A Brief Overview on the History of Area Rugs

History of Area Rugs

In the western world, the word "rug" denotes a mat or cover for the early 19th-century floor. In the history of our traditional area rugs, early rugs were often made of fabric scraps. These scraps were often braided into a large oval or round mat. Area rugs were also usually made of rags, while mats at the front door were placed on the home's exterior and used to clean or leave shoes. Long from the days of utility, our traditional area rugs are re-imagined into new material for the benefits of an area rug but pay homage to its cultural origins.

Influence of Mass Production

Mass-produced carpets became increasingly popular in the United States when tufted carpet went into mass production in the 1950s. Before creating tufted carpets, the history of our area rugs was based on woven goods. Tufted carpets and area rugs feature cut threads that provide a soft, squishy nap instead of a flat-woven style.

Progressively, area rugs went from utility to style, where it's quality improved with the mass production. Area rugs as an ornament waned in popularity as tufted carpet became more popular. However, because wooden floors were most commonly present in new construction during the post-war boom, the need for woven rugs went down as home-ownership went up.

Progression of Area Rugs

The history of our traditional area rugs rightly has a strong focus on the practice of weaving Persian or Oriental rugs. Because these rugs were handmade for centuries, the price point limited the audience for these lovely, custom pieces. However, the ability to mass-produce rugs with similar colors and patterns to traditional Persian design and weave encourages these area rugs to consistently holding their popularity.

More recently, modern designers have also begun putting together area rugs that feature limited numbers of colors in big, bold patterns. In contrast, the oval and round woven rugs made by those who saved scraps have made significant inroads with various designers. All contingent on what's popular, choosing a contemporary area rug has never been easier.

Material Changes

The early days of area rugs weaving by those living in the home featured herd animals' skins and hair, which still retains its influence over our animal area rugs. Over time, custom rug weaving done by skilled professionals with custom dyed wool came from the far east. The oldest known area rug in existence, the Rug of Pazyryk, was found in Siberia in the early 1900s but is believed to from the 5th century BC. This area rug featured dyed yarns of many colors and had a definite weaving pattern, creating shapes, animals, and borders. Fortunately, without animal usage, our animal area rugs replicate the same patterns without actual hides.

Part of what defines the history of the area rug is related to the cost and process of dying the material, generally wool. Many who invested in a woven area rug that featured high-priced dyes preferred to display them rather than walk on them. Custom tables, used to display area rugs to show off wealth, were a big part of American furniture design into the 20th century.

The area rugs' tradition to cover and warm a floor comes from the nomads who used animal skins to warm a cold tent. However, decorative area rugs were initially used as objects of displayed art. Using area rugs as both floor decoration and comfort is a modern trend that's encouraged through the increasing availability of higher quality material in the manufacturing process.