Independent editorial
The reference for rugs
Understand rugs before you buy, clean or repair one. Start with the decision you need to make.
What are you trying to work out?
All topics →Choose a starting point, or use the rug size calculator for a quick answer.
Work out the sizeThe one decision you cannot correct later. Standard dimensions, what each fits, and the rules for every room.Choose a materialWool, cotton, silk, jute, viscose and synthetics compared on what actually separates them: wear, water, light and price.Know what it should costWhat rugs cost across every tier, what drives the range, and how to tell a fair price from a confident one.Buy without being sold toAn end-to-end process — establish what the object is before anyone tells you what it is worth.Identify what you haveKnot, palette, drawing and finish — how to place a rug by looking at it rather than by trusting the label.Clean, repair or store oneWhat you can safely do at home, what needs a professional, and the damage that is worth paying to reverse.
Have room measurements? Use the rug size calculator →
Browse every topic251 guides across 78 subjects
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- Corrections appear on the article they affect, dated — not quietly edited in.
- Where a guide cites a source, it is listed at the foot of the article.
Featured guides
Rugs: Where to StartWhat a rug actually is, the four decisions that matter and the order to make them in — the starting point for everything else on this site.Rug Buying GuideAn end-to-end process for buying a rug well — decide the size, establish what the object is, and only then discuss what it should cost.Persian RugsWhat Persian rugs are, how they are made, how to tell the regions apart, and what actually drives their value — the complete reference guide.
Editor's picks
Chosen by us, not ranked by traffic.
Hand-Knotted RugsThe construction everything else is measured against — how it works, what it genuinely costs in labour, and the two-second check that identifies it.Wool RugsWhy wool remains the default rug fibre — resilience, soil resistance, flame retardance and repairability — and the three situations where it is the wrong choice.How to Buy Persian RugsA working process for buying a Persian rug — what to establish before price comes up, what to inspect, and the sales tactics worth recognising early.
Recently published
All articles →How to Hang a Rug on the WallHang a rug like textile conservators do: the hook-and-loop batten method, sleeve and rod, padded clips, tack strips, and what never to do to a valuable rug.Suzani Kilims: Embroidery, Structure, and BuyingSuzani is embroidery; kilim is a flatweave. Learn the difference, how panels were made, what motifs suggest, and how to assess age, condition and care.What a Rug's Knot Count Can (and Cannot) Tell YouKnot density describes how closely a pile rug is knotted, not its overall quality. Learn how to count it, compare designs, and spot the limits of a quoted figure.Sizing a Round RugA round rug's diameter can disguise how much floor it covers. Use circle-area math, table and chair clearance, and a floor template to choose the right size.Vintage or Antique? How to Check a Rug's Age ClaimRug listings use “vintage” and “antique” inconsistently. Learn what a century convention means, what to ask a seller, and how to evaluate an age claim.What Rug Motifs Mean — and What They Don'tBoteh, tree-of-life and gul patterns carry different histories. Learn which rug motif meanings have evidence, which remain debated, and how to read them cautiously.
Recently revised
Guides we have gone back and corrected or expanded.
Antique RugsThe hundred-year threshold, how to date a rug from its construction rather than its paperwork, and where genuine antiques still represent value.What Are Area Rugs?An area rug covers part of a floor rather than the whole room — construction, materials, size and cost, including the failure modes most guides leave out.Bathroom Rugs & MatsConstant damp, bare feet and a hard floor — the room where almost every natural fibre is wrong, and what actually works instead.Bedroom RugsUnderfoot on waking is the whole brief — the three placement options around a bed, and where it is worth spending and where it is not.