dear doris, where are your gorgeous rugs from please?
love mair, camden, united kingdom.
dear mair & every other soul with a major or minor (d)rug addiction,
this is one of the most asked home questions i receive via instagram. and the short answer is — they are from morocco. i find them via etsy. however i felt this question warants a loftier answer and it would be fun to deep dive into the pile and revere the variety & characteristics of rugs available on the tufty market.
i have been a consumer of rugs over the past decade — ever since i have had a corner or container to call my own. i have found using rugs give an immediate and lasting ‘ahhh home’ feeling even when you don’t have a mid-century leg to stand on.
rugs are akin to the base note of a room. the major pieces of furniture & minor interior keys may change according to season and reason but a very good rug holds space & sets the tone for every other piece in the room.
my personal rugs of choice are the handwoven vintage variety from morocco in the styles of boucherouite, azilal & beni ourain.
boucherouite rugs are made from recycled cotton rags and leftover textiles — a resourceful form of production and akin to a form of abstract art. they are generally colourful & filled with eclectic patterns — not for the faint-colour hearted.
they can appear in more subdued designs and all it takes is some etsy digging (ps. i have done the home-work for you below). boucherouite are mostly rectangular and ranging from small doormat size to covering a large living area.
azilal are a mixture of wool & cotton. the azilal are named after the asi-lal region of the moroccan mountains. they are hand woven by local berber women and characterized by colorful patterns and motifs on undyed natural wool.
these rugs can range from being neutral and low-key to mid-astraction. the base is generally undyed wool so they are creamy in nature and tufted with colourful cotton accents.
beni ourain are made entirely from natural wool from the sheep. they are white to creamy with black or chocolate accents. the patterns are generally triangular and diamond shape. they are the most subdued and neutral in the rug famiglia.
if this type of rug were a mushroom it would be a mellow & comforting microdose for a space while big brother boucherouite would be a ceremonial dose of psychedelic colour to a room. if this piece were a dude — it would be rugged up with a full chest of hair. if this rug were a sheep — it would be a wooly highlander. you get the thick of it.
the rug pile refers to the thickness of a rug. azilal tend to be low pile. boucherouite are medium pile and beni ourain tend to be thick pile. the way the rug feels under foot and when seated is worth considering.
a boucherouite is made from cotton so it feels dense yet soft and non-scratchy like a worn vintage tee. an azilal is thin pile wool so feels cosy and condensed while still being grounded. beni ourain are warm and comforting like a woolly hand-knitted jumper.
a favourite pastime of mine is rummaging and hearting old rugs via etsy. this magic carpet ride i would like to share with you. i have sifted through thousands of various patterns, pile and personality over the years.
below is a link for paid subscribers to my favourites collection of vintage rugs. plus some tips on weaving a friendly relationship with your rug dealer.
thank you mair for your question and allowing me to expand on my (d)rug habit.
big love & blessings
♡ d x x
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favourites vintage rugs collection in the link below.
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