It's the 21st-century, and modern rugs are as popular as ever. The contemporary styles are typically uncluttered and straightforward, with smooth, clean lines and artistic flair. Modern area rugs from Lawrence of La Brea's shop in Los Angeles, owned by David Nourafshan, who has 25 plus years of experience in the field, are high-quality, luxury rugs that embrace solid geometric patterns, light-colored hues, and vibrant bursts of color. You can consider these rugs modern works of art due to their eye-popping visual impact.
Time and time again, the world has proven that it’s filled with different wonders—including the magical hands of artisans. Evident in the pieces they make, artisans from different cultures promote diversity that provide plentiful options for connoisseurs and novices alike.
A hand knotted rug is a unique, one-of-a-kind piece, guaranteed to elevate any area and woven to last for years to come. In contrast to a hand tufted rug which starts with the design being stenciled onto the canvas all hand knotted rugs are created by the weaver individually tying every single knot, creating intricate patterns and designs. Surprisingly, even the type of knot that was used to create the rug can be traced back to the region of that artisan weaver!
Perhaps the most valuable rugs were made from Persia, a historic region of southwestern Asia associated with the area that is now considered Iran. The 2,500-year-old practice of hand-weaving rugs has gone through several generations of war and trade which influenced the techniques and patterns each rug has. Traditional Persian rugs are usually dense, with more than 160 knots per square inch. Rich colors and distinct knots separate these rugs from other traditional rugs.
While each Lawrence of La Brea hand knotted rugs are extraordinary and timeless, there are distinguishable characteristic of rugs that are produced from different countries. For example, a few distinguishable characteristics of an Afghan rug (a rug authentically made inAfghanistan) are the usual reg color, designed with octagon geometric patterns. We use the term “usual” because on several occasions, you will find an Afghan rug blue in color. Here are a few other countries that produce elegant, luxurious hand knotted rugs…India, China, Morocco, and recently, America. It was only during the colonial times that carpet weaving was introduced in the country-with the first factory in Philadelphia in 1791.
There are a number of factors to consider when purchasing a high-end rug: age, size, design and material to name a few. However, because of the time and intricate details that it takes for each craftsman to individually wrap every knot, knot count per square inch (KPSI) is one of the largest determinants of value. The higher the knot count, the higher the value!
As always, we realize there is a lot of nuances to purchasing your perfect hand knotted rug; our staff here at Lawrence of La Brea is always willing to spend the time so you feel confident with your quality purchase designed to last a lifetime and potentially a quality heirloom piece in your family for generations to come!
Silk is a natural fiber made from the cocoons of silkworms. Silk is known for its luster, shine, strength, and durability; and because the fibers are of natural origins, the colors are hard to replicate—making each one as unique as the other. Also, the colors on the rug work against fading, translating to lower maintenance costs in comparison to other rugs made from less desirable materials. These very fibers also offer better quality of air in the room rugs are placed in.
Natural materials are always the superior quality in comparison to synthetic ones. The material of the base should be wool, silk, or cotton for better quality. Wool rugs should be completely matte in comparison to a shiny silk rug.
Hint: To tell if a rug is real silk, rub your palm across it; silk will warm to the touch fairly quickly.
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