Revival Rugs, a top resource for affordable, high-quality, vintage Turkish rugs, launched operations in Morocco this week. Each month, their team carefully curates a selection of vintage rugs and brings them to the US market, minus the mark-up. Each rug is handwoven by skilled artisans with handspun wool, which adds a luminosity to the rug and also extends the life of the rug for years to come.
Moroccan rugs are quite popular in the design world, but they have a lot of history too. “Moroccan rugs have been woven for centuries,” Ben Hyman, the company’s CEO and co-founder told us. He explained that there are two overacting types to the category: city rugs, which resemble Turkish and other Persian rugs in design and process, and tribal rugs — which are the long, wild-piled and asymmetric woolen pieces you likely think of when you think of Moroccan rugs. Of the latter, he says they’re “designed by once-nomadic Amazigh (also known as Berber) tribes, who are indigenous to northwestern Africa. Because there were so many tribes, and each have a different weaving style, these rugs vary greatly in design and construction.”
These pieces have been enticing artists and designers for a long time, in part because they read as paintings, with exuberant color and inspired composition. Fortunately, the collection that Revival Rugs has put together has something for everyone, from monochromatic to high contrast and everything in between.
Once you find your perfect Moroccan rug, you have to know how to care for it. Ben shares 4 crucial tips to care for a vintage Moroccan rug, ensuring it will look beautiful for years to come:
1. SHAKE IT
Wool is naturally antibacterial, so it’s pretty self-sufficient. But dust and dirt that accumulate can erode the fibers over time. We recommend shaking your rug out outside once a week. Give a few hard shakes with a friend, if need be! I suggest doing this weekly.
2. GIVE IT A VACATION
Once a summer, let it sunbathe. Hang it in the sun for a few hours when it’s hottest, and flip it over to expose both sides to direct sunlight. This sun-bleaching helps further sanitize the wool. It’s a natural method to bleach and deodorize it.
3. VACUUM, BUT GENTLY
If you need, you can vacuum it instead—just not with a rotary vacuum, which can damage the fibers. Once or twice a month, use the suction attachment gently. Once or twice a year, flip it over and vacuum the back.
4. FLIP IT AND REVERSE IT
To ensure equal wear and protect against walk patterns, change its direction periodically. You can also flip your rug over now and then so you can see the back. With Moroccan rugs, they’re typically as nice as the front.
