Rug Buying Guide: Seven Decisions in the Right Order
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A rug buying guide is most useful when it puts the decisions in order, because most regrets come from making them backwards: falling for a colour, then finding the size is wrong, then learning what the rug is made of. There are seven decisions, and each narrows the next. Size comes first because it cannot be changed. Use comes second because it decides the pile. Fibre and construction decide how long the rug lasts. Colour and pattern come only then. The seller and the pad complete the list. This page takes them one at a time, for a hand-knotted rug or any other.
From the Atelier
Currently in our collection
Size and use
Measure the room and the furniture, then mark the outline of the rug on the floor with tape. In a living room the front legs of every seat should stand on it. Under a dining table it should extend 24 inches beyond the edge on all sides. Beside a bed it should show 18 to 24 inches. Leave floor visible at the walls.
Then be honest about use. Who walks on it, in what shoes? Are there children, pets, dining chairs, a desk chair? Busy and messy rooms call for a dense pile and pattern. Quiet rooms can have a deep pile and pale colour.
Fibre and construction
Wool is the best all-round fibre: resilient, warm, slow to show dirt and long-lived. Cotton and jute are flat and cool. Nylon is the toughest synthetic. Polypropylene and polyester are inexpensive and short-lived. Viscose, sold under silk-like names, marks with water and wears fast.
Construction matters as much. Hand-knotted rugs last for decades and can be repaired. Flat-woven rugs are thin and durable. Hand-tufted rugs are held together with glue and last a few years. Machine-made rugs are uniform and replaceable. Look at the back of any rug before you look at the front.
Colour and pattern
Only now choose the look. Decide whether the rug should lead or follow. A patterned or coloured rug leads, and the furniture should be plain. A quiet rug follows, and lets furniture and art lead. One or the other should be calm.
Light rugs brighten and show marks. Dark rugs anchor and show lint. Mid-tones and pattern hide the most. Look at photographs taken in daylight, and remember that a hand-knotted rug looks lighter from one end than from the other.
The seller and the description
A good description states the fibre, the construction, the country where the rug was made and the measured size, and shows the rug itself, flat, with close-ups. If any of those is missing, ask. If the answer is vague, look elsewhere.
Read what is included in delivery, and whether import duties and taxes are covered or will be charged at the door. Check that the rug shown is the rug you will receive, which for a one-of-a-kind piece it must be. Keep the description and the confirmation of your order.
The pad, and how this rug buying guide applies to us
Buy a pad with the rug. On a hard floor it stops slipping, protects the knots and makes the rug feel thicker. Felt with a grip layer suits most rugs, and a thin grip-only pad suits thick ones and low doors.
Our collection is 275 hand-knotted wool rugs from Morocco, each with its own page, its own measured size and its fibre and type stated. One hundred and twenty-eight measure around 6 ft 7 in by 9 ft 10 in, fifty-six are larger, and there are thirty-seven mid-sized rugs, thirty-one runners and twenty-three small ones. Each rug is one of a kind, with its exact measurements on its own page. Delivery is free worldwide, duties and taxes included.
What you can verify about us
- Origin
- Made in MoroccoHand-knotted Berber rugs from the Atlas regions. Every rug is one of a kind.
- Construction
- Hand-knotted woolVerified at every stage — never machine-tufted.
- Delivery
- Duties includedFree shipping; import duties and taxes are included in the price.
- Returns
- 14 daysIn condition received, full refund of the purchase price.
Frequently Asked
Questions
- What should I decide first when buying a rug?
- The size. Measure the room and mark the outline on the floor before looking at colours.
- What is the best rug material?
- Wool for most rooms. It is resilient, warm and long-lived.
- How do I know if a rug is good quality?
- Check the back for knots, ask for the fibre and construction, and press the pile to see whether it springs back.
- Do I need a rug pad?
- On hard floors, yes. It prevents slipping and protects the rug.
Sources & References
What this page rests on
- 1. Atlas Co-operative Direct-Import Standards
- 2. Rug Buyers Trust Guide
The person behind the piece
“Before you buy, I’ll send you a video of the actual rug in natural light — not a stock photo. I answer the messages myself.”
I’m Youssef. I started ARINID because this market is full of middlemen and machine-made imitations sold as the real thing — and I grew up close enough to the looms to know the difference.
Every piece we list is one of a kind, hand-knotted in Morocco. If you want to talk through sizing for your room, I’m on the other end of the message. A rug at this level is a thirty-year decision. You should be able to look the person selling it to you in the eye.
Youssef
Founder, ARINID
The next step
See every rug we currently offer
Each piece is hand-knotted in Morocco and delivered to your door, with shipping, duties and taxes included.