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PRACTICAL
AESTHETIC |
Handmade area rugWhile the vast majority of area rugs - and nearly all carpets - these days are machine-made, handmade area rugs do have their steady small share of the market. Some rugs are made in part by machine, and in part by hand, so the division is not necessarily mutually exclusive. For example, braided rugs can have braids made by machine and laced together by hand. Quality-wise, there is no inherent advantage to either hand- or machine-made rugs. It is the quality of materials and rug construction that matters. Handmade area rugs tend to use less synthetics, and more natural materials. Also, they are appreciated for their unique "human touch", something that machine-made rugs can't have, nor imitate. Quality hand-knotted area rugs are still considered the best there is, for their dense high-grade yarn (wool and/or silk), pattern intricacy, color richness, cultural contents, personal touch and uniqueness. Practically all handmade area rugs on the market today are from abroad. Most of them come from India and China, and nearly all from the broad region from Turkey to central Asia and Tibet (also, from parts of North-eastern Africa and Balkans). It is only the low labor cost that can make hand-made rugs priced competitively vs. those made by machines. For instance, a moderately sized quality hand-knitted rug may take a year, or even more, to complete. If made in the US, it would be prohibitively expensive. — Carpet and rugs terminology - This sounds like a school class - but this is the one you don't want to miss. An educated buying decision translates into a buying success, and that is your goal. Certainly, understanding carpet and rug terminology is something you need for enjoyable, successful shopping. And it is not as simple as it may seem at first... Construction - Simply put, rug or carpet construction is a particular way of putting it together. Whether produced by hand, or by machine, they are made in a certain way. This includes all that is done to come up with a finished product: from tufting or weaving the yarn to dyeing and applying chemical or other treatments... Materials - Nearly all of materials used for rug and carpet construction are in their face-fiber and backing. It is usually the face-fiber material that gets most of attention and consideration. This is because the rug/carpet fiber forming its face is most exposed, both, visually and physically. Hence it is the main determinant of appearance quality and retention... Environmental effect - Most materials, natural or synthetic, have some environmental impact, and those used for carpets and rugs are no exception. Health hazard comes mainly from rug and carpet being outgassing potentially toxic fumes, as well as from rug and carpet mold (mildew) infestation... Label and warranty - Rug/carpet label and its warranty can give important information and indications in regard to its quality level. Getting familiar with their contents is time well spent. Here's what you should look for... Area rug size and shape - In somewhat different ways, area rug size and shape have both, functional and aesthetic aspect. At first, one would say that area rug's size is pretty much determined by dimensions of the space it is intended to. In reality, the decision on how large area rug will be, and whether it is to be square, round or of some other shape, should come after careful consideration of not only room's size and geometry, but also typical traffic patterns, form and arrangement of other objects and decor elements present, as well as the intended use of the room, or space... Colors and Patterns - Color of your rug, or carpet, creates certain visual effect, emotion, and an atmosphere. Individual perceptions vary, but most of us will be affected similarly. Here's a brief overview of what are out typical responses to colors and patterns. It may help you decide what rug color and pattern type is best for your room... Design style - Possible variations in the visual characteristics of the rug/carpet face - its design - are literally countless. They come from visual rug/carpet attributes created by both, fiber coloration, and its dimensional appearance. Luckily, all this immense variety is being channeled, fairly efficiently, into a few main classifications... Carpet and rug buying checklist - The two main aspects of every rug or carpet are (1) its aesthetics and (2) practicality. Once you find the one that has the right looks, the next step is to check out how appropriate are its materials and construction type to its intended use. In other words, what is its quality level. The following checklist will help you figure that out...
Rug and carpet care tips
- From the moment a new rug or carpet enters your home,
certain steps and procedures should be followed to ensure its
functionality and appearance retention. They are related to
placement and installation, as well as carpet or rug care and
maintenance. Here are the main pointers. |
