Natural Grey Chobi Runner
This natural grey Chobi runner is a flat woven wool runner measuring 388 x 89 cm, made in Afghanistan. Its colours are grey, cream and dark brown, with a column of small diamonds running down the centre of the field and a stepped border along each side.
The design up close
Diamonds stack down the centre of the field in a column. Some are cream with a dark brown cross at the heart, and others are grey or taupe with pale zigzag lines. Between the diamonds the ground is filled with small stepped shapes and scattered brown specks, so the centre looks textured. The cream diamonds are the lightest points in the field, so they draw the eye down the centre.
The side panels repeat small stepped motifs in cream and grey, and the border is a band of taupe zigzags between thin stripes. The stepped taupe motifs echo the diamonds in the field, so the border and centre read as one design. Overall, this natural grey Chobi runner stays within a few neutral shades, so the design comes through in its shapes.
Chobi and its weaving
The name Chobi comes from a word for wood, a nod to the soft, natural tones these rugs are known for. Chobi rugs often come in ivory, sand, soft green, rust and blue, and are often washed after weaving to soften the colours further. Ivory and sand tones like these sit at the softest end of that palette. The cream and grey in this natural grey Chobi runner sit within that soft range.
What makes a Kilim different
A Kilim is flat woven: the weaver passes coloured weft threads over and under the warp threads to build the pattern, with no knots and no pile. This natural grey Chobi runner is hand woven in wool, so it is thin and lies low on the floor. The weft colours are subdued, so the pattern comes through as shape more than colour.
Sizing a natural grey Chobi runner
At 388 x 89 cm this natural grey Chobi runner covers about 3.5 square metres. Its width suits a hallway about 109 to 129 cm wide, which leaves 10 to 20 cm of floor on each side. Its length suits a long hall or a kitchen galley, and it runs well beside a bed.
On pale timber, the grey and cream tones sit quietly against white walls. In a bedroom, a runner this length can sit along the side of a bed, where the calm tones keep the floor quiet. Grey and cream pair easily with other neutral textiles, from linen cushions to wool throws.
Looking after your rug
Vacuum both sides on a suction-only setting, or with the beater bar switched off, so the brush does not catch the weft threads. Turn it around every six to twelve months so sun and foot traffic wear it evenly, and 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.
Use a non-slip underlay, because a light flat weave can creep on timber or tiles. Moths like wool in dark, quiet spots, so vacuum under furniture and in the corners often.
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 grey Chobi runner in person. If you would rather judge it in your own room, with your own light and furniture, book an in-home viewing and we will bring a selection to you.
Browse more Chobi Rugs, or ask about a custom made rug in your own size and colour. Read more about kilims.
