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There are a few pieces of information that you will need to figure out before visiting your rug dealer. The most important of these are Rug
Size, Rug Type, Price Range, and a generalized Color and Design Scheme.
The most important of these is size. Most oriental rug dealers have their stock organized by size. Simply browsing a dealer’s stock can give
you some great ideas as far as possible colors and designs you may like, but when you are ready to buy, you must know your size needs
accurately. Here are the questions that a rug expert will ask when helping you to find the perfect piece.
1) What room is it going in?
2) What size do you need?
3) What type of rug do you like?
4) Are there specific colors you are working with?
5) Do you have design style preferences?
6) Price Range- your expert won’t ask, but you still should have an idea.
Let’s go through each question and explore the possible answers for different situations.
Questions 1 and 2- What room is the rug going in? What size do I need?
Size, Rug Type, Price Range, and a generalized Color and Design Scheme.
The most important of these is size. Most oriental rug dealers have their stock organized by size. Simply browsing a dealer’s stock can give
you some great ideas as far as possible colors and designs you may like, but when you are ready to buy, you must know your size needs
accurately. Here are the questions that a rug expert will ask when helping you to find the perfect piece.
1) What room is it going in?
2) What size do you need?
3) What type of rug do you like?
4) Are there specific colors you are working with?
5) Do you have design style preferences?
6) Price Range- your expert won’t ask, but you still should have an idea.
Let’s go through each question and explore the possible answers for different situations.
Questions 1 and 2- What room is the rug going in? What size do I need?
LIVING ROOM
A living room is one of the most common places to fine an oriental rug.
There are many possibilities for how rugs will be placed, but the majority
of settings boil down to a single rug anchoring a setting of furniture. The
rug will essentially define the setting area. If selected and placed
properly, the setting will feel complete and balanced. If done improperly
(such as selecting a rug that is too small) the setting will feel cluttered
and imbalanced. (We often hear that this causes furniture to look less like
a seating area, and more like a group of “stuff.”
There are three ways you can place the rug in the room: Furniture off the
rug, front legs on the rug, or furniture all on the rug. The choice here is
determined by the size of your room and the amount of furniture placed in
it.
You want to avoid the rug going underneath any furniture that is placed on
a wall such as an entertainment center or sideboard. You also want to
avoid the rug coming to close to the walls, try to keep at least 4” to 6” on
floor showing in order to keep the room balanced and to avoid the rug
overwhelming the room.
If you have a simple sofa setting such as a sofa and maybe 1-2 chairs
and ottomans, you can often leave the furniture off of the rug or simply
place the front legs on the rug. This allows you to select a slightly smaller
rug while still getting the feeling of a much larger piece. This will also
keep the setting balanced. For these types of settings an 8x10 rug or a
9x12 size rug will usually work well.
For larger settings, such as multiple sofas, or sofas with multiple chairs
and ottomans, the setting may often require a large size rug such as a
10x14 or 12x15 size rug.
If you would like to place the entire furniture setting all the way on the rug,
the setting will automatically require a larger size piece, such as a 10x14,
12x15, or 12x18.
A living room is one of the most common places to fine an oriental rug.
There are many possibilities for how rugs will be placed, but the majority
of settings boil down to a single rug anchoring a setting of furniture. The
rug will essentially define the setting area. If selected and placed
properly, the setting will feel complete and balanced. If done improperly
(such as selecting a rug that is too small) the setting will feel cluttered
and imbalanced. (We often hear that this causes furniture to look less like
a seating area, and more like a group of “stuff.”
There are three ways you can place the rug in the room: Furniture off the
rug, front legs on the rug, or furniture all on the rug. The choice here is
determined by the size of your room and the amount of furniture placed in
it.
You want to avoid the rug going underneath any furniture that is placed on
a wall such as an entertainment center or sideboard. You also want to
avoid the rug coming to close to the walls, try to keep at least 4” to 6” on
floor showing in order to keep the room balanced and to avoid the rug
overwhelming the room.
If you have a simple sofa setting such as a sofa and maybe 1-2 chairs
and ottomans, you can often leave the furniture off of the rug or simply
place the front legs on the rug. This allows you to select a slightly smaller
rug while still getting the feeling of a much larger piece. This will also
keep the setting balanced. For these types of settings an 8x10 rug or a
9x12 size rug will usually work well.
