Carpet runners: Things you should know about

Thanks to their special shape, rug runners can be used like hardly any other rug. They have to endure a lot of wear, lie in highly frequented rooms, are worn with street shoes in the entrance area and should be highly dirt-repellent. Nevertheless, hand-knotted rug runners have a long service life and an excellent price/performance ratio. Whether in the hallway, in front of the kitchenette or next to the bed - without oriental rug runners our home would only be half as beautiful.

Rug runners in all variations

Thanks to the ingenuity of knotters there are oriental rug runners for every need. While these rugs were once woven by nomads and used for everyday purposes such as bed linen, today we mostly use rug runners in transit areas. The hallway is an excellent example of this. Hand-knotted runners have one thing in common: they are highly resilient thanks to their design. For example, kilim runners, flat-woven rugs whose front and back sides are the same, are popular. On the one hand this is due to the type of weaving, on the other hand it enables an even longer lifespan. If one side is dirty, the rug can be flipped over easily. In addition, a kilim is relatively flat and doors can be opened above the rug.

Rug runner as an elegant interior accessory

Modern interior design styles set the scene for forms and colours. Nowadays, highly colourful mixes are not usual any more. Nevertheless, different interior styles testify to the diversity on the furniture market. Rugs are no exception and match the styles. For example, there are rugs that complement the BOHO style. Especially classic oriental runners are suitable here and give your interior the finishing touch. Those who like it more colourful are well advised to use oriental kilims. The fantastic variety of shapes, colours and designs fulfill most wishes. Floral ornaments literally attract all attention. A Moroccan runner in a Beni Ourain design, on the other hand, is a simpler one. These rugs are characterised by clear white to ivory as the basis and intersecting black lines arranged in diamond form. For the Scandinavian style, on the other hand, a nomad rug runner is an excellent choice. Their geometric ornaments harmonise with the linear style of the interior design.

What should you look out for in rug runners?

The variety of hand-knotted runners may seem endless at first glance. However, each one is unique and has therefore only been knotted in one size. With just a few points you can quickly limit your choice.

In the best case, the material used should always come from nature. Cotton or sheep's wool are very suitable and promise a long durability. Sheep wool in particular is a great basic material. Thanks to its natural fat content, it is not susceptible to dirt. Thus, a careful cleaning is no problem. In addition, the soft wool shines brilliantly.

At first glance, synthetic colours can hardly be distinguished from natural ones, and yet there are big differences between the two. Natural colours last longer, do not bleach so quickly from the sun and are completely harmless to health. And not only that, natural colours from sustainable cultivation protect the climate and pollute waste water less. These advantages of natural materials can hardly be averted when deciding to buy a rug runner. Of course, rugs from traditional quality production cost correspondingly more, but the pleasure in them is all the greater.