Ivory and Charcoal Moroccan Rug
The Lightning Ridge rug is an ivory and charcoal Moroccan rug, made in India from wool and measuring 327 x 242 cm. It covers about 7.9 square metres of floor.
The design up close
Bands of raised ivory pile zigzag across the rug in sharp angles, folding back on themselves like folded paper or a lightning strike. The lines travel in groups of four or five, sometimes pinching close together and sometimes opening out, and where two groups meet they form tall diamond and hourglass shapes. Nothing repeats exactly, so the eye keeps finding new angles.
Between the lines the ground is flat and low, a woven charcoal and black that looks slightly mottled up close. That contrast in height is the point of the design: the ivory stands up soft and shaggy while the charcoal sits down flat, so the pattern has real depth and shifts as light moves across it. A narrow striped band of charcoal and ivory sits at each end, just inside long twisted fringes in grey and black.
It needs a room with some space around it so the pattern can be seen, and it works well with plain furniture in black, white, stone or timber. As a modern rug it gives a simple room a strong focal point without bringing in 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 ivory and charcoal Moroccan rug is made
This ivory and charcoal Moroccan rug is made from wool, and two surfaces sit side by side in it: a long, soft pile for the ivory lines and a flat, tightly woven charcoal ground between them. The back shows that same flat weave in mottled charcoal and ivory. Wool suits both surfaces. It is hard wearing and springy, so the raised lines bounce back after they are walked on, and its matte finish keeps the ivory looking soft. Like any good wool rug, it feels warm underfoot.
Sizing it for your room
At 327 x 242 cm it suits a large living room. With a three seat sofa of about 2.2 m along its length, it leaves 53.5 cm of rug past each end of the sofa. Under a king bed, 183 cm wide, it leaves 29.5 cm each side, and under a queen bed, 153 cm wide, 44.5 cm each side.
For dining it takes an eight seat table of 240 x 100 cm with 43.5 cm at each end and 71 cm along each side, which keeps chair legs on the Moroccan rug when people sit down.
Looking after your ivory and charcoal Moroccan 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.
Visit our showroom at 307 Penshurst St, North Willoughby, open every day from 11 am to 4:30 pm, to see this ivory and charcoal Moroccan 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 ivory and charcoal moroccan 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.