For larger settings, such as multiple sofas, or sofas with multiple chairs
and ottomans, the setting may often require a large size rug such as a
10x14 or 12x15 size rug.
If you would like to place the entire furniture setting all the way on the rug,
the setting will automatically require a larger size piece, such as a 10x14,
12x15, or 12x18.
DINING ROOM
Dining rooms are probably the second most common place to find
an oriental rug. Again, there are multiple ways to place the rug, but
for the most part you simply need to find a compromise between two
factors, room size and table size.
To determine the rug size needed for your dining table, first begin by
pulling all of the chairs out from the table as if you were preparing to
sit down. Now measure around this perimeter leaving 2-4 inches of
spare area. This ensures that the chair legs will always be on the
rug and will not scratch your floors or catch on the rug edges. Be
sure that you also take into account any extra chairs or table leaves.
If you do not use the dining table often, many people will use a
smaller rug that allows all chair legs to remain on the rug when
pushed up to the table even though they may come off of the rug
when pulled back to sit down.
For a rectangular dining table with 4 chairs, and 8x10 rug is
commonly used. For a rectangular table with 6 chairs, a 9x12 or
10x14 is commonly used. Rectangular tables with 8 or more chairs
require 10x14s or larger.
Round tables follow the same measurement directions. The
standard size round rugs come in 6ft, 8ft, 10ft, and sometimes 12ft
diameters.
When accommodating for your dining room, remember to avoid any
floor registers, and try to avoid placing the rug underneath any other
furniture pieces such as sideboards or china cabinets. This will
keep the setting balanced and will also china cabinets, etc level.
Dining rooms are probably the second most common place to find
an oriental rug. Again, there are multiple ways to place the rug, but
for the most part you simply need to find a compromise between two
factors, room size and table size.
To determine the rug size needed for your dining table, first begin by
pulling all of the chairs out from the table as if you were preparing to
sit down. Now measure around this perimeter leaving 2-4 inches of
spare area. This ensures that the chair legs will always be on the
rug and will not scratch your floors or catch on the rug edges. Be
sure that you also take into account any extra chairs or table leaves.
If you do not use the dining table often, many people will use a
smaller rug that allows all chair legs to remain on the rug when
pushed up to the table even though they may come off of the rug
when pulled back to sit down.
For a rectangular dining table with 4 chairs, and 8x10 rug is
commonly used. For a rectangular table with 6 chairs, a 9x12 or
10x14 is commonly used. Rectangular tables with 8 or more chairs
require 10x14s or larger.
Round tables follow the same measurement directions. The
standard size round rugs come in 6ft, 8ft, 10ft, and sometimes 12ft
diameters.
When accommodating for your dining room, remember to avoid any
floor registers, and try to avoid placing the rug underneath any other
furniture pieces such as sideboards or china cabinets. This will
keep the setting balanced and will also china cabinets, etc level.
Question 3- What type of rug do you like?
Now that you have determined the size of rug that you need, we can move forward
and figure out what type of rug you need.
There are three major types of rugs available on the market today: hand-knotted,
hand-tufted, and machine made.
Lexington Oriental Rugs only offers hand-knotted rugs due to their durability and
lasting value. We do not necessarily recommend tufted or machine made rugs due
to their high price in respect to their construction and lack of durability. We do
however respect that these products do have many advantages and can be used for
years when placed carefully and cared for properly.
One of the most common things that we teach our customers is about the
difference between hand-knotted, tufted, and machine-made rugs. The value
difference is drastic while the price difference is usually somewhat comparable.
We offer a 100% trade-in policy, so we can only carry hand-knotted pieces. Here is a
quick breakdown of the differences. To learn more, access the Rugs 101 section of
this site.
Hand-Knotted Oriental Rugs
Hand-knotted rugs are the finest of the three main types. A hand-knotted rug is
constructed the following way:
1) A loom is set up with cotton, wool, or silk strings running north and south (this is
called “warp” and will also eventually become your fringe.)
2) Rows of knots, somewhat similar to what you tie your shoes with are tied onto
the warp threads moving east/west. There are different types of knots and the
acceptable materials are either wool or silk. The different colors of the individual
knot will eventually create the pattern of the rug.
