After Matisse Rug
$1,310$1,048
Advice and Ideas
Are designer rugs worth the money?
Designer rugs can be a big investment in both time and money. You have to ensure that you get the perfect rug for your space, whether that is your dining room, your bedroom or your hallway. A long-lasting, well made rug can be an expensive asset so it can be tempting to chose a cheaper, factory-made piece but there are some benefits to purchasing a designer rug though it’s up to you to decide if a designer rug is really worth it.
Transformative power of designer rugs
Though it may seem surprising, a single, well-selected rug can transform your space, acting not only as comfortable padding for your feet, but also as an art piece. A rug whose patterns, colours and design compliments your home can consolidate your interior design style though a distinctive rug, such as a multicoloured rug in a neutral space, can act as a focal point.
Designer rugs can divide your space, splitting a large room into several compartments that can each have their own decor. Alternatively, rugs can unify different spaces by visually linking them, this being particularly effective in hallways that would otherwise be a dead space in your home. Speaking of hallways, the right runner rug can make a long, narrow space seem wider if the runner’s borders run parallel to the lines of the hall, drawing the eye down its length. Keep some flooring showing around the edges of the runner to avoid making your hallway feel cluttered.
If you are unable to buy a large area rug for a room, then using smaller rugs can be an effective method to add comfort and cohesion in your space. Be careful not to choose discordant designs when placing smaller rugs in the same room as their sizes and shapes will need to contrast but their colours or patterns will need to have similarities
Designer rugs and Ethical production
The foremost issue that a designer rug can hep resolve is that of ethical trading. The trend of buying only ethically made products has been on the increase throughout the recent decade as more people have become aware of the working conditions in countries that physically manufacture goods.
In the rug trade, the largest weaving areas are located in Nepal, Pakistan and India, with the weaving industry being the second-largest employer in India. It stands to reason that some of the rugs from there were not made under good working conditions so to ensure that you’re not supporting employers that actively harm their workers, you need to look for a GoodWeave label which guarantees that your rug or carpets were made according to the GoodWeave Standard.
The GoodWeave Standard
The GoodWeave label is the non-profit network’s seal of approval, certifying that no child or forced labour took place in the rug’s creation process and that workplace conditions are documented, with GoodWeave doing random and frequent checks in production locations. GoodWeave help educate children who have been exploited, ensuring that employees have suitable working hours and wages. Their label is only given to select companies after a careful evaluation of their working practices.
Needless to say that when buying any item, it would be best to support those business who treat their workers fairly and a GoodWeave label is a good assurance that you’re buying ethically. At Sonya Winner, we are of course a part of GoodWeave and by buying one of our rugs, you will be supporting educational programmes for weavers and their families.
Helping weaving communities
Weaving is a craft that goes back thousands of years and there are hundreds of communities across the world that rely on this craft to survive. It is important to keep this traditional method of rug-making alive to support those communities who can pass on their skills so that the following generations can have steady work and income.
Our designer rugs are made either through hand knotting or tufting. The later method involves punching a tool loaded with yarn into a canvas after which, a jute backing is attached. Hand knotting is a slower process in comparison but what it lacks in speed, it makes up in quality as each knot is carefully made by a weaver, with there typically being 100 knots per inch.
You pay for handmade quality
Both of the rug-making methods mentioned above require care and expertise. If a weaver is payed fairly for their time, then the production costs accumulate quickly in a designer rug. An ethical rug purchase would not only support the weaving communities but also create a heard-wearing home decoration that will last a lifetime. This rug will be completely personal to you, even without extra customisations, as every knot is different making every designer rug unique to you and your home.
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Bubbles Rug
$1,577$1,262
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The Wave Rug - Left Side
$5,013$4,010
Finding eco-friendly materials
Eco friendly materials are not only better for you, but they’re better for the environment by being easily decomposable. Natural fibre materials such as wool, silk, nettle, jute and mohair are all less toxic for your health as synthetic rugs will sometimes be treated with harmful chemicals.
Our rugs are made only using New Zealand wool or pure Chinese silk, both of which are natural fibres, making our rugs eco-friendly as well as long-lasting. New Zealand wool in particular is known for its renewability thanks to its abundance making it the ultimate sustainable material.
Responsible shopping with designer rugs
Responsible shopping is based on the mindset of spending your money right. Oftentimes, we will buy products that we are not necessarily needed, without much forethought. By shopping responsibly, you can plan ahead and take the time to consider how best to purchase. This can involve shopping locally which supports local families and can reduce the carbon footprint of your purchase and pairing this with eco-friendly, long-lasting or reusable products can reduce your negative impact on the environment.
Where possible, a responsible shopping mindset would encourage buying second-hand or, if buying something newly made, to investigate how the product is being manufactured and to steer away from factories under-charging their workers, both for ethical reasons and for sustainability within the supply chain.
Better yet, would be minimising the amount of newly made products you purchase by investing into durable items. Not only can this reduce the amount of household waste but investing into one item, such as a rug, that will last for 20 years will save you more money in the long term than if you’re to re-buy the same product every two years.
Personal collaboration with the rug designer
Designer rugs are ideal for turning into bespoke pieces. Working with the rug’s designer, you can specify a new range of colours for your bespoke rug, customising it to perfectly fit your decor. This can be a creative and fulfilling process especially as you get to learn about the ins and outs of a rug’s design alongside experiencing the fun of a collaborative project with a designer.
Though bespoke rugs can be expensive, there is no better way to ensure that you will get the exact rug you need. Though this does not dismiss non-bespoke pieces as designer rugs will always be unique to you thanks to their handmade quality, ensuring that no piece is identical to another.
