A Guide to Buying, Styling, and Caring for a Beni Ourain Rug

Authentic Beni Ourain rugs are becoming more popular nowadays, especially because of the wonders they do for one’s interior setting. They provide homes with accents of luxurious textures, earth tones, and geometric patterns. They’re amazing pieces that can carry stories and culture in every thread.

What Is a Beni Ourain Rug?

Beni Ourain rugs are authentic Moroccan rugs that are 100% made from the finest, undyed sheep wool. They are heirloom pieces that emanate comfort, warmth, luxury, and a touch of nature. They have highly comfortable textures, and they are also thick and durable. These pieces leave a room with a classic and versatile design.

Where Are Beni Ourain Rugs Made?

The life of its creator is part of the process. Women from the Berber tribes that live in the Atlas Mountains weave these rugs, and they creatively incorporate elements of their lives into their designs. The designs may be references to natural disasters, the miracle of life, nature, femininity, and other aspects of their daily living. These rugs hold stories from their makers, which adds a layer of depth to the craft.

Picking the Perfect Beni Ourain Rug

When picking a Beni Ourain rug, it’s crucial to look into its quality. These rugs are made to be strong and durable, with each all-natural thread thoughtfully woven into a high-quality product. Make sure you buy these pieces from a reputable seller.

Styling Your Room with a Beni Ourain Rug

The key to styling your room with a Beni Ourain rug is to balance things. These rugs typically have patterned designs and neutral colors, so it’s best to let them stand out. To do so, you can use other neutral-colored furniture without much flair. Alternatively, you can also place bold and bright elements in the room, as these rugs provide the perfect blank canvas for them.

Caring for Your Beni Ourain Rug

Making authentic Moroccan rugs look the best begins with preventive care. You will have to take steps to keep the carpet clean and free of debris. During daily use, dirt particles can get embedded in the carpet fibers. Once embedded, dirt begins to crush the fibers. This can cause bald stains on your beautiful rugs. To avoid this, regular cleaning is necessary.

Carpets should be shaken outdoors at least once a week until all dirt is removed. If it is not practical to shake the carpet outside, you can preferably use a handheld vacuum cleaner to slowly vacuum left and right without damaging the fibers. 

Be sure to turn the carpet over and vacuum both sides. Regular shaking and vacuuming is sufficient to keep the carpet clean during normal use. If it gets wet, wipe as soon as possible to prevent liquids and other debris from penetrating the carpet fibers. 

Dry your rug using a white cotton towel or paper towel. This will prevent foreign dyes from entering the carpet fibers. Stain from the outer edge to the middle of the stain. Do not rub as the fibers may be damaged.

Consider the location of your carpet when deciding how often to clean it. If the carpet is in a busy area or in a house with pets, you need to take steps to clean it more often. Even if these precautions are taken a few years later, the carpet still needs to be cleaned by a specialist. 

Conclusion

Beni Ourain rugs are some of the most impressive pieces of furniture one can have in a home. These culture-rich items are highly sought-after and can beautify a room in more ways than one. Make sure to keep this guide in mind as you look for one that resonates with your space and aesthetics. 

We at Atlas Weavers believe that Beni Ourain rugs are significant investments that are full of culture and history. Our products are made to last and can beautify your space for generations to come. Get yours today!

source https://atlasweavers.com/blogs/news/a-guide-to-buying-styling-and-caring-for-a-beni-ourain-rug

4 Different Ways to Hang a Moroccan Rug on the Wall

Today, when you say “rug,” people immediately think of it as a carpet – one that’s meant to decorate your fall. But is that what all those gorgeous Moroccan rugs are for? Not at all! You might not have thought of it before, but they’ll look amazing on your walls, too!

But how can you hang a Moroccan rug on the wall? In this post, Atlas Weavers, your best source of authentic Moroccan rugs, shares five ways you can hang a rug on your walls:

 

Use Velcro

We bet you haven’t thought of it! The truth is, even museums will tell you that the best way to hang a Moroccan rug is with the use of Velcro. 

Velcro comprises two individual strips – the loop, the fuzzier part, can be sewn to the rug. The hook then has to be installed on the wall. You should use a 2-inch thick strip if you have a larger rug. Don’t be scared to stitch the Velcro into your rug because it can be easily removed should you decide to put the carpet back on your floor. Just make sure that you do not use the sticky-back Velcro, which is harder to remove. 

Hang from a Pole

This method is quite similar to how you hang curtains, which involves stitching a casing on the back of Moroccan rugs. The casing is a fabric tube that will securely hold a pole. This will then hang from the wall. The pole will evenly distribute the weight of the carpet and could add to its overall ornate look. You can choose a short fitted rod that won’t be visible, or you can choose a longer rod that shows on either end as it could lend elegance to your wall. That said, this method needs extra work, though it’s certainly an interesting way to hang a rug on your wall, no matter how big or heavy the rug is. 

