Handmade Grey and Ivory Striped Rug
The Chalkline rug is a grey and ivory striped rug, handmade in India from wool and measuring 308 x 246 cm. It covers about 7.6 square metres. It is a modern rug in soft grey and ivory, made up of narrow bands of small woven patterns.
The design up close
From a distance the rug reads as a calm, light grey with faint stripes running along its length. Up close each stripe turns out to be its own small pattern in charcoal grey on ivory: tiny checks, rows of short dashes, fine herringbone, open diamond nets and scattered crosses, all set side by side.
The bands change width as they go, some narrow and busy, some wider and quieter, and the grey is a little deeper in some than others. The effect is like the fine lines of a tailored suit or a chalk mark on cloth. There is no border. Both ends finish in a short ivory fringe and the long sides are bound in grey.
This striped rug suits clean, pared back rooms. It sits well with white walls, oak or concrete floors, linen and black or chrome metal, and it keeps a large space from feeling empty without adding strong colour.
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.
How this grey and ivory striped rug is made
This grey and ivory striped rug is handmade from wool. The pile is short and close, which keeps the tiny patterns crisp, and wool gives it a soft, matte surface. Wool is hard wearing and springy, so it copes well with daily foot traffic in a living room or hallway.
Turn it over and the back shows the same bands of checks and herringbone in grey and ivory. Small changes in the width of a band or the spacing of a pattern are normal in a handmade rug.
Sizing it for your room
At 308 x 246 cm this grey and ivory striped rug is a main room size. In a bedroom, a king bed 183 cm wide leaves 31.5 cm of rug on each side, and a queen bed 153 cm wide leaves 46.5 cm on each side.
In a living room it can sit in front of a three seat sofa about 2.2 m long, with about 44 cm of rug past each end of the sofa. Under a 240 x 100 cm table for eight it leaves 34 cm at each end and 73 cm along each side. A 180 x 90 cm table for six leaves 64 cm at each end and 78 cm along each side, so chairs stay on the rug when they are pulled out.
Looking after your grey and ivory striped 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.
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 grey and ivory striped 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 grey and ivory striped 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 wool.
