MATERIALS & TECHNIQUES IN RUGS
MATERIALS & TECHNIQUES
Our homes, hotels and workplaces have evolved over the years, yet there is a timeless appeal of handmade rugs that helps a living room, a lobby or a conference room stand out and sparkle.
Depending on the material or yarn chosen for the rug, you get different kinds of lustre, texture and durability. Some yarns are extra soft, luscious and warm, others are smooth and cool.
We use a wide variety of traditional and modern materials and techniques to bring you rugs that display diverse appeal.
At House of Rugs, our master weavers play with a wide variety of materials—from the traditional cotton, wool and silk to viscose, bamboo silk, banana silk and even Pet yarn, which is a sustainable option.
Their dexterous hands play around with the yarn – twisting, knotting, weaving and looping – to create a handmade rug. There are also many intricate techniques like full loop, flat weave, cut pile andcarving, and more, that result in a myriad mesmerising textures.
Materials
Wool
It is a traditional pile fibre that is considered the best till today. Since time immemorial, man has used sheep’s wool for its softness and warmth. It is also naturally strong, water repellent and flame retardant. With its rich texture and long unbroken fibres, it offers a wonderful feel underfoot.
New Zealand Wool
It is one of the finest and softest wools. Its natural white colour allows for a broader range in dying leading to rich and clean shades.
Jasmine Silk
It is one of the finest quality silks with minimum shedding, making it the most sought-after luxury rug. Its luminous, almost sensual appeal belies its exceptional strength, that makes it outlast all other materials. Its lustrous quality comes from the reflective quality of each strand, which also transforms the colours to jewel tones. Silk, however, needs careful maintenance and cleaning.
Banana Silk
With its distinctive shiny pile, banana silk offers a luminous look. It is silky smooth, though not as refined as silk. Being an eco-friendly material, it displays perfect moisture absorbing quality. Rugs made of banana silk are resilient and durable.
Viscose
It is a versatile fiber offering the refinement of natural fibres like silk, wool, cotton in look and texture. That’s why it is known as artificial silk. It is also equally comfortable. It has excellent colour retention quality, and is highly absorbant. Since it does not insulate heat, a viscose rug stays cool to the touch, making it a great option in summers.
Wool and Cotton
One of the age-old materials, it is environment friendly, simple to produce and incredibly versatile as it can be dyed and made into a rug using a multitude of techniques.
Pet Yarn
Made from recycled plastic yarn, this is a sustainable material. It is stain-resistant, any surface dirt can be easily wiped out. It withstands the effect of water andsunlight, hence ideal for high-traffic areas as well as outdoors.
Techniques
Handknotted
Rugs made by hand knotting consist of millions of knots individually tied around the warp and weft. The knot size and uniformity determine the quality and smoothness of the rug – the smallest knots create the finest details, while the larger ones result in a rough texture. Our experienced artisans work diligently around a hand-knotted rug.
Handloomed
Handloom rugs are handmade on a loom using the shuttle. Our weavers have honed the skill of weaving on the loom over generations. They also use a rod to create multiple textures. This technique is best for achieving mesmerizing textures in single tone colours.
Flat loop pile
Yarns are knotted directly onto the warp and left uncut, creating a firmer texture for when a thinner, more tactilefinish is desired.
Zero pile
A traditional craft, where delicate patterns are created by stitching wool or silk through a natural canvas. A range of scales is possible, from simple to exquisitely fine.
Full loop
It can be intricately hand-trimmed to different heights to add a three-dimensional quality to the design.
Raised pile
The pile can be intricately hand trimmed to different heights to add a three-dimensional quality to the design.
Carving
Patterned elements of a design can be painstakingly hand carved to give designs an added dimension. Patterns can be carved or raised depending on the desired effect.
Loop cut
When the knots around the rod are left uncut leaving out loops, it results in an interesting texture.
Cut pile
In this process, the yarn loops are sheared leaving the pile upright and exposed. This results in a soft and luxurious texture.
Flat weave
The fabric is intertwined so there are no threads protruding to create a pile, hence the name, flat weave.
Printed
When patterns are carved or raised to create a desired effect, it has a printed look.