Use Rug Clips or Carpet Clamps

Carpet clamps, also called rug clips, are yet another popular way to hang rugs on walls, and they are often used in rug shops and museums. The only concern is that the weight of the rug may be unevenly distributed and can potentially cause warping as time passes. That said, the clam method is still a classic way to hang a Moroccan rug and still looks clean and professional. 

Try Tack-less Carpet Strips

Tackles carpet strips are available at home improvement stores and some online stores. They can be used to secure carpets on the floor, but they work well for hanging rugs on walls, too. What you need to do here is to hang the carpet strips on the wall first and then attach your rugs to them. While this requires less effort than using Velcro and is relatively cheaper, it also comes with a higher risk as it could pull the rug's fibers loose, affecting its beauty and integrity. 

Conclusion

All of these methods would work well, and each one has its own set of pros and cons, too. For one, Velcro and rods offer a more sophisticated and safer method, but the drawback is that they require more effort and are more time-consuming. Tackless carpet strips are pretty risky. Carpet clamps offer a sort of middle ground, so that’s what you might want to try if you’re doing this for the first time. 

Are you looking for an authentic Moroccan rug to liven up your home? Atlas Weavers have some of the best ones you can find in the U.S. and the U.K. Whether you plan to hang them on the wall or have them grace your floors, you’ll indeed find one that meets your needs. Check out our collections today and enjoy free shipping on your order!

source https://atlasweavers.com/blogs/news/4-different-ways-to-hang-a-moroccan-rug-on-the-wall

Everything You Need to Know About Vegetable Silk Fabric

While the world has put a premium on silk, it’s far from being the most sustainable material in the world. Luckily, there are more ethical and environmentally friendly alternatives to silk. One of the most popular alternatives comes in the form of vegetable silk. Now, this may be your first time encountering vegetable silk, and may need more information on it. To help you out, here’s a brief breakdown of everything you need to know about vegetable silk.

 

What Is Vegetable Silk Fabric?

Vegetable silk fabric or sabra is made of vegetable fibers, which is why it’s also called vegetable silk or cactus silk. With that being said, vegetable silk fabric can also be derived from plants such as agave and aloe vera. This type of fabric is commonly seen in Moroccan handicrafts, as they are often used for weaving, textiles, floor mats, bedspreads, and even jewelry. Indeed, the city of Marrakech has developed quite a reputation thanks to vegetable silk fiber.

Considering that vegetable silk fabric is a catch-all term for this type of fabric, it’s important to know more about the different variations of fabrics. The main thing you have to understand about vegetable silk fabric, the plant used will completely change the end product.

Agave silk is a popular type of vegetable silk fabric. As its name suggests, this fabric is made with agave fiber. The fibers extracted from the agave, a type of cactus that’s commonly found in Mexico and widely cultivated in Morocco, have an aesthetic very similar to silk. Despite their similarities, agave silk has the distinct advantage of not needing to breed silkworms. Agave fiber is one of the most ethical fabrics out there. This is due to the fact that agave can be grown organically and has no negative effect on the environment. 

Cactus silk is also widely used and is an important part of Morocco's heritage. The fiber’s silken texture and flatweave construction make them perfect for warm climates. Since the textile is woven by hand, every product derived from it  is unique and can be interpreted based on the choice of symbols used and composition.

Is Vegetable Silk Fabric Eco Friendly?

Many of you may not know this but fabric waste poses a significant threat to the environment. In fact, 85% of all textiles thrown away in the United States are dumped into a landfill or burned. And seeing as this amounts to roughly 13 million tons of waste, it’s crucial that we find a viable alternative to mainstream textile whenever we can.

As we’ve already mentioned, agave silk is derived from the agave plant. Since the plant can be naturally cultivated and grown, it can be considered as a good alternative. And while this alone already makes it a viable option, you also have to consider that agave silk can be used as an ecological fertilizer after it’s served its original purpose. 

What Are the Common Uses of Vegetable Silk Fabric?

What’s great about vegetable silk fabrics is that they have a wide array of uses. Thanks to its unique properties, it can be used for pretty much everything. Cactus silk is commonly used for authentic Moroccan rugs. Since cactus silk is an epicurean decor element, it effortlessly complements the entire room. Aside from rugs, vegetable silk can also be used for cushions, bedspreads, and bolsters.

Conclusion

Hopefully, this article has helped shed some light on vegetable silk. As you can see, vegetable silk has a slew of different benefits that makes it a great piece of material to work with. With that being said, it’s still important that you obtain the highest quality products to really see how great this material can be.

Are you looking for authentic Moroccan rugs? Atlas Weavers is a fair trade project that offers various designs and sizes in our online shop and custom orders with bespoke designs to any dimension. We work closely with interior designers and rug retailers to ensure optimum quality and customer service. For more information on our products, visit our website today!

source https://atlasweavers.com/blogs/news/everything-you-need-to-know-about-vegetable-silk-fabric