Handmade Sky Blue Rainbow Rug
The Delft Fade rug is a sky blue rainbow rug, handmade in India from an 80% wool and 20% cotton blend and measuring 370 x 278 cm. That is 10.3 square metres of floor, enough for a large living room, a main bedroom or an open plan dining area.
The design up close
Blue is the whole story here, and it changes along the length of the rug. Both ends are pale silver and ice white. The colour deepens through sky blue into a strong cerulean across the middle, then eases back to silver again. The shift is gradual and sits in broad horizontal bands, so the rug reads a little like water, or a clear morning sky seen from above. As a modern rug it suits clean-lined rooms with timber floors.
A fine white lattice of small diamonds runs over the whole surface. In the pale bands the lattice shows in blue on the light ground, and in the deeper bands it turns white on blue. Streaks of navy and brighter flashes of turquoise sit within the blue, which keeps such a large area from looking flat.
There is no border. The pattern runs straight to the edges, and a short cream fringe finishes both ends. Turn a corner over and the underside is a bright turquoise with small white dots.
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, as this one does.
How this sky blue rainbow rug is made
This sky blue rainbow rug is handmade in India. Designs of this kind are called rainbow because the colour shifts in bands across the rug, and here every band stays within the blues.
The fibre is an 80% wool and 20% cotton blend. Wool is hard wearing, springy and matte, and it makes up most of what is underfoot. Cotton is a plant fibre that is firm and holds its shape. The close-up views show the lattice built up in small, even steps rather than drawn as a continuous line.
Sizing it for your room
At 370 x 278 cm this rug suits a large room. Under a living room set, a three-seat sofa about 2.2 m long sits along the long side with 75 cm to spare at each end. In a bedroom, a queen bed (153 cm wide) centred across the width leaves 62.5 cm on each side, and a king bed (183 cm wide) leaves 47.5 cm.
Under a dining table that seats eight (240 x 100 cm), the rug extends 65 cm past each end of the table and 89 cm past each side. Measure your own furniture before you decide, and tape the outline of the rug on the floor to judge how it fills the space.
Looking after your sky blue rainbow 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 10 am to 4:30 pm, to see this sky blue rainbow 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 sky blue rainbow 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.
