Hardwood floors are cold. These rugs add physical and visual warmth to rooms. The best made ones are practically indestructible, i.e., impervious to my cats using them in lieu of scratching posts. Over the past few years, I have found some fantastic buys at auctions/estate sales, i.e., $200 for a 6 by 9 ft. wool rug. I learned to evaluate them by KPSI (knots per square inch), and based on my experience at U.S. auctions/estate sales I was even able to get a comparable deal when buying one in Istanbul - no small feat with a Turkish rug dealer! Brush up on your haggling skills. If you spot the perfect 4x6 silk, basically deep red rug, totally ignore it and start off looking at 6x9 orange rugs.
Hand Knotted Rug vs Machine Made Rugs
There are a number of reasons why you might decide upon handmade Oriental rugs or Persian rugs instead of machine made. Quality is a key consideration and handmade are considered more durable as each strand has been tied individually for greater strength. Handmade rugs are usually made with natural materials such as cotton, wool or silk. These materials last longer and release no harmful gasses into the environment. Rugs that are hand knotted do not lose their value but are known to gain in value with age like antique oriental rugs. Synthetics usually lose their resale value once they are purchased. And spills on these rugs clean up very easily as well.
What to consider when purchasing a Persian/Oriental Area Rug
The following are some items you should look at when looking to purchase a rug.
Price: Prices should vary according to labor, materials, quality, place of origin, style, kpsi, and rarity of design.
Materials: The materials used such as wool, cotton and silk have a greater durability than synthetics. These natural materials do not release chemical gases like synthetics. All antique oriental rugs are made of natural materials.
KPSI: This stands for knots per square inch and the higher the number the better quality
of rug.
Imperfections: This is proof that the persian rugs are not machine made when there are slight inconsistencies. This was done intentionally at times by the weaver as it was believed only the Supreme Being can make anything that is perfect.
If you want wall-to-wall, I suggest you look into Karastan
all wool (no off-gassing) rugs, American made. The parent company for Karastan is Mohawk Industries, traded on the NYSE. Machine made, but top quality. I have 2 Karastan area rugs I bought in the 1960's. Still look like new.
Frank Lloyd Wright's Taliesin West Gets a Face-lift
September 12, 2011 - Architect Frank Lloyd Wright believed every element of the space he was creating should work together—from floor plan to fabric to furniture to floor covering. In fact, he once considered designing rugs and carpets for Karastan. It was those early discussions that encouraged the Frank Lloyd Wright Foundation to choose a Karastan product for the newly restored Taliesin West, Wright’s home in Scottsdale, Arizona.
“The reason we selected Karastan for the living room of Taliesin West was because of the color selection available, the quality of Karastan’s carpets and Wright’s relationship with Karastan. Wright talked to Karastan in 1955 about collaborating on a line of carpets with the Wright design,” said Doug Volker, the foundation’s director of licensing and product development.
Karastan is part of Mohawk Industries, a leading supplier of flooring for both residential and commercial applications. Mohawk offers a complete selection of broadloom carpet, ceramic tile, wood, stone, laminate, vinyl, rugs and other home products. These products are marketed under the premier brands in the industry, which, in addition to Karastan, include Mohawk, Ralph Lauren, Lees, Bigelow, Dal-Tile and American Olean. Mohawk’s unique merchandising and marketing assists consumers in creating their dreams. Mohawk provides a premium level of service with its own trucking fleet and more than 250 local distribution locations.
Wool. Nature’s wonder fiber. When you buy Karastan wools, you can feel confident you are purchasing the best flooring for your home. We are one of the world’s largest importers of New Zealand Wool. From Farm to Floor, Karastan’s wool carpeting and rugs are one of the most environmentally friendly products that can be used in your home.
http://www.karastan.com/press-release/4294967631.aspx
= new reply since forum marked as read