3) Strings similar to he warp are run east to west inter-weaving with the warp (this is
called weft.)
4) The process repeats until the pattern is complete.
The hand-knotted rug with often be slightly more in price than the other types. This
is due to the cost of materials, and the shear amount of time it takes to complete a
rug. An average quality 9x12 will take at least 6-9 months from design conception to
woven completion. Higher quality hand-knotted drugs can take years to complete.
The hand-knotted rug is the better value for your money in comparison to the other
types. More work and artistic reference went into the work. Anything that happens to
the rug can be repaired (note: this is not always cheap depending upon the repair
work being done.) A hand-knotted rug will last on average 70 years, and if properly
maintained will last over 120 years! And the real kicker, hand-knotted rugsincrease
in value with use and age!
You can see why we are able to offer a lifetime 100% Trade-In-Policy on our hand-
knotted pieces. They last a lifetime, and they actually get better with age. They look
better, feel better, and increase in value.
Tufted Rugs
Tufted pieces are often referred to as “hand-made” in an attempt to mimic the hand-
knotted rugs. These pieces are still an amazing value, but are often the same price
or even more than a hand-knotted rug and cannot compete when it comes to value.
A tufted rug is usually made by hand, but is created without tying any knots onto a
foundation. Instead, a “gun” is used to push wool or acrylic yarn through a canvass
backing. Latex glue is then applied to hold the tufts in place. A final cloth backing
is then applied to cover up the backing and to protect your floor.
Because there is no knot being tied, and a tufting gun is used, this method is much
less time consuming than knotting a rug. To a tufted rug’s credit, it still takes a high
level of skill and craftsmanship to efficiently and accurately portray intricate
designs.
The tufted rugs will not last nearly as long as a hand-knotted piece, averaging 7-10
years, cannot accept major repairs, and will not increase in value. Many of these
rugs cannot even be professionally cleaned because the glue used to hold the tufts
in place will deteriorate. There are a few reputable companies that have taken
hand-tufted rugs to new levels of quality. Nourison, Loloi, Momeni, etc. have re-
invented the tufted rug, increasing the artistic value as well as the lifespan of the
rug. While we do not carrry these brands, we do recommend their products.
BEDROOM
The beauty of an oriental rug in a bedroom is not limited to visual
aesthetics. You truly understand how beautiful they can be when
your feet hit a plush, warm rug first thing in the morning instead of
a cold, hard floor. There are a few different ways that you can
arrange your room to accommodate your needs and wants for
your oriental rugs.
The first and most common arrangement involves placing your
oriental rug completely under the bed, leaving a border of rug on
three sides of the bed. We recommend that you leave the rug in
front of any nightstands. This will not only keep the rug off of the
wall, but will also keep you from paying for extra square footage
that is not functional. With this arrangement the length of the rug
is usually run parallel to the headboard and footboard of the bed.
For a queen size bed and 8x10 or 9x12 is often used. For a king
size bed, 9x12s or 10x14s are the most commonly used sizes.
Keep in mind that the size of the rug must be a balance between
the bed and the room size. Again, you want to try to avoid placing
any furniture that would normally be on a wall such as a dresser
or armoire on the rug.
If your room calls for placing the rug with the width running
parallel to the headboard and footboard, you will need a larger
rug to gain enough covered area on the sides of you bed. For a
standard king or queen bed, a 10x14 rug will be the minimum
size necessary.
To create a more modern or “magazine” look in your bedroom, try
placing the rug on an angle facing the main entrance. This
arrangement will create “motion” in the room, giving a new look to
your existing style. The advantage of this arrangement is that a
smaller rug can be used to achieve the desired look. The main
disadvantage is that much of your floor will not actually be
covered by the rug.
For standard king and queen size beds and 8x10 rug is the most
commonly used size.
If you would like to place the rug only at the foot of the bed, you
want to try to find a rug size that is at least the width of the
footboard and preferably slightly longer. For this arrangement a
6x9 will often fill the need, though 8x10s are often used to help fill
the space between the foot of the bed and any walls or furniture.
Another common way that people will use oriental rugs in a
bedroom does not require placing any square footage under the
bed at all. This method involves placing three rugs in the room at
the side and the foot of the bed. The rugs on the side are
generally smaller pieces such as 4x6’s or 3x5’s. The rug at the
foot of the bed can be anywhere from a 4x6 to an 8x10 depending
upon how much space in the room needs to be covered.
