Indian Rugs

Frequently Asked Questions

• Indian Rugs

  Enrich your interiors with the finest handmade Indian rugs the UK has to offer. They redefine your interiors with their exotic designs made from natural fibres like wool and silk.

  Esteemed for their refined weaves and intricate designs, Indian rugs have been giving Turkish and Persian rugs a run for their money in recent years. Fine rugs were woven in India before the establishment of Persian and Turkish rug making centres. Apart from the antiquity of their designs, the weaving skills of Indian rug weavers are admired and are finding their way into beautiful homes worldwide.

  London House Rugs stocks a collection of hand-woven rugs from India. They offer a variety of styles and sizes, including antique and contemporary designs. Our collection includes tribal and modern motifs as well.

• History Of Indian Rugs

  The art of rug making was introduced in India during the 16th Century by the Mughal Emperor Akbar, who brought in Persian weavers with skilled pattern artists to produce magnificent handmade carpets for his palaces.

  Chinese scribes from the Tang dynasty (618–907 AD) are the first to mention Indian carpets. India became acquainted with Islam with the Arab invasion of Sindh in 712. The Afghan Ghaznavids and their Ghaurid descendants propagated Islam farther in India. In 985 AD, the Arabian geographer Al-Muqaddasi mentions Sindh carpets. Carpet weaving may be traced back to the Mughal Empire's founding in the early sixteenth century, when Babur, Timur's last successor, stretched his dominion from Kabul, Afghanistan to India and established the Mughal Empire. Humayun, Babur's successor, sought asylum in Shah Tahmasp I's Persian Safavid court.

  Humayun returned to India with the help of the Safavid Empire. Akbar the Great, his son, expanded his influence into northern India and the Deccan. Indian craftspeople absorbed Persian techniques and designs under the patronage of the Mughals.

  Carpets were used at the Mughal court, according to miniature paintings from Akbar's court. Commercial records from the seventeenth century show considerable trade in carpets with Western Europe. Mughal carpets have been displayed in period Netherlandish paintings, and there are still many Indian carpets in European collections.

  With the demise of the Mughal Empire, carpet weaving in India decreased to the point where the British colonial authorities decided to establish factories. After India and Pakistan gained independence, carpet weaving continued in both countries.

  Today, commercial rugs are frequently produced in India and Pakistan using international designs or design replicas. India also produces high quality hand knotted rugs with individual, unique designs.

• Types Of Indian Rugs

  With so many different regions producing rugs in India, it isn't easy to generalize the quality of the rugs produced there. The carpets made near the city of Varanasi tend to be lower quality than those produced in Jaipur and can include pile-woven and flat-woven rug styles, but this is not always the case. Rugs made in India can be distinguished from other weavers because of the dense knotting they use.

  Enriching any room with Indian Rugs has always been a great idea since these rugs will genuinely stand out compared to others. Their colours match almost any theme and look exquisite in any room setting.

  Indian rugs influenced by the Persian design include Mirzapur, Jaipur and Agra rugs.

• Indian Rugs Are Made From The Finest Raw Materials

  With so many carpets to choose from, knowing which is best for a particular environment can be confusing. In India, rugs are generally crafted from silk, viscose, cotton, wool, jute or hemp. Each of these materials has specific properties which add to the carpet and make rugs suitable for various spaces.

  1. Silk is the softest material when you step on it but is expensive compared to other raw materials.
  2. Compared with other fabrics, the finest Indian wool rugs are most likely to last the longest. Wool doesn't shed much, and it is highly stain resistant, so it's perfect for households with children and pets.
  3. Cotton is lightweight and affordable. It makes the room feel light and airy and is easy to maintain or wash.
  4. Derived from the leaves of the bamboo plant, bamboo silk is used to make hand-knotted rugs primarily by its long fibre length. Bamboo silk fibre is more robust than cotton and silk and can be used in more variety of textiles.
  5. Compared with silk and wool, viscose sheds more. It can be used to make other handmade rugs besides those made from wool and silk.
  6. Jute has evolved into an excellent material with countless contemporary uses and applications. It has coarse fibres but can be used for indoor and outdoor rugs.
• Rich Colours Speak A Language Of Their Own

  Indian Rugs are usually decorated with warm colours and tones such as yellow and red. Pastel shades are also used at times, such as beige, blue or green.

  Distinct colours used in Indian handmade carpets are not just for aesthetic appeal but often have meaning attached to them. Muted tones or lighter tones help spaces appear larger. In contrast, darker shades are used to cast a powerful statement. The motifs on the rugs use richly coloured yarns to show different details, making them even more intricate.

