Handmade Charcoal and Blue Grass Rug
The Lapis Night rug is a charcoal and blue grass rug, handmade in India from wool and bamboo silk and measuring 307 x 243 cm. It covers about 7.5 square metres of floor.
The design up close
The ground is a deep charcoal grey, scattered with small marks in bright blue: dots, tiny squares, crosses and short upright strokes. They gather in bands that run across the width of the rug, some dense and some sparse, so from across the room the charcoal shows faint stripes of blue.
Between the bands the pile lies in slanting rows, which gives the ribbed, combed look that makes this a grass rug.
There is no border. The pattern runs from side to side, the long edges are bound in a dark grey, and both ends finish in an ivory fringe. A charcoal and blue grass rug like this anchors a room with white or pale grey walls, and it sits well with black, walnut, leather and blue or white cushions.
Indian weaving and this rug
India has a long rug weaving tradition, with centres including Agra and the Bhadohi and Mirzapur area of Uttar Pradesh. Indian workshops weave many modern and abstract designs, often to order, in a wide range of colours and sizes. Wool is the most common pile, and some rugs mix wool with other fibres, as this one does.
How this charcoal and blue grass rug is made
This rug is handmade from wool and bamboo silk. Bamboo silk is a viscose (rayon) fibre made from bamboo cellulose, with a silk-like sheen. It is softer and less resilient than wool, so a rug with it suits rooms with lighter foot traffic.
On this rug the mix is easy to see. The charcoal wool has a dry, matte look, and the bright blue in the pattern shines when the light falls across it, so the charcoal and blue grass rug looks different from each side of the room. On the back the same blue marks show on grey, in a pattern of small squares and checks.
Sizing it for your room
At 307 x 243 cm this rug suits a living room, dining room or main bedroom. In a living room it can sit in front of a three seat sofa of about 2.2 m with 43.5 cm to spare beyond each end, with the front legs of the sofa and chairs resting on it.
Under a 180 x 90 cm dining table it leaves 63.5 cm at each end and 76.5 cm along each side. Laid across the bed in a main bedroom, its 307 cm length leaves 62 cm each side of a king bed, which is 183 cm wide.
Looking after your charcoal and blue grass rug
Vacuum it on a suction-only setting, or with the beater bar switched off, so the brush does not pull at the pile. Turn it around every six to twelve months so sun and foot traffic wear it evenly. Blot spills with a clean white cloth and cold water rather than rubbing them in. When it needs a full clean, choose a cleaner who washes handmade rugs by hand. Rubbing spills can dull bamboo silk, so this rug needs a cleaner who handles that fibre by hand.
Put a good underlay beneath it. It stops the rug sliding on timber or tiles, adds cushioning and takes some of the wear off the pile. Moths like wool in dark, quiet spots, such as the part of a rug under a sofa, so vacuum those areas often and lift the furniture now and then.
See it before you buy
Visit our showroom at 307 Penshurst St, North Willoughby, open every day from 11 am to 4:30 pm, to see this charcoal and blue grass rug in person. If you would rather judge it in your own room, with your own light and furniture, book a home trial and we will bring a selection to you.
You can see this charcoal and blue grass rug in our showroom or at home. Browse more Contemporary rugs, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about bamboo silk and viscose.
