The Luxury Carpet Guide: Identifying Quality and Elegance

Silk Rugs

Silk is a luxurious material with a distinct sheen and a thinner thread that requires high knot density for luxury rugs. This makes the manufacturing process more labor-intensive, elevating the price. Silk's durability and beauty make it worth the investment, as you'll enjoy silk carpets for life with proper care. However, silk is not as durable as wool and synthetics and is more likely to show wear and discoloration when placed in higher-traffic areas or exposed to the sun.

100% Wool Carpet

Wool is plush and soft underfoot, with long-lasting durability and a highly textured look that reduces the appearance of marking, shading, and compression. As a result, it is the longest-lasting luxury material offering comfort, warmth, and beauty. While wool is more affordable than silk in most cases, it is more expensive than other materials. Natural oils resist dirt and oil-based spills, making wool naturally fire-resistant. Wool is hypoallergenic and holds onto dust and debris better than other materials, releasing fewer allergens into the air. On the downside, wool is highly absorbent and not resistant to water-based spills such as wine, making it more vulnerable to water-based stains.

High-End Synthetic Fibers

High-end synthetic fibers such as nylon and polyester are more cost-effective, stain-resistant, and highly resilient to handle more foot traffic. Synthetic rugs are also available in a rainbow of colors, weaves, textures, and designs, making them more suitable when you want to match a specific color scheme.

Hand-Knotted Rugs

This labor-intensive rug-making technique ties individual knots to the yarns running the length of the rug to form a distinctive design. Quality is judged by the density of the knots and the complexity of the design, which increases the knot count and value. Material impacts knot count. For example, a high-quality silk rug requires at least 300 to 500 knots per square inch, while the thicker fibers of wool would be between 100 and 300. Authentic hand-knotted rugs include a decorative fringe that is part of the foundation and sides that are hand-wrapped around the edges. Different regions use different knots. For example, the Persian Senneh knot is asymmetrical, creating detailed, intricate patterns for a smoother, finer texture suited to lower-traffic areas of the home. On the other hand, the Turkish Ghiordes knot is symmetrical, wrapping the yarn around two adjacent threads, creating a stronger rug that can withstand heavier traffic.

Tufted Rugs

Tufted rugs are created using loops of yarn pulled through a backing material. The loops are then sheared to create the pile. This is less labor intensive than hand-knotted rugs, making them more affordable. However, the material used will dictate the look and price of the rug. Wool tufted rugs offer a higher-end look and softer feel underfoot, so they cost more than synthetic materials. Wool also holds its shape better, with a natural resilience that allows it to spring back to its original shape following compression.

Woven Rugs

Woven rugs are produced on a loom, weaving the horizontal yarns over and under the vertical yarns. Although still done by hand, machine-woven rugs are also available today. There is a distinct difference in price and appearance between hand and machine-woven rugs, with hand-woven rugs costing more. Machine-woven rugs are smoother and more consistent, while hand-woven rugs have a distinctly crafted look that is coarser. Woven rugs are also highly durable, making them a good choice for high-traffic areas.

Luxury carpets for bedrooms and upper floors help absorb sounds when someone walks overhead.

They offer insulating qualities to help maintain comfortable home temperatures.

Luxury carpet in living rooms and throughout the home are by far the most comfortable flooring underfoot.

The plush pile (especially wool) reduces the chance of injury, making it ideal for homes with small children.

You can enhance the life of your luxury carpets with these tips on proper care and maintenance:

• Use a vacuum once a week to remove debris that can increase wear on delicate fibers.
• Act fast when a spill occurs, first blotting with a clean cloth to try to absorb as much liquid as possible.
• Follow up with a material-appropriate cleaner if a stain remains.
• Never use a cleaning product not suited to the material.
• Test a less noticeable area of the rug to test colorfastness when using cleaning products.
• Have your carpet professionally deep-cleaned once or twice a year.
• Only use trusted professionals specializing in luxury carpets.
• Never apply harsh chemicals to your luxury carpet as it will cause discoloration and damage fibers.