Striped Rug: Lines Drawn by Hand in Knotted Wool
A striped rug is the simplest pattern there is, and the hardest to make interesting by machine. Printed or power-loomed stripes are perfectly parallel and perfectly dull. In a hand-knotted rug every line is placed by eye: it wavers a little, thickens, stops short of the edge, starts again. The stripes on this page were made that way, in wool, on upright looms in Morocco. Some are a few dark lines on an ivory ground, some are broad bands of colour, and some are not colour at all but ribs raised in the pile.
From the Atelier
Striped Rug currently in our collection
Beni Mrirt "Rust Runner"
320 × 95 cm
€1,629
Azilal "Fuchsia Ladder"
305 × 70 cm
€1,547
Beni Mrirt "Linear Taupe"
400 × 300 cm
€4,847
Beni Ouarain "Cream Passage"
300 × 220 cm
€1,797
Beni Mrirt "Rose Quartz"
296 × 208 cm
€2,689
Beni Mrirt "Taupe Linear"
300 × 200 cm
€2,689
Azilal "Electric Waves"
310 × 186 cm
€1,797
Beni Mrirt "Linear Shadow"
250 × 150 cm
€1,883
Beni Ouarain "Charcoal Labyrinth"
300 × 218 cm
€1,797
Beni Mrirt "Soft Linear"
309 × 250 cm
€3,872
Azilal "Confetti Columns"
300 × 216 cm
€1,797
Beni Mrirt "Cedar Lines"
320 × 260 cm
€4,119
Three kinds of striped Moroccan rug
The quietest are tone-on-tone. In Beni Mrirt and Beni Ourain rugs of this kind the field is a single colour, and the stripes are ribs or channels in a dense pile, so the lines appear as shadow rather than colour. In sand, taupe or cream these rugs are closer to texture than to pattern.
The second kind uses line: thin charcoal stripes crossing a cream ground at uneven intervals, the dark-on-pale drawing of the Middle Atlas applied to bands instead of diamonds. The third kind is colour. Azilal rugs set bright stripes of different widths side by side, with broken marks between them, while Beni Mguild pieces lay deep red, burgundy or navy in broad horizontal bands.
Which way should the stripes run?
Stripes pull the eye along their length. Running down a hallway, they make it feel longer and lead you through. Running across it, they make it feel wider and slow it down. In a narrow room, lay the rug so that the stripes cross the short dimension; in a short room, let them run with the long one.
In a sitting area, stripes parallel to the sofa underline the seating and calm the arrangement. Stripes running away from the sofa add depth and movement. Neither is wrong; decide which the room needs. If the floor is boarded, stripes at right angles to the boards usually look more deliberate than stripes running the same way.
Scale: fine lines or broad bands
Fine, widely spaced lines suit rooms that already have plenty going on: patterned upholstery, open shelving, a busy view. They read as a calm ground from a distance. Broad bands are furniture in their own right and want space around them; they look best in rooms with plain walls and few competing patterns.
Size the pattern to the rug as well. On a small rug, a handful of bands is enough. On a rug of nine by twelve feet, a rhythm that changes across the surface, narrower here and wider there, keeps a large field from becoming monotonous. That irregular rhythm is exactly what hand work provides.
Stripes with other patterns
Stripes are the easiest pattern to mix because they behave like a neutral. Put them with one larger, looser pattern, a floral curtain or an abstract painting, and keep the scale different: narrow stripes with a big motif, or bold bands with a small one.
Checks, other stripes and tight geometrics at a similar scale are where it goes wrong. If the room already has a strongly lined element, such as slatted panelling or a ribbed sofa, choose a tone-on-tone striped rug, where the lines are felt more than seen.
Practical notes
The lines in a hand-knotted rug are not ruler-straight and the bands are not identical in width. That is the mark of the work, not a flaw, and it is why no two pieces match. A pile rug is not reversible, but it can be turned end for end, which you should do twice a year to even out wear and light.
Vacuum without a beater bar, in the direction of the pile. The selection runs from hallway runners to rugs for large living rooms; exact measurements are given with each piece. 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 a one-off.
- 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
- Do striped rugs make a room look bigger?
- They change its proportions. Stripes running the length of a room make it feel longer; stripes across it make it feel wider. Choose the direction according to which dimension you want to stretch.
- Are the stripes on a hand-knotted rug perfectly even?
- No. Each line is knotted by eye, so widths and spacing vary slightly and lines may drift. This is characteristic of hand work and is what distinguishes these rugs from machine-made stripes.
- Which is easier to live with, fine lines or bold bands?
- Fine lines on a pale ground are the more flexible and suit most rooms. Bold bands are more striking and need a calmer setting. For a busy household, any striped rug hides wear better than a plain one.
- Can I use a striped wool rug in a hallway?
- Yes, it is one of the best places for one. Choose a runner with the stripes along its length to draw the eye through, and put a non-slip pad underneath.
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 a one-off, 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.