If you have any other rooms that you would like help placing
oriental rugs in, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our on-staff
designers will be glad to help you or answer any questions you
may have. You can also use the room planner software available
on our website at www.lexingtonorientalrugs.com.
The beauty of an oriental rug in a bedroom is not limited to visual
aesthetics. You truly understand how beautiful they can be when
your feet hit a plush, warm rug first thing in the morning instead of
a cold, hard floor. There are a few different ways that you can
arrange your room to accommodate your needs and wants for
your oriental rugs.
The first and most common arrangement involves placing your
oriental rug completely under the bed, leaving a border of rug on
three sides of the bed. We recommend that you leave the rug in
front of any nightstands. This will not only keep the rug off of the
wall, but will also keep you from paying for extra square footage
that is not functional. With this arrangement the length of the rug
is usually run parallel to the headboard and footboard of the bed.
For a queen size bed and 8x10 or 9x12 is often used. For a king
size bed, 9x12s or 10x14s are the most commonly used sizes.
Keep in mind that the size of the rug must be a balance between
the bed and the room size. Again, you want to try to avoid placing
any furniture that would normally be on a wall such as a dresser
or armoire on the rug.
If your room calls for placing the rug with the width running
parallel to the headboard and footboard, you will need a larger
rug to gain enough covered area on the sides of you bed. For a
standard king or queen bed, a 10x14 rug will be the minimum
size necessary.
To create a more modern or “magazine” look in your bedroom, try
placing the rug on an angle facing the main entrance. This
arrangement will create “motion” in the room, giving a new look to
your existing style. The advantage of this arrangement is that a
smaller rug can be used to achieve the desired look. The main
disadvantage is that much of your floor will not actually be
covered by the rug.
For standard king and queen size beds and 8x10 rug is the most
commonly used size.
If you would like to place the rug only at the foot of the bed, you
want to try to find a rug size that is at least the width of the
footboard and preferably slightly longer. For this arrangement a
6x9 will often fill the need, though 8x10s are often used to help fill
the space between the foot of the bed and any walls or furniture.
Another common way that people will use oriental rugs in a
bedroom does not require placing any square footage under the
bed at all. This method involves placing three rugs in the room at
the side and the foot of the bed. The rugs on the side are
generally smaller pieces such as 4x6’s or 3x5’s. The rug at the
foot of the bed can be anywhere from a 4x6 to an 8x10 depending
upon how much space in the room needs to be covered.
If you have any other rooms that you would like help placing
oriental rugs in, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our on-staff
designers will be glad to help you or answer any questions you
may have. You can also use the room planner software available
on our website at www.lexingtonorientalrugs.com.
Question 4- Are there specific colors you are working
with?
There are basically two answers to this question. Either you are working
with specific colors, or you are not. If you are not concerned with colors, are
starting a room from scratch, or are redecorating, congratulations because
your job is simple. You get to select a rug based upon only what you are
attracted to. Many interior designers find that it is much easier to select the
rug for a room before determining colors or furniture selection. Why? The
oriental rug will determine you color palette, and with over 3000 years of
practice with color, oriental rug designers have a way with color coordination
and color harmony. Designers also often select the rugs first because an
oriental rug is a limited work of art, whereas paint color and fabric sample
can be reproduced and are virtually limitless.
If you are not redecorating or staring from scratch, then you will need to take
a little bit of information with you when you go rug shopping. Essentially, you
want to determine what you main 3-5 colors are in the room. These are the
colors that you will want elements of in the rug to compliment and enhance
what is already in the home.
A side note here- Whenever possible, take any paint samples, fabrics,
cushions, etc. with you when looking at rugs. Not only will it help narrow
down inventory, but it will also help with differences between the lighting in
the store and your home.
A second side note- A good oriental rug dealer will offer to come out to your
home to take notes about your space and colors. Requesting that your
dealer do this may help you save time and money in finding the perfect
oriental rug. Not only will the dealer know his inventory, but will often know of
rugs outside of his inventory that may be the perfect piece.
