Midcentury Modern Rugs

How to choose a mid-century modern rug? Go with your gut! The best way to choose any rug is by picking the one that speaks most directly and loudly to your heart. But don't worry, we have a couple of more rational pointers if you need them. First, choose a mid-century modern rug that is the correct size for your room—this means measuring. Make sure there's 1'-2' between the walls and the rug (in the case of the biggest rugs), and that all or most of the furniture in the room can fit comfortably on it (in the case of smaller rugs). Second, make sure you're looking at mid-century modern rugs which are handwoven. Handwoven rugs withstand the test of time far better than their machine-tufted counterparts, and though this makes us sound a bit snobby, we are big fans of the heritage and legacy of textile handicraft—the techniques used in handweaving were developed centuries ago, and they carry with them a sense of devotion and tradition that is increasingly harder to find. Especially because the mid-century modernists were besotted with design and objects which were not entirely mechanized, but incorporated natural materials with integrity, and whose lines and forms showed the hand. A mid-century modern rug is referring to a rug with mid-century modern design characteristics, whether or not that rug was made during that time period. This may refer to construction, such as big, neutral, off-white shag rugs like Beni Ouarain Moroccan pieces; or chic no-pile flatwoven kilims in mid-century hues. There's a distinct minimalism to mid-century modern rugs, reminiscent of the iconoclast designers who used them in their homes: George Nakashima, Charlotte Perriand, Charles and Ray Eames, Eero Saarinen, Isamu Noguchi, Florence Knoll, Eileen Gray, Mies van der Rohe, Marcel Breuer, Arne Jacobsen, Gerrit Rietveld, and Aino and Alvar Aalto.