We have a new and exciting option to offer our customers:  a direct link into many rugs in our inventory (not the ones pictured on our site).  ALL OF THESE FOUND THROUGH THIS LINK ARE CURRENTLY AVAILABLE!

A little primer on how to use this searchable inventory:

1) Click here to start your search.

2)  Click on “Shape and Size” to enter your size parameters.

3)  Next, you may choose “Style” in order to specify a style (e.g. Modern, Traditional, Tribal).

(Our artisan rug selections include old or antique rugs,  which you may view by selecting “Antique” or “Vintage” under the “Age” category.)

4)  Choosing “Construction,” you’ll be able to specify flat weave, hand knotted, hand made or Tibetan weave.  All of the rugs pictured on our online store are hand knotted, the most durable types of rugs.

5)  The last category we suggest you include is “Material.”  All of the rugs pictured on our online rug store are “wool,” “silk,” or “wool and silk.”  We don’t recommend any other types of fiber content.

Click here to start your search

Call us at 877-817-0246 or 541-840-3384 for information or prices of rugs you find, or if you need help with your search.

After many years of hearing from customers who have hesitated to put down a handknotted rug in their kitchens or bathrooms -- and from my own personal experience -- I can report wholeheartedly that you will find that a handmade wool rug is the most practical, and beautiful, answer for kitchens and baths.

Practicality: Obviously, the kitchen floors of those of us who actually cook are the recipients of daily spills and droppings, as well as lots of traffic. A high-end wool rug is the most practical choice because of the density of the wool pile and also because of the quality of the wool. Sphaghetti sauce? Wine? Dogs? Take a rag or dishcloth with soapy water, bend down and clean it up. Voila! I have yet to encounter a spill that doesn't come right out with soapy water (which I follow up with clean water if it's a largish spill).

In bathrooms where there is shower water going on to the floor on a daily basis, a gorgeous wool rug is also a highly practical choice. Handmade rugs, like anything, should be allowed to dry in between wettings, so if you step out onto the rug from your shower or bath, we recommend using a bath mat over the rug, then hanging the bath mat up to dry.

More fun considerations: There's nothing that brings a room alive more than a wonderful rug on the floor. Think about it: a $39 rug from Home Depot, a thin hooked or tufted rug from Crate and Barrel...or a dense, beautiful and interesting rug that has the character and beauty of a wonderful handknotted rug? Even the more generic kitchen or bathroom can come alive with a great handknotted rug on the floor!

I've had people come in to my store just to tell me, "I can't believe it. That rug in my kitchen has been so great. The spills just sit on the surface and it's easy to clean up -- and I get to look at it sparkle in my kitchen every day!"

The fringe on handwoven rugs is an integral part of the rug that is actually the warp that was strung on the loom. After the rug is finished, the warp is cut off the loom and the fringe is tied close to the woven or knotted part of the rug to hold the knots in place.

On many of our rugs, particularly the Tibetan rugs, the fringe has been bound off or bound back so that the ends have no fringe. For contemporary designs, this provides a clean, sleek look. If you'd like to order a rug that comes with fringe, but would like to have it bound back, there's a good chance we can take care of that before delivery.

For traditional rugs, fringe is also traditional -- simply because it is an integral part of the rug. Some of our customers have expressed concern about catching the fringe in their vacuum cleaners, thereby damaging it. A sure way to not have this happen is to vacuum backwards from the rug, pulling the vacuum from the pile to the fringe and off. The vacuum will only catch the fringe if you push the vacuum towards the fringe.

Fringes are the first part of a rug to show signs of wear. If you lose your fringes or the fringe shows signs of wearing back into the rug, feel free to send us a note, and we'll work with you to find a reputable repair person for your rug.

Caring for a handmade rug is quite easy. There is not much maintenance to do, and hand-knotted rugs are very sturdy, often lasting for generations with just basic rug cleaning and care. They can have heavy furniture placed on top of them, and withstand both use and dirt without damaging them. If a rug becomes very dirty, professional cleaning will brighten the colors and leave you with a rug that feels airy and restored to new. 

