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Rugs can be a unique and complementary part of your total design scheme, adding colour, accent and life. In fact, a rug is often the decorating accessory which pulls a whole room together. It is a versatile design element, easily moved around, practical yet full of creative possibilities.

Your rug may be there to add atmosphere and comfort to a hard, cold floor surface, or to provide cheerful (and cheap) relief from unsightly patches of stained or worn-out carpet. A well- chosen rug will dress up a plain carpet, and protect it, especially in heavy traffic areas such as halls and corridors.

Rugs are available to suit every budget. They can be bought as part of a quick, on-the-cheap home improvement project, or as part of a more longterm financial investment. Although most rugs are imported, the industry is highly competitive and there’s always room for a bargain.

RUGS

Aside from the traditional types of rug — there are basically two types: flat weave (where the surface looks similar to a piece of cloth) and tufted (where the surface is raised into a cut or looped pile) — there is a wide range of contemporary rugs available in all price brackets and designs. Those made by individual craft makers, rather than by carpet manufacturers, are a particularly exciting alternative, especially if you want something of lasting value for your wall or floor.

Rag, braided and hooked rugs are also part of a thriving cottage industry tradition, and will add a warm, cosy look and splash of colour and texture to your living room. Why not recycle your scraps of suede, string, silk, cotton and wool by making your own homemade version?

DHURRIES PURE WOOL RUGS:

Dhurries are flat-woven pure wool rugs available in a fantastic range of colours from pastel to bright, usually geometric designs, stripes and simple borders. They are extremely versatile, reasonably priced and very hard-wearing. Dhurries can be used either for formal lounge areas, or for the more relaxed, casual environment of the family room. They are at home on hard timber or tile floors, as well as on the more luxurious backdrop of wall-to-wall body carpet.

CUSTOM-MADE HANDTUFTED PURE WOOL RUGS:

This style of rug comes in a wealth of different styles from very traditional through to ultra-modern — they can be made to custom size, shape, colour and design and are very versatile despite their formal, rich character. These high- quality rugs are handmade from the finest blend of New Zealand and Scottish wool yarns —single strand, which gives the rug a tight, dense, velvet-like appearance. They can also be made in a loop pile, offering a more informal, dense look.

A rug which is uniquely yours can be specially designed to extend a room’s decoration onto the floor as an integral part of your total design theme.

KELIMS RUGS:

Kelims are wonderful old weaves (30 -40 years) from Southern Russia (Karabagh) and Yugoslavia — their most distinctive feature being very decorative and stylised geometric designs, which make them suitable for interiors that are rich in colour, shapes and style. Kelims can look highly individual and different, and are handwoven in pure wool (woolweft on wool warp) to last.

PORTUGUESE NEEDLEPOINT RUGS:

These luxurious, handmade rugs come in many decorative styles — mainly floral for very refined decoration. They are hard- wearing, and will go well in any room. The coarser weave looks wonderful with a simple, more rustic decorative scheme which highlights textures; the fine weave suits a more delicate interior style. These rugs offer tremendous character and flair, and can successfully pull many design elements in a room together.

• Good-quality rugs should be cushioned by underlay if going onto timber boards.

• Secure light rugs, e.g. kelims, with mesh backing or nylon bonding strips to avoid rugs ‘walking’.
• Rugs benefit from being moved regularly, to even out wear and fading.
• It’s important to deal with spills and stains as they occur and not use strong detergent solutions, unless specially instructed by the manufacturer.
• Beat the rug regularly with a flat-faced carpet beater. Vacuum on both sides of the rug, going with the pile, not against it.

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