No type of contemporary rug design holds quite the same mass appeal of striped rugs. They have a clean, simple aesthetic yet are enriched with a sense of fun that can really lift a room. There are numerous different styles of striped rug on the market, as this basic design lends itself to a very wide range of rug constructions; from inexpensive machine made rugs, to hand woven kelims and luxurious hand knotted rugs.
Striped rugs can vary greatly in design too, with thinner stripes giving a more subtle, textural feel, and wider stripes making more of a statement. Striped rugs have been popular choices for interiors for hundreds of years. Find out more about more about what makes them so special.
Click here for our full rug design and colour guide.
Amore Kelim- Available to order through Bazaar Velvet
A kelim, or flatweave, is a type of rug that is woven with only warp and weft threads and no pile. This style of rug dates back to ancient times, and was used by tribal and nomadic people all over the world due to its light flexible nature and ease of construction. Designs often features sharp geometrical shapes or stripes.
One of the oldest kelims was found by explorer Mark Aurel Stein in China, and is said to date back to the fourth or filth century. This features stripes in it’s design, as described below:
‘The weave is almost identical with that of modern kelims, and has about fourteen threads of warp and sixteen threads of weft to the inch. The pattern consists of narrow stripes of blue, green, brownish yellow, and red, maintaining very small geometric designs. With this one exception, so peculiarly preserved, there are probably very few over a century old.’
Striped kelims are still popular today, are a great cost-effective alternative to rugs. They bring character and texture to a room and are available in a wide verity of colours. Here are some great examples available from Bazaar Velvet Contemporary Rugs:
The rectangular block design of this rug, with its multiple staggered columns of stripes, is typical of traditional kelims. This rug is created with vegetable dyes forming a beautiful colour pallet of earthy browns, pomegranate pinks and teal blues. It features abrash in each colour section, which is a slight variation in colour created from twisting together different shades of undyed wool before being put into the dye vat.
This is again, a traditional Persian style of kelim. Here the design is a little more organic, with smooth blended tones. This natural finish gives a casual coastal look. This design is created in Afghanistan, which has a rich history in producing this type of rug, from high quality Gazni wool.
This is a more modern interpretation of the traditional kelim, with large scale geometric patterns and bright playful colours. Our Kandy Kelims are great for contemporary family homes as they are very inexpensive and easy to clean. They are created from new Zealand Wool, known for it’s bright white colour, for a beautifully crisp finish.
Geometric patterned rugs were the height of glamour during the 1920’s, also known as ‘The Jazz Age’ or ‘Roaring Twenties’. This period was characterised with optimism and excess, a clear reaction to the end of World War I. This was clearly reflected in the interiors of the time, with lavish interiors favoured by the wealthy. Metallic finishes were generously used, showcased by a backdrop of white marble and black veneer. Geometric and stylized shell shapes were greatly favoured, as can be seen by the famous Art Deco ‘Crystler’ building in New York.
Art Deco has recently made a major comeback thanks to the release of Baz Luhrmann’s visual feast ‘The Great Gatsby’. The showcasing of a flashy 20’s world has piggybacked on the ever rising love of all things vintage. In addition, the simplicity of the ‘Mid Century Style’ that was hugley popular in 2016/17 is widely falling out of favour, with maximization and luxury materials being used to make our homes our palaces.
Cubism was an early 20th century avant-garde movement that used geometry to create abstract art. This revolutionised painting and sculpture and even went on to affect music, literature and architecture. That’s a powerful use of shapes. Geometric abstraction is recognisable in interiors from hard edged sideboards to lounge rugs. This abstract artform used almost exclusively geometric shapes and patterns to convey its subjects.
The movement began in the early 1900’s with artists like Russian born Kandinsky, famous for his depictions of horses, and of course Pablo Picasso famous for his portraits. All work featured strong lines and geometric shapes. Almost since its conception, cubism has heavily influenced interior design.
Following in the footsteps of geometric abstraction was De Stijl. De Stijl consisted of artists like Mondrian who used bright colours, thick lines and geometric shapes in their art work. Mondrian’s work was said to be an abstraction or tree branches, which perhaps deliberately, evolved into shapes reminiscent of the skyscrapers that dominated Mondrian’s home town of Manhatten.
Lines, stripes and geometry are such an integral part of our design consciousness they easily infiltrate different aspects of art. They translate amazingly well as rugs, and as a result they’ve ended up covering the floors of homes across the world.
Furthermore, their sharp design lends itself to mixing with other patterns, particularly more organic forms such as florals and damasks. They also pair well with minimalist aesthetics, with earthy tones giving a hint of tribal style, and cleaner colours such as grey blue and monochrome producing a Scandinavian style statement.
It’s clear therefore, that a striped rug is a great choice for many interiors. It’s a great style that will never date, and is sure to bring you joy.
Read more about contemporary rugs and the different designs available in Our Definitive Guide to Rug Design and Colour
Alternatively, if you have any questions on the striped rugs we offer at Bazaar Velvet, or what style would fit your room, please do not hesitate to contact us.
CONTACT US
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kilim
https://www.architecturaldigest.com/
https://www.shadesoflight.com/
Further Reading:
https://bazaarvelvet.com/geometric-rugs-historic-designs/
https://bazaarvelvet.com/nature-inspired-rug-design/
