Oriental Rugs 101

Some of the world's finest rugs come from the Middle and Far East and Northern Africa: places like Nepal, China, Iran, Morocco, Tibet, Turkey, Russia, Pakistan and India. Even though many Oriental rugs have traditional designs that've been unchanged for centuries, they're a perfect match to 21st century decor — like this Moroccan Beni Ourain rug paired with a neon sign wall and eclectic furniture. The key to making an antique rug work in a contemporary space? Don't pick a rug to match your furniture; instead, pick furniture that works with your rug. Elisabeth Parker, a rug expert with Christie’s Auction House in New York, says you should choose a rug first, then build the room around it. She notes, "A carpet adds so much personality to a room. It really is the foundation for the entire design."

Moroccan rugs come in a range of regional styles, ranging from the simple patterning of the classic Beni Ourain to the distinctive blood red background and bold patterns of the Rehamna, like this stunning example. There are 45 Berber tribes in Morocco and each creates its own distinctive rug style — that's a whole lot of rugs but they have a few traits in common. All Moroccan rugs are traditionally woven from wool and their tribal patterns tell stories of the weaver who made them. They're soft to the touch, and some have a high, fuzzy pile. And they're a powerful piece of art for your floor that you can build a room around.

Oriental rugs take their names from the places and people who weave them. Peshawar rugs were traditionally made by Afghan weavers in and around the city of Peshawar in northern Pakistan, but now they’re made in India and Afghanistan as well as Pakistan. The rugs’ colors echo the arid, mountainous terrain of their namesake region. Most feature subtle hues of ivory and gold and earth tones and have a limited color palette of fewer than eight distinct colors. Their designs are inspired by classic Persian rugs, so they use lots of medallions and floral motifs.

Kilim rugs originally hail from Turkey, but they’ve also been made by different tribal groups in Iran, Azerbaijan, the Balkans and the Turkic countries of Asia, too. They have a flatweave, so they’re not as thick as a knotted pile rug. Slitweaving, the technique used to weave kilims, makes it easy for the rug’s creator to create the bold geometric designs kilims are known for. The weaving technique also means kilims are reversible, with the same pattern on both sides of the rug. Kilims aren't just used as rugs. They're also used as wall hangings, bed coverlets, and pillow covers.