The Rug Lover

Buyer tip 1: watch out for sleazy looking craigslist ads

2008-03-23T12:28:00.000-07:00

I saw this on one of my preferred blogs:

http://carpetondemand.com/blog/the-oriental-carpet-buyer/2008/03/22/easter-persian-carpet-sale-yay/

Beautiful rug of the day

2008-03-19T15:02:00.000-07:00

This is from my favorite website for carpets, Barry O'Connell's notes:

(image from this page)

Funny carpet videos

2008-03-18T19:35:00.001-07:00

Watch the latest videos on YouTube.com

What to look for when buying a rug

2008-03-18T18:56:00.000-07:00

The first time I bought a rug was unlike what most people have to go through. I bought it from a friend and I knew I could trust whatever he was telling me. First of all, he said that Ushaks were the most popular in home decorating these days, which made me want to get something else - I didn't want to get whatever was really mainstream.

I had already received the talk about why carpets where important. I was anticipating seeing some carpets first-hand. He furled out out a few carpets and explained to me what their significance was.

He said that there were some criteria to respect when judging the value of an oriental rug:

1. The materials used (wool, cotton, silk?)
2. The dyes (artificial, natural, paint?)
3. The workmanship (pile well-cut, good job on design?) note: he also showed how imperfection is beautiful in oriental carpets sometimes.
4. You have to add age if the carpet is old.

When I felt the carpets, I imagined those who worked to make them. I wondered where they had worked, under what conditions. I wanted to buy a carpet.

My first carpet was a humble Yagcibedir from Turkey - made in Turkey. It sits proudly near my fireplace.

How I fell in love with oriental carpets

2008-03-18T18:12:00.000-07:00

I was walking around Manhattan with a friend. He is a carpet salesman's son. And he was telling me about why his father's carpets cost so much: the amount of time they take to produce, the materials that are used, the history that goes into their design. He was talking about a customer who did not wish to pay over 1000 Dollars for a carpet that was worth much more. He explained to me why oriental carpets are not like just any other carpets you put in your house.

I finally understood that oriental carpets are works of art. Their value most often increases as they get older and are a great investment for that reason.

Since then, I love oriental carpets. I have gathered quite a collection in the mean time and it is all thanks to my understanding of what kind of work really goes into oriental carpets.