  The yarn is dyed in different shades and then used for making rugs with distinct colours. The rug dyeing process forms the backbone of how vibrant the final carpet can look. Most of the dyes used in India are plant-based. This enriches the aesthetics even more.

  Infusing natural dyes requires a lot of care and attention to ensure the yarn doesn't bleed once it comes into contact with moisture. However, it is harmless to your skin and pets.

  Nowadays, most renowned rug exporters make various rugs, including contemporary and modern designs.

  If you are looking to highlight a specific colour palette or design, knowing the origin of a rug can help you narrow down the field as different regions are known for different styles. It can also give you an insight into the quality of the rug.

• Indian Rugs - Patterns & Styles

  Rugs made in India today come in various shapes, sizes and designs. Many are flat and rectangular with swirling vines and animals like birds, while many have human figures depicted on them.

  Since each handmade rug is inspired by surrounding natural settings or carvings on ancient monuments, no two pieces are alike.

  Embellished with intricate details, Indian rugs are made by weaving strands of yarn to form an unrepeatable pattern. Each carpet is imperfect yet unique in all its aspects because of the hands of its makers involved.

  Characteristics of Mirzapur carpets, for example, feature round floral figures in dark red with a pale yellow or cream background. The borders have a repeating pear or floral pattern connected by vines. 

  Jaipur carpets resemble Persian rugs, with floral designs and vines running along both edges. However, Jaipur rugs often depict a cypress tree and include animal forms on a dark red, blue or ivory background with intricate vine and floral patterns on the border.

  Embellished with an intricate botteh design called mir-i-boteh, Indo-mirs are distinguished by an all-over pattern consisting of rows of small bottehs.

  On the other hand, Dhurries are similar to Turkish Kilims and have geometric, floral or traditional patterns depending on the region.

• Hand Woven Rugs vs Hand Knotted

  The difference between hand woven and knotted area rugs is the weaving process. Each hand-woven rug is handmade, but not every handmade rug is a hand-knotted area rug.

  Embellishing the homes of connoisseurs of fine art and design for over 5000 years, hand-knotted carpets are the "crème de la crème" of the carpet world. Hand-knotted rugs are premium collections of the finest wool & silk fibres intricately woven by artisans with an unparalleled obsession with perfection.

• Why Hand Knotted Area Rugs?

  Indian rugs are known for being large in size and heavy in weight which is mainly attributed to the number of knots per square inch. 
  

  The density of the knots within Indian Rugs can range from 25 to 194 knots or more. This usually results in millions of knots crafted into each handmade Indian rug.

  Hand-knotted rugs from India follow a lengthy manufacturing process:

  Dying the yarn

  Responsibly sourced wool is shipped to a dyeing plant where a dyeing expert colours the wool to its required tones.

  Mapping

  Rendering the design is quintessential to preparing the final design for the production. The traditional method involves manually painting the design on a piece of hardboard and painting the outline on subjects one by one until they are all painted over.

  Weaving/Knotting

  Next, skilled artisans weave or knot the rugs by following the rug's design map.

  Washing

  To provide the rug with a lustrous finish and remove any excess hair and cotton from the backside of the carpet, the rug's back is smoothed by slightly burning any excessive hair and cotton from the rear of the rug. Once the rug weaving is complete, it goes out to the washing plant for professional washing.

  Clipping

  Appending the final touches to the rug, clipping the rug is the last step where the carpet is trimmed or sheared. Through this very process, the rug gets its desired pile height.

• How Much Do Indian Rugs Cost?

  It can be quite intimidating to buy handmade Indian rugs online with so many factors in mind. However, by understanding its true worth, you will be better positioned to make an informed decision and buy the right rug.

  With so many variables to consider, acquiring high-quality Indian rugs is not as easy as one may imagine. The purchase price is just the tip of the iceberg; some costs accumulate over time, including the cost of maintenance, cleaning and repair. The numerous advantages that Indian rugs offer make them a sound investment for generations to come.

• Why Choose London House Rugs

  We have been sourcing, selling and weaving contemporary and traditional rugs for decades. We dedicate ourselves to supplying the highest quality rug collections with the most eclectic mix of designs. 

  We spend a lot of time hunting for the most beautiful carpets in India and developing long-term ethical relationships with weaving cooperatives. In our store, we have a huge collection of new and antique rugs.

  London House Rugs design, manufacture and install carpets for a range of applications for individuals and businesses. Please take a look at some of our recent projects to get an idea of the wide range of services we provide, including everything from a single hearth rug for your house to a hundred handcrafted carpets for a hotel rollout.

  We offer a complimentary home viewing service, which lets our clients see their selection of rugs in their homes and properties before ordering. 

  Shipping in mainland UK is free. If the rug is not right, you can return it to us for a full refund within 14 calendar days.