Handmade Natural and Black Grass Rug
The Driftwood rug is a natural and black grass rug, handmade in India from wool and bamboo silk and measuring 269 x 182 cm. It covers 4.9 square metres.
The design up close
A natural, sandy taupe ground carries soft black markings. Fine broken lines, small checks, diamonds and chevrons sit in stripes across the rug, and the sheen lifts the pile to a pale silver grey in places, mostly through the centre. From above the colour looks calm and even, and the pattern only comes forward when you view it from a low angle.
The black is closer to charcoal than ink, with a hint of slate blue where the light catches the pile. In the close-ups you can follow the bands one by one: rows of upright dashes, a lattice of thin diagonal lines that makes a field of small diamonds, tight checks, a scatter of dots, and chevron bands where the lines meet in a point and repeat like a herringbone.
Because the dark markings are fine and the taupe stays warm, the rug looks softly textured from across the room. The sides have a grey edge, and the ends finish in a white fringe.
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 bamboo silk, as this one does. Dark markings on a pale ground suit the modern end of that range.
How this natural and black grass rug is made
This natural and black grass rug is handmade in India 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 bamboo silk suits rooms with lighter foot traffic. The wool gives the pile its body and a matte finish. Matte wool sits next to shinier fibre in the pattern, so the dark lines seem to deepen and lighten as the light moves across them.
Sizing it for your room
At 269 x 182 cm, this natural and black grass rug is 2.69 by 1.82 metres, a mid to large rug. Under a six-seat dining table of 180 x 90 cm, it extends 44.5 cm past each end of the table and 46 cm past each side.
In a living room, a three-seat sofa about 2.2 m wide, centred along the long side, leaves 24.5 cm of rug on each side of it.
Looking after your natural and black 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.
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.
Rubbing spills can dull bamboo silk, so this rug needs a cleaner who handles that fibre by hand.
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 natural and black 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 natural and black 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.