Rolling up a rug is a convenient way to store it, as well as a step in preparation to shipping a rug. It's an easy process:

Handmade rugs are highly durable and usually very easy to clean. Often a spill or dirt can be spot cleaned by yourself without the need for special profesional rug cleaning. If you have spilled water on your rug, don't worry as it won't harm the rug, just blot it dry with a cloth towel.

Spot-cleaning your rug

To spot-clean a spill, dirt or other material out of your rug, you will need warm water and a cloth towel. Simply wet the towel in the water and blot the area clean. You may need to change the water once or twice. You will know the area is clean when the water you squeeze out of the rag is clean. 

Depending on what has dirtied the rug, you may consider waiting for it to dry, so that much of it can be vacuumed off before blotting it clean (See our related rug care article that discusses specific time sensitive issues such as cleaning pet pee out of a rug as soon as possible, and avoiding prolonged dampness).

Vacuuming your rug

In almost all instances, regular vacuuming of an oriental rug with an electric vacuum cleaner is good for the rug, however if not done properly, damage can occur, particularly to the fringe. A dirty rug wears prematurely, and regular vacuuming helps prevent dirt on the surface of the rug from filtering down into the pile where it can accumulate and cause increased wear on the foundation of the rug. Still, be careful with a cleaner equipped with a power brush or "beater bar"; these powered brushes in the vacuum head help the vacuum do a good job on machine-made carpeting, but they cause a raking effect on the top layer of a handwoven rug's pile if used too strenuously. If your vacuum cleaner has a power brush, use it only occasionally and lightly on your oriental rug. For routine cleaning, use just the vacuum attachment designed for hard floors. Frequently fringes get caught and chewed up by the rotating mechanism of the brush. If you pull the vacuum backwards over the fringe (away from the rug), the fringe will not be caught by the power head of the vacuum. 

You may have noticed that your handmade rug has a "direction" to the fibers -they are trained in one direction. Because of this you will see a slightly different sheen when looking at it from different sides. Because of this direction the fibers take, it is best to vacuum first one direction, then the other to insure that the vacuum remove debris effectively.

A short list of "Dont's"

• Don't use solvents or cleaners on your rug as even natural cleaners may alter the colors of your rug.
• Don't rub or scrub the rug as this may damage the fibers. Instead blot the area by pressing downward. 
• Don't use paper towels. Although they won't harm your rug, they they may leave particles behind. 
• Don't vacuum forward over the "fringe" of your rug - the loose yarns that stick out from two sides of a rug - the vacuum may damage these fringes or pull them from the rug. If you need to clean the fringe, pull the vacuum backwards over the fringe (away from the rug), the fringe will not be caught by the power head of the vacuum.

Professional rug cleaning

We recommend having your rug hand washed by a professional only if it is actually dirty, or every couple years. This will clean out the debris particles that may have gotten deep down into the pile where it can accumulate and cause increased wear on the foundation of the rug. This is a specialized process just for handmade rugs. We can refer you to a handwashing service, which is the recommended method for cleaning any good, wool rug. Your rugs will come back to you feeling soft, colors brightened, and clean. Feel free to send us a note with the size of your rug and where you live. We will respond with instructions on where to take your rug or send it via UPS, and an approximate price.

When storing a handmade oriental rug, we recommend rolling it up (see our article on How To Roll A Rug), and wrapping it in a tough synthetic paper like "Tyvek"® or construction paper. Don't use newspaper or common brown wrapping paper. These materials are not chemically stable (they are usually quite acidic), and do not provide the protection from insects or moisture the stored rug needs. Make sure the rug is completely dry. Don't use moth balls or flakes--these materials have little repellent effect, and the odor they impart to the rug can be difficult to remove.

Tips For Storage

• Store your rug in a cool, dry place, such as a closet.
• Store your rug in a clean dark place, as direct sunlight over a long period of time can fade a rug.
• Store your rug out of reach of rodents. 
• Remove your rug and shake it out every so often and inspect it. You may like to keep it out for awhile to air it out. When folding it and re-roll it again, do so in a different way (not along the exact same creases) so that it doesn't retain the same "memory shape."

When your rug has been stored for a long period of time, and you are ready to have it out again, you may consider getting it professionally cleaned, which will be like a spa for the fibers of your rug. Your rug will come back to you feeling soft, colors brightened, and clean (see Our Services).

See all our Rug Care recommendations!