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New Zealand Home & Building, October-November 1985

Hand-Woven, Designer Rugs

Hand-Woven, Designer Rugs

As an alternative to carpet, a well designed floor rug on an attractive flooring such as parquet or slate can create variety and interest.

The decorative value of handmade rugs has hither to not enjoyed the attention it deserves in modern life, but in the last decade there have appeared an increasing number of people who are creating excellent and individual hand-woven rugs as an art form.

The appeal of a handmade rug lies in the fact that every one is a unique creation of the artist or craftsman with unlimited possibilities in design, texture, colour and interest. Like other art objects such as painting or sculptures, a rug can be the focal point of a room's decor, spread out to provoke thought and delight the viewer.

The rug, however, possesses two qualities which distinguish it from a painting. A picture will not change in response to light, while the pile of a carpet does. Seen against the light (for instance) the colours will appear stronger and darker; with the light, they appear soft and more harmonious.

And then there is the tactile quality of a rug. Varied or exaggerated and sculptured textures will often form the design without the introduction of colours.

Some rugs are very definitely an art form, meant for hanging on the wall not for walking on and in these cases practical considerations like wear, will' not have a bearing on their construction. Others are as tough as they are good looking.

Rugs handcrafted for the wall come in woven and tufted designs; some smooth, some soft and chunky with hanks of unspun wool interspersed or even sculptured pieces of ceramic and wood.

It is currently popular to have corporate logos included in a floor or wall carpet design for entrance foyers and offices.

Many qualities of oriental rugs appeal to the home-maker and while not all of those who wish to possess one want to be a collector, a prospective buyer should gain an elementary knowledge in order to make a wise choice.

There are no standard rules or informative labelling with oriental rugs because, being hand-knotted, each is an individual work. They are judged in relation to each other.

The term 'oriental' applies to rugs made all over Asia. Much of the area they come from once belonged to the Persian Empire and many are still commonly referred to as Persian carpets.

Conflict in Iran and Afghanistan has meant that the number of carpets from those origins seen on our market has decreased and left the way open for India, Pakistan, Turkey and USSR to make major gains in the carpet market. The vast range of oriental rugs can be confusing. The main criterion for buying one should still be its aesthetic appeal to the buyer.

Any design can be created by the carpet manufacturers, or made to your design. This custom-designed carpet in Auckland's Mid City complex has become a talking point. Photo courtesy of Feltex Contract Carpets Ltd.

Any design can be created by the carpet manufacturers, or made to your design. This custom-designed carpet in Auckland's Mid City complex has become a talking point. Photo courtesy of Feltex Contract Carpets Ltd.

Carpet has warm qualities in a visual sense as well as Physical — here browns and beiges make for an inviting place to sit Photo courtesy of Feltex Contract Carpets Ltd.

Carpet has warm qualities in a visual sense as well as Physical — here browns and beiges make for an inviting place to sit Photo courtesy of Feltex Contract Carpets Ltd.

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