Where To Use Your Oriental Carpet

A Persian Oriental rug can be used for various reasons – ranging from the traditional floor covering, to bed coverings, wall hangings, table coverings or even purely as an investment.

Where the rug is used will to a large extent decide its lifetime since a rug used for floor covering in a heavy traffic area will obviously be subjected to more wear and tear than a rug that is used as a wall hanging.

Let’s see where your Oriental rug can be used in the home

1. Using your Oriental carpet as a floor covering

This is the most common usage and it is important to choose the right rug for the right circumstances. Do not use a lighter rug such as a silk rug in an area where there is a lot of foot traffic, rather use a rug with a heavier pile. The size of the rug is also important. When a rug is bought to be used on the floor, it is not intended to cover the full floor but to be used as an ornament where the floor forms a frame around the rug so make sure that at least a couple of inches, if not a feet or two, is showing around the carpet.

Rugs on the floor can be used in hallways, where they form a colorful welcome to owners as well as guests. A ground floor hall rug receives a lot of traffic and should therefore be selected for durability. Research and experience has shown that a rug such as Hamadan, a Meshkin or Ardebil should last well. Rugs in hallways should be turned regularly and cleaned regularly.

Stair rugs must also be chosen carefully since they also receive a lot of traffic. Stair rugs must be fastened securely in place – but never use glue or nails to keep the rug in position! This will ruin the rug and devalue it immediately. Rather use something such as wooden or metal stair rods.

2. Rugs as wall hangings

Persian Rugs and Carpets are often used as display pieces hanging on a wall. If a rug is too heavy though, it should rather not be used as wall hanging since its weight might strain the weave. Old rugs (antique rugs) that have seen a lot of wear can be used for wall hangings, as well as rugs such as pictorial rugs and silk rugs which display well in reflected light. Silk rugs such as Qum, Ishafan and Tabriz will work well as wall hangings.

3. Rugs as bed or table covers

Flat-weave kilims would work well for this purpose, as well as smaller antique rugs with a thinner pile. Remember that if an Oriental carpet is used as a table covering, if heavy ornaments are placed on it, it might crush the weave and the ornament should be moved regularly so as not to leave a permanent indentation. Floral vases can also be dangerous due to water leakage and spillage.