Here are the main elements of color that you need to know for your room:
1) Floor Color: Hardwood or tile? Light or dark browns, golds, etc.?
2) Wall colors
3) Colors in you upholstered furniture.
4) Colors in adjoining rooms which can be seen.
with?
There are basically two answers to this question. Either you are working
with specific colors, or you are not. If you are not concerned with colors, are
starting a room from scratch, or are redecorating, congratulations because
your job is simple. You get to select a rug based upon only what you are
attracted to. Many interior designers find that it is much easier to select the
rug for a room before determining colors or furniture selection. Why? The
oriental rug will determine you color palette, and with over 3000 years of
practice with color, oriental rug designers have a way with color coordination
and color harmony. Designers also often select the rugs first because an
oriental rug is a limited work of art, whereas paint color and fabric sample
can be reproduced and are virtually limitless.
If you are not redecorating or staring from scratch, then you will need to take
a little bit of information with you when you go rug shopping. Essentially, you
want to determine what you main 3-5 colors are in the room. These are the
colors that you will want elements of in the rug to compliment and enhance
what is already in the home.
A side note here- Whenever possible, take any paint samples, fabrics,
cushions, etc. with you when looking at rugs. Not only will it help narrow
down inventory, but it will also help with differences between the lighting in
the store and your home.
A second side note- A good oriental rug dealer will offer to come out to your
home to take notes about your space and colors. Requesting that your
dealer do this may help you save time and money in finding the perfect
oriental rug. Not only will the dealer know his inventory, but will often know of
rugs outside of his inventory that may be the perfect piece.
Here are the main elements of color that you need to know for your room:
1) Floor Color: Hardwood or tile? Light or dark browns, golds, etc.?
2) Wall colors
3) Colors in you upholstered furniture.
4) Colors in adjoining rooms which can be seen.
Question 5 – Do you have design or style
preferences?
Oriental Rugs are usually divided into two categories
when it comes to their patterns and designs: floral or
geometric.
Floral patterns (also called curvilinear) have floral motifs
and patterns, with curved outlines and tendrils. These
rug usually require more knots per square inch in order
to keep the fine lines and curves from looking blocky or
out of focus.
Geometric patterns (often called tribal) were originally
woven by nomadic tribes and small villages on primitive
looms. They are usually simple and bold and do not
require a large number of knots per square inch to
achieve the desired look.
preferences?
Oriental Rugs are usually divided into two categories
when it comes to their patterns and designs: floral or
geometric.
Floral patterns (also called curvilinear) have floral motifs
and patterns, with curved outlines and tendrils. These
rug usually require more knots per square inch in order
to keep the fine lines and curves from looking blocky or
out of focus.
Geometric patterns (often called tribal) were originally
woven by nomadic tribes and small villages on primitive
looms. They are usually simple and bold and do not
require a large number of knots per square inch to
achieve the desired look.
An average 9x12 tufted rug take 3-4 days to complete. Due to the comparable price and the lack of lifetime value, Lexington Oriental
Rugs does not current carry tufted
rugs.
Machine Made Rugs
The third main type of rug is machine-made. These are the least expensive, are the fastest to make, and are essentially replaceable.
There are multiple processes for machine made rugs. The most common involves a machine with thousands of needles injecting yarn
through a plastic screen. The materials are often not wool, but are instead synthetic fibers. There is usually no backing on the rug.
These rugs can take a matter of hours to complete, and are very affordable, but the value is very low. They often do not last more than
1-2 years and cannot be repaired. Cleaning is determined by the type of rug and materials used. Again, due to the comparable price,
and the lack of lifetime value, Lexington Oriental Rugs does not carry machine rugs.
While machine made-rugs often get a bad report, there are a few companies that make an outstanding machine made product.
Karastan is the most recognized in the industry, but Nourison among others also makes an excellent machine-made rug.
| 9x12 rug in a living room setting. |
| 8x10 rug in a living room setting, on angle. |
| 9x12 rug in a dining room setting with 6 chairs. |
| 10x14 rug in a dining room setting with 8 chairs. |
| 8x10 rug in a bedroom setting with queen size bed. |
| 10x14 rug in a bedroom setting with queen size bed. |
| 9x12 rug in a bedroom setting with queen size bed, on angle. |
Oriental Rug Buying Guide - Needs and Wants _______________