How to Choose a Persian Rug

Tips on Finding Beautiful, Durable Persian Carpets

A high quality Persian rug is an investment, but one that will add beauty to your home for generations to come. Because good quality Persian rugs do tend to be expensive, it's well worth taking the time to understand what sets a good rug apart from an average one.

Consider your needs
Traditionally, the rug was considered the centerpiece of the room and the rest of the room's decor was chosen based on it. If you're choosing a rug for a room you've already decorated, though, you'll want to consider what kind of Persian carpet would go best with the furniture, colors, and patterns in the room. The fact that Persian rugs are meant to be centerpieces means you want to make sure it won't clash with the room's decor. Consider the colors and patterns in the wallpaper and furniture. If you've already got a lot of busy patterns in your furniture or wallpaper, you can avoid clashes by choosing a rug with a simple geographic design. On the other hand, a room with fairly plain decor can be spiced up with a bright intricately patterned rug. For rugs meant to go under furniture, make sure you choose a size that will leave at least three feet extending past the edge of furniture.

Determine the rug's quality
The quality of the rug determines not only how attractive it is, but how long it will last. Ideally, you'll want a hand-woven rug. These will can be passed on for 4 or 5 generations, if not longer, whereas machine-made rugs tend to wear out after 20 years or so. There are a few tricks to determining whether or not a rug was hand-made. The loops on the back of the rug will be clearly visible, the rug should be flexible and not crack when folded, and any fringe will have been woven in, not sewn on. The quality of the wool used to weave the carpet. Good wools is soft and lustrous, whereas poor quality wool tends to be dull and scratchy. This is important because softer wool absorbs dyes better so it's less likely to fade. The number of knots per inch is frequently said to be an indication of quality, but don't get too hung up on counting knots. Even in high quality rugs, the number of knots can vary with pattern.