Whether you’re new here or not, it’s clear that you have a keen eye for home interiors, which means you have probably noticed that at the heart of every home lays a beautiful handmade rug. Our philosophy at Tribe Home, that happiness is crafted from the ground up, lends itself to this notion. To truly convince you of this we have created exclusive editorials to help you on your rug journey.
Firsts things first - you can, and you should, start designing a room by beginning with a rug that you love. We are vast believers of following your intuition and exploring your imagination instinctively, thus, when you are choosing a rug you should allow emotions that been evoked from each design to guide you in your selection. In saying this, we know once you find a design you love there are still some things that need to be considered.
We have answered five of the most popular questions regarding rugs to help you choose and care for your rug.
1. What size rug is best?
By ensuring your rug is big enough, you will successfully anchor your room to achieve a design that flows well and is also pleasing to the eye.
When selecting a rug, the first thing you should considered is size, with ‘the larger the better’ being the cardinal rule. This is significant, particularly in a living room, as every object in the room should be able to sit comfortably on the rug, or at the minimum have the front legs on the rug. This is imperative as by doing so you reduce the risk of having what is considered a floating rug or floating furniture. This indicates furniture or a rug that does not appear to be grounded in the room and can often conjure feelings of unease. The last thing you want is for the rug to look like a postage stamp within your space.
If you need help selecting the best size for you, we are always here to help or can put you into contact with one of our referred Interior Designers.
2. What's the beauty in hand-made rugs and how was my rug made?
You may be wondering what the difference truly is when it comes to handmade rugs versus machine-made. A significant difference is quality, with handmade rugs being more durable and more likely to last a lifetime. Contributing to their quality is that handmade rugs are made from natural fibres and yarns, whereas machine-made rugs are often made from synthetic fibres which aren’t as durable in high traffic areas. Handmade rugs are created with passion and creativity, and will all have a slightly different finish, making each piece truly unique for you, even when selecting a core collection design.
Understanding the process of handmade products in developing countries will also provide important perspective on your purchasing. At Tribe Home we work with weavers whose inherent skills have been passed down through generations. Each of our programmed rugs follows important and intricate measures through its passage to you from India. Our rugs follow several traditional weaving styles respected by the weaving industry for centuries. Each weave calls for speciality craftsmanship depending on the style of weaving. 'Hand-looming' and 'hand-weaving' creates each rug on a scaled wooden vertical or horizontal loom, intersecting the warp using stretched yarns to build the weft. 'Hand-tufting' differs by using a hand operated gun to follow a pattern on a vertical stretched frame. The hand-tufting pistol pinches yarn through the pattern to build taut piles. 'Hand-knotting' is the most specialised technique, created by advanced craftsman on vertical looms with a taut warp.
See the beauty for yourself and explore our hand-made Core Collection.
3. What makes a Vintage Rug so special?
Where do we start!? Collecting design inspiration through travelled lands influences each design you see, no more than our special Vintage Collection.
Being lovers of Vintage rugs here at Tribe Home – with our Director Tina hand-selecting every single beauty in our collection – we tend to know a thing or two about Vintage pieces. An interior designer favourite, as no two rugs are alike, Vintage rugs are one-of-a-kind pieces that you alone will get to cherish, no one else will ever have the same rug as you, making each space they are placed individual. You will be able to create bespoke interiors that won’t ever be replicated!
Vintage rugs are steeped in history from exotic lands, these hand-knotted carpets are up to 80 years old and are a collector’s item and investment piece to treasure for years to come. They are guaranteed to last you another 100 years and will instantly add character and warmth within your home. If you own a Vintage rug, you are a part of something exclusive. They are like a family heirloom, an antique, respected and cherished by generations.
Vintage rugs, like the ones you’ll find in our collection, are elaborately knotted and have employed time-honoured local designs that are passed down from generation to generation - just like you will do with your very own vintage rug. Their longevity is another feature in their positive impact for sustainability, as well as ensuring your forever home will always be filled with class and style. As with any heirloom and investment you do need to take care with Vintage rugs and ensure you receive a certificate of authenticity, which all Tribe Home Vintage rugs are provided with.
Have a closer look and discover their historic beauty when you explore our Vintage Collection.
4. How do I maintain my rug?
Rugs are an investment piece for you, so maintaining and caring for them is key to ensure their longevity.
If you find your new textured rug is shedding, do not fear, it is perfectly fine! In the first few years of a rug’s life, it will shed the excess wool fibres left over from the weaving process. These fibres leave a fuzzy appearance all over the rug and should be vacuumed a few times a week. Pile shredding is a normal characteristic of a textured rug and should subside after 6-12 months. The more regularly you vacuum your rug, the quicker the shedding will subside. However, it is very important that when you are vacuuming your rug, for general cleaning or to remove excess fibres, you ensure your vacuum is on its lowest setting and the brushes aren’t exposed. By doing so, the rotating brush will not create excessive agitation on the rug. For the greatest suction, the vacuum bag or canister should be kept less than half full, and the vacuum should be moved in a ‘V’ path instead of back and forth to prevent the fibres from being crushed. Wool rugs can be turned upside down and the underside can be vacuumed as well. About once a year, wool rugs should get a thorough professional cleaning to remove general grime that a vacuum can’t touch.
Rugs are made from many differing fibres, all of which bring a specific quality to a rug - wool for longevity, bamboo for stunning colour intensity and silk or viscose for luminous shine. Just as these fibres have different qualities, they have different care needs. Therefore, it is always so important that you follow the guidelines on the care cards provided with your rug to ensure their longevity.
Discover for yourself the behaviours of each fibre and what you should expect from your rug.
5. How can I protect my rug from stains and fading?
Ensuring you keep your rug clean with vacuuming and yearly professional cleans is one way to maintain your rug’s brightness and appearance. However, if you have children or pets always running around, or are lucky enough to have an abundance of natural light in your home, there are a few more ways you can protect your rug.
Firstly, if your rug is exposed to direct sunlight colour fading may occur, in order to prevent this your rug should be turned often. Any spills made by you or the little ones should be removed immediately; if liquid is spilt you will need to blot with a clean white cloth by pressing around the spill. The best way to protect your rug, and have a little more peace of mind, would be with a nontoxic micro-seal such as the one offered by Fiber ProTector. We highly recommend this for light coloured and viscose rugs, it utilises nanotechnology at a molecular level to protect your rug from nasty stains, fading caused by UVA and UVB rays AND fights against mould, mildew and bacteria. What’s not to love about that!?
Want to know more?
Learn all about Fibre ProTector and how it can protect your rug here.