Rugs you've been eyeing — pick up where you left off.
Our oriental rugs are hand-knotted one knot at a time, with a wool pile on a cotton foundation. The trade calls the same category an oriental carpet, and much of it comes out of Persian, Turkish and Afghan weaving. Browse small accent sizes through 8x10 and 9x12, or order custom sizes cut to your room. Every piece is handmade, not a machine-made reproduction.
What Is an Oriental Rug?
An oriental rug is a rug hand-knotted on a loom in Asia — most often Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan or China — using wool, silk or a wool and silk blend tied onto a warp and weft foundation. Knot count, measured in knots per square inch, tells you how fine the weave is: a coarse village rug might run 60 KPSI, a fine city piece several hundred. Natural dyes and vegetable dye give the wool pile color that mellows rather than fading flat. On a hand-knotted rug the pattern shows through the foundation on the back; a machine-made reproduction has a grid-backed underside and a sewn-on fringe.
What Are Oriental Rugs Called Now?
"Oriental rug" and "oriental carpet" describe the same hand-knotted category and are still the standard US trade terms. Many dealers now say Persian and Asian rugs instead, or name the weaving region directly — a Heriz, a Tabriz. Persian rug means a rug woven in Iran; oriental rug is the wider family that also includes Turkish, Afghan, Indian and Chinese weaving.
How Much Does a Real Oriental Rug Cost?
Price tracks three things: size, knot count and materials. A larger rug takes more knots, a finer knot count takes more months at the loom, and silk costs more than wool. Machine-made oriental style rugs sit well below all of them.
Knot count (KPSI)
Weave character
Price effect
Under 100
Coarse tribal and village weave, bold geometric drawing
Lowest per square foot
100–200
Standard hand-knotted quality, clear medallion and floral detail
Mid band
200–400
Fine city weave, curvilinear florals
Higher band
400+
Very fine, often wool and silk or all silk
Highest band
Oriental Rugs by Origin & Style
Persian & Traditional Persian Rugs
Persian weaving covers Heriz, Tabriz, Kashan, Sarab and Afshar. Heriz rugs are coarse, hard-wearing village pieces with a large angular medallion, usually in rust and navy. Tabriz and Kashan are finer city weaves with curvilinear florals. Browse Persian oriental rugs.
Medallion & All-Over Patterns
A medallion rug centers one large motif inside a framing border, which anchors a room and suits symmetrical layouts. An all-over pattern repeats botanical or floral motifs edge to edge with no center, hides traffic, and works better when furniture sits on the rug.
Distressed & Vintage Oriental Rugs
Low pile from years of use, softened color, visible wear. These read less formal and pair well with modern furniture. See vintage and distressed oriental rugs.
Moroccan-Style Oriental Rugs
A different tradition — high pile, undyed or ivory ground, simple diamond drawing rather than floral borders. Choose it for a handmade rug with less pattern.
Oriental Style Rugs (Machine-Made Alternatives)
Power-loomed copies of these designs. They cost less and come in exact stock sizes, which suits a kitchen or a rental, but they are not hand-knotted and the pile flattens faster.
The standard living room size in most US homes. An 8x10 lets a sofa and two chairs sit with front legs on the rug. See 8x10 oriental rugs.
Large Oriental Area Rugs (9x12)
For open-plan living rooms and formal dining rooms. Under a dining table, 9x12 keeps chairs on the rug when pulled out. See large oriental area rugs.
Oriental Runners
For hallways, galley kitchens and stair landings. Leave 4 to 6 inches of floor on each side. Shop oriental runners.
Custom Oriental Rugs
We can have a rug woven to your dimensions, palette and pattern — useful for long dining rooms, wide landings and odd alcoves.
Oriental Rugs by Color
Navy & Dark Blue
The most common ground color in Persian weaving, and the most forgiving in a high-traffic area. See navy and dark blue oriental rugs.
Cream & Ivory
Cream and ivory grounds open up a dark room and show floral detail clearly. They soil faster, so use a rug pad and vacuum regularly.
Red & Rust
The classic madder-dyed grounds of Heriz and tribal weaving. They hide traffic well and sit comfortably with wood floors.
Where to Put an Oriental Rug
Living Room
Size the rug so at least the front legs of every seat sit on it. 8x10 and 9x12 are the usual answers.
Dining Room
Add 24 inches to each side of the table so chairs stay on the rug when pushed back. Low pile and flatweave move chairs more easily. See oriental rugs for the dining room.
Entryway
A 2x3 or 3x5 at the door catches grit before it reaches the rest of the floor. Use a rug pad on tile or hardwood.
Oriental Kitchen Rugs
A runner or small oriental kitchen rug in front of the sink adds cushioning. Choose a low pile so cabinet doors clear it. Shop oriental kitchen rugs.
How to Tell If an Oriental Rug Is Real
Turn the rug over. A hand-knotted rug shows the design on the back as clearly as the front, with individual knots visible as small ridges, and the fringe runs out of the foundation. Slight irregularity in the borders and small color shifts across the field — abrash — are signs of hand work and natural dyes, not defects. A machine-made rug has a uniform mechanical back and a fringe sewn on as a separate strip. A hand-tufted rug has a fabric backing glued over latex. Ask any seller for material, origin and approximate knot count.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is an Oriental rug?
An Oriental rug is a rug hand-knotted on a loom in Asia — typically Iran, Turkey, Afghanistan, India, Pakistan or China — with a wool or silk pile tied onto a cotton warp and weft foundation. Each knot is tied by hand, so the pattern shows through on the back and the fringe is part of the foundation rather than sewn on.
What are Oriental rugs called now?
Oriental rugs are still called Oriental rugs, and also oriental carpets, though the trade increasingly says Persian and Asian rugs or names the weaving region directly. Persian refers specifically to rugs woven in Iran. Oriental is the wider family covering Persian, Turkish, Afghan, Indian and Chinese hand-knotted weaving.
How much does a real Oriental rug cost?
A real hand-knotted Oriental rug is priced by size, knot count and materials, so a small coarse tribal piece and a fine silk-blend room-size rug sit far apart. Larger sizes take more knots and finer knot counts take longer at the loom. Wool and silk blends cost more than plain wool.
What are the best Oriental rug brands?
Oriental rugs are judged by weave and origin rather than by brand, so ask about knot count, fiber and weaving region rather than a label. A good seller states whether a rug is hand-knotted, hand-tufted or power-loomed, names the origin, and gives an approximate knots-per-square-inch figure. Anything vague on those three points is worth skipping.
How do you clean an Oriental rug?
Vacuum a hand-knotted Oriental rug regularly with the beater bar off, blot spills immediately with a clean cloth, and have it professionally cleaned every few years. Rotate it seasonally so sunlight and foot traffic wear the pile evenly. Use a rug pad underneath. Do not machine wash, steam clean or use bleach on a wool pile.
Why Buy Oriental Rugs from RugKnots
We sell hand-knotted rugs with a wool pile, not power-loomed reproductions, and we weave to custom sizes when a standard dimension does not fit. You cannot walk a showroom floor to compare, so we list material, size and construction on every product page and ship nationwide. Free shipping applies. Also see hand-knotted wool rugs and traditional oriental rugs.
