Handmade Ivory and Charcoal Striped Rug
The Tidal Flat rug is an ivory and charcoal striped rug, handmade in India and measuring 304 x 249 cm. That is 7.6 square metres, enough for a large living room or an open dining area.
The design up close
Two colours do all the work. The ground is a soft ivory, and the pattern is charcoal, drawn as broken horizontal streaks of every length. Some are hairline thin and run for a long way, others are short and thick, and many stop and start again a little higher or lower, so no two lines match.
The lines all run the same way, which gives this abstract rug a strong sense of direction, a little like ripples left on wet sand. In places the streaks shift in tall vertical bands, so the pattern changes pace as your eye moves across the rug. A narrow charcoal edge finishes the sides, and there is no border or central motif to hold the design in place.
The pile looks dense and evenly cut, and the charcoal lines show clean, slightly toothed edges against the ivory. Lift a corner and the back is woven in charcoal with fine ivory flecks, set in narrow vertical ribs.
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.
How this ivory and charcoal striped rug is made
This rug is handmade in India. Among indian hand made rugs it is a spare, two-tone design, and because it is made by hand, small differences from one end to the other are normal. With only ivory and charcoal in the design, this ivory and charcoal striped rug suits rooms that already have plenty of colour or pattern, as well as plain rooms that need something with movement in them. As a modern rug it keeps the palette simple, and the long streaks give it a striped rug look from a distance.
Because the streaks all run in one direction, how you place it matters. Turned one way, the lines run toward you as you enter the room, and turned the other way they run across your view. See both in the showroom before you decide. Two tones only also makes it easy to match with curtains, cushions and timber.
Sizing it for your room
At 304 x 249 cm this ivory and charcoal striped rug suits a living room, a dining room or a main bedroom. Under a queen bed that is 153 cm wide, it leaves 48 cm each side of the bed, and a king bed at 183 cm wide leaves 33 cm each side.
In a living room, a 3-seat sofa about 2.2 m wide leaves 42 cm of rug each side of it. A 180 x 90 cm table that seats six leaves 62 cm at each end and 79.5 cm along each side.
Looking after your ivory and charcoal 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.
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 ivory and charcoal 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 ivory and charcoal 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 rug weaving around Bhadohi in India.
