug Pad is the Best!

Did you know that a rug pad will help your area rug last longer? Rug pads are designed to protect the flooring underneath your rug and to prevent you from slipping. They also absorbs some of the pressure that is placed on your rug’s fibres when you walk. A pad prevents those fibres from matting and keeps your rug looking like new for longer. 

The benefits of having a rug pad are it reduces wear and tear on the rug, absorb noise, it makes vacuuming a lot easier for you, protects the flooring underneath the rug and softens your rug with another layer of cushion between your feet and hard floors.

For rugs placed over the carpet, choose a pad of thick polyester fabric coated adhesive. This type of pad prevents darker colour rugs from bleeding through on to lighter coloured carpets.

For a rug placed on a hard flooring surface such as hardwood, tile or laminate, choose a rug pad that has a non-slip coating on at least one side. This side should be placed down on the hard flooring to ensure that the rug stays in place.

Remember it is recommended a rug pad should be one inch smaller than your area rug on all four sides. This will allow the edges of the rug to taper to the floor, preventing a trip hazard and curling along the edges of the rug. For example, if your area rug is 8’ x 10’, then your rug pad should be trimmed to be 7’10” x 9’10”. 

In this video by Rodriguez Cleaning Services shows you the best type of Rug Pads options and their benefits for you. Worth watching…

Rug Cleaning

Rug Cleaning

Sometimes, your rug is too delicate for you to clean it yourself. You do not wish to ruin the beautiful hand made rug. Therefore, this video created by UK Carpet Care Ltd shows you how they clean a rug. The procedures it takes from start to finish without you wasting your time. So sit back and relax. Contact details below.

Top 8 Types of Rugs

Top 8 Types of Rugs

Before you choose your rug, it’s important to know what types of rugs are out there before you buy. If you’re new to the rug shopping game, it is pretty easy to feel overwhelmed by all the different types of rugs available and of course, the heavy price tags attached to many of them no doubt! Choosing a rug comes down to 3 primary things: 

  1. Style
  2. Placement and wait for it..
  3. Budget! 

Some other factors you may want to keep in mind are 

  • how easy it is to clean the rug
  • how long you intend to keep it
  • whether you have any preferences for specific types of materials.

Before you consider the style of your area rug, it’s important to know the different types of rug materials available. From natural to synthetic fibres. Did you know there are eight popular rug materials? Here are the top 8 types of rugs you can buy online…

1. Silk Rugs

100% silk or a silk blend in a rug creates a luxurious shine and feel. In addition to its sheen, silk rugs are often thin, fine and very soft to the touch. Silk rugs are incredibly delicate and can be difficult to clean, so this rug type is best in spaces that are low-traffic where it is in less contact with pets and humans eg inside the bedroom.

2. Leather, Hide and Sheepskin Rugs

Leather and sheepskin rugs are made from those animals’ hides (an animal skin treated for human use). Leather rugs can be woven strips, while hides and sheepskins are full animal hides. These are great pieces for small spaces, and perhaps awkwardly shaped rooms.

Sheepskins are pretty easy to clean. You wash them like hair and are especially great for layering on furniture or placed next to your bed in the bedroom so you have something soft to step on first thing in the morning.

The downside to hides is that they can shed and curl up at the edges, but this is an easy fix. Just flip them over and iron them from the backside with low heat to keep them flat. They also tend to accumulate dirt, which can make light-coloured hides look dirty, so it’s important to shake them out and wash regularly.

3. Wool Rugs

Wool is a natural fibre rug that’s traditionally handwoven, hand-tufted, hand-knotted or hand-loomed. There are machine-loomed wool rugs as well, but these are typically made with synthetic fibres and not true wool. True wool rugs are more expensive due to the extensive work that goes into designing and building them, but the quality is excellent.

In fact, wool rugs are often passed down from generation to generation, making them an heirloom investment. Given its robustness, this type of rug is ideal for high-traffic spaces where people and pets walk on, like in the living room, bedroom and entryway.

4. Jute and Bamboo Rugs

Jute and bamboo are natural rug materials that can add a coastal vibe to any indoor space. They are a good choice for rooms needing texture and their economical price point makes them a good value, especially in areas where a large rug is needed. Natural rugs are also great for layering underneath smaller, more decorative rugs. For example, if you have a gorgeous rug that you want to use but it’s too small to accommodate your seat grouping, layer it over a correctly sized natural woven rug. You do have to be careful about where you place these types of rugs as some of them can show watermarks and be difficult to clean. If you’re buying a jute or bamboo rug for an outdoor space, make sure it’s approved for exposure to the elements and it is used for the outdoor area.

Image: Josh Hemsley-unsplash

5. Cotton Rugs

Cotton is an inexpensive and playful rug material that serves as a budget-friendly alternative to higher-cost rugs made of wool or silk. However, cotton tends to fade quickly and doesn’t do well with stains, so don’t expect your cotton rug to last for decades. Cotton rugs are best used in casual spaces and are a good option if you’re interested in changing out your rug depending on mood or season.

6. Faux Fur/ Faux Hide Rugs

If you don’t like the idea of having a real animal hide or if your budget is tight, a faux hide or faux fur rug type is a great alternative. Faux fur rugs are often made of acrylic and synthetic blends and are typically power-woven. These are great for those who want the luxury of fur without worrying if it was sourced ethically. A downside to these types of rugs is that they are prone to shedding, especially when brand new and they’re not as easy to clean as the real deal.

7. Microfibre/Polyester Rugs

Microfibre rugs are another synthetic rug type. These are made from either 100% polyester or a blend of polyester and other synthetic fibres. Microfibre rugs use tiny strands of thread to create a plush feel. They’re often machine-woven but look more expensive wool rugs. Synthetic rugs are typically inexpensive, so they are great when you want a quick pop of colour without a huge investment.

However, unlike true wool rugs or other natural fibre rug types, synthetic fibre rugs often look dirty faster because the smooth strands can’t trap dirt.cing elit. Ut elit tellus, luctus nec ullamcorper mattis, pulvinar dapibus leo.

8. Polypropylene Rugs

You may notice a lot of rugs on the market are made from synthetic materials, for example, polypropylene, nylon, polyester or viscose. As a general rule, these rugs tend to be thinner than a wool rug, but some can still feel as soft. The main selling feature to a synthetic rug is the price. They are very cheap which makes it affordable to keep buying rugs as often as you wish.

The good thing is polypropylene and synthetic blend rugs tend to clean up easily and are usually fade-resistant, making them ideal in high-traffic locations, such as children’s bedrooms, entryways, dining rooms, and outdoors. The primary drawback of these Polypropylene Rugs is that polypropylene does not decompose quickly. Therefore, not ethically sustainable. If you are environmentally conscious, it may not be your best choice. So perhaps you may wish to choose the above rugs?

Image banner: Ryan Christodoulou-unsplash