Moroccan Rugs
The history of Moroccan rugs stretches back over centuries, but it has been since the middle of last century that designers in the west began to truly understand and appreciate the high quality and long wearing characteristics of these world famous exports.
Moroccan carpets typically fall into two distinct types; the Berber rug style and Boujad rug is a thick shag rug and so named for the nomadic tribespeople known for weaving them, while the flatweave and lighter weight style of hand woven Moroccan rugs were more typically found amongst the nomadic tribes who travelled through the Sahara desert.
Morocco encompasses a variety of climates from the dusty heat of its deserts to the snow capped Atlas mountains. In the colder regions, the type of Moroccan rugs most used for tent floors, beds and even saddle blankets were intricately woven wool and cotton pile rugs. The Boujad peoples often wove a vividly colourful and informal Moroccan style rug using patterns of pinks, reds, blues and yellows. Diamond motifs are most common across the Moroccan rugs range and our selection of Berber white rugs and grey rugs showcase this timelessly classic motif in the Maya, Alina, Allefra and Simrika pieces. These rugs are not usually available as round rugs and their silky soft texture can made for ideal kids rugs in nurseries.
The Maya was designed in house and intended as stand out piece in the style of vintage Moroccan. These Moroccan rugs have each been constructed from the highest grade quality wool from New Zealand and are available in sizes up to the impressive and highly versatile 400 cm x 300 cm. Authentically hand woven in the ancient beni ourain tribal style that is more than 1, 000 years old, these thick pile rugs will shed less than other natural fibre rugs owing to the incredible strength and quality of the wool. They are also gentle and soft underfoot having been wool washed upon completion and naturally sun dried. They need no wearing-in and will effortlessly slip into your dining room, beneath a dining table, in the lounge room, and in your bedroom. In a luxurious ivory, these pieces work best when paired with bold block coloured furnishings such as a navy lounge suite.
The Allefra diamond pattern Berber rug is another authentic handmade piece in a very traditional looped diamond design of black on white. Another in-house creation, this piece is woven with the same time intensive technique that has existed for a millennium and still produces unmatched luxury today with the highest quality wool from New Zealand. When mid century designers discovered this classic vintage design, it became a commonly seen addition to every luxuriously furnished home. Scandinavian design pairs particularly well with this style, lightly highlighting the high quality finish of beech and walnut furnishings with plush pile in a clean and minimalist way. For lovers of classic Moroccan rugs, the Allefra ticks all of the boxes.
For anyone searching for a block colour rug which leans more toward textural trellis than shade patterning, the Alina diamond pattern Berber is for you. This stunning wool shag Moroccan rug in crisp ivory recalls the Berber style in the diamond patterning but tones it down with a contemporary textual twist. Also available in large rugs sizes for open planned living spaces and master bedrooms, this classic piece is an affordable taste of unutterable luxury in super soft wool carefully washed and sun dried and ready to be laid.
Why are Moroccan rugs so expensive?
As is always the case, you get what you pay for and with regards to Moroccan rugs - this means that you get an extremely high quality floor rug lovingly handmade and constructed from premium New Zealand wool. The beni ourain technique of handweaving is a very labour intensive style so each piece takes approximately 6 to 8 weeks of work for a team of weavers, depending on the size of the rug.
Having said that, however, the Miss Amara rugs online store has been specifically created to enhance your rug shopping experience. We love rugs and part of the reason Miss Amara was conceived involved simplifying rug buying and removing the risk of taking home a piece you weren’t really in love with. It’s always difficult imagining how a modern rug or a traditional rug will actually look inside your home and surrounded by your furnishings. Our experience of rug buying usually ended in preferring not to purchase anything at all for fear that it wasn’t going to look right.
Miss Amara helps to remove the risk of purchasing a high quality Moroccan rug by firstly showing you what your chosen style will actually look like inside your home. Using the ‘See this in my room’ feature, you can upload an image of your chosen space and have the Moroccan rugs superimposed directly into your image using augmented reality. You get a feel for how your rug will sit amongst your other furnishings immediately. Of course, just because it looked right in the online picture doesn’t always mean that it will be the perfect fit at home, and we understand that. We will happily return your Moroccan rug and help you select the perfect piece. Our team of professional stylists are always on hand to provide free and obligation free styling advice so if you’ve narrowed down the search to a couple of different Moroccan rug designs but not quite made your mind up, we can help.
Finally, we put our money where it needs to be – into the rug designs and construction. We don’t have costly showrooms in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane to worry about. Our store is fully online and this allows us to pass on the savings directly to you. It also allows us to offer a completely free Australia-wide shipping policy. We will ship any size rug direct to your door anywhere in Australia for free.
How to clean a Moroccan rug?
Your Moroccan rug is made from high quality and durable New Zealand wool. They shed less than other natural fibre rugs given the quality of the wool used but cleaning them should still be done carefully to avoid accident cleaning stains. The simplest way of ensuring that your rug is cleaned thoroughly and safely is to engage a specialised carpet cleaner who has demonstrable experience cleaning Moroccan rugs. This can be the expensive option so if you would prefer to do it yourself, there are few things you should know. Firstly, ensure that the rug is free of excess dirt. Hang it outside and give it a good shake and bash then follow up with a thorough vacuum. Experiment with the vacuum attachments you have to find the best one.
Once the excess dirt has been removed you can hang your rug securely outside and use preferably a high pressure washer. Spray downwards until the water runs clear. Spot treat any stubborn stains with a very gentle wool wash and then rinse again. It is best to allow the rug to drip dry as much as possible as they will be very heavy when wet. Once it has hung for roughly 30 mins, carefully roll up the rug on a clear and clean surface to remove any more excess water. You will not be able to remove all of it and, depending on how warm the weather is, expect your carpet to take up to 24 hrs to completely dry. Do not place it back on the floor inside until it’s completely dry. This may damage the fibres by introducing mildew and it will also smell quite unpleasant. Bright sunshine is best.
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