Traditional

Traditional rugs here run to Oriental medallions, framed borders and all-over floral patterns, and most of them are hand knotted in wool. Beige leads the palette, while rust and slate blue appear far more often in this group than in the rest of the catalog. Pile is mostly low, under half an inch, so the drawing stays legible and chair legs still move.

They suit rooms that want a settled, classic floor. Formal dining, a main bedroom, a hallway that takes daily traffic.

Oriental, farmhouse and bohemian takes on tradition

Traditional is a broad label here. About half the group also carries a farmhouse tag, which in practice means softer, worn-looking patterns and quieter color. A smaller run sits under updated traditional: classic layouts redrawn with cleaner lines and less ornament. A few lean bohemian, with tribal motifs and hand-drawn borders that wander slightly. If you want the plainer end, start with the farmhouse rugs; for the modern redraw of a classic medallion, see the updated traditional rugs.

How hand knotted construction shows in the rug

Most of these designs are hand knotted, one knot tied onto the loom warp at a time, which is why the pattern reads on the back almost as clearly as on the face. That slow build gives a dense surface that wears down gradually rather than coming apart, and small irregularities along a border or medallion are part of the weave, not a fault. Most are made in India, with a few from Nepal and China. A handful are hand woven or tufted instead. To see only the knotted weave, browse the hand knotted rugs.

Wool pile and what it means over time

Wool carries most of this group, a good deal of it 100% New Zealand wool. It springs back under furniture legs, holds dye well so rust and gold stay saturated, and resists crushing in a corridor. A few pieces use viscose for sheen inside the pattern, and some use cotton in the ground. Fringe finishes a number of the knotted designs, formed from the warp rather than sewn on afterwards. If fiber is your deciding factor, compare the wool rugs across the store.

Rust, slate blue and the beige base

Beige runs through most of the collection, with taupe, gray, ivory, gold and brown filling in around it. Rust shows up much more often here than elsewhere, and slate blue in a smaller run. A rust ground sits easily beside sky blue, buttercup yellow or crimson accents, and quiets down against white and off-white walls. For the warm end of the palette, look at the red rugs; for cooler rooms, the blue rugs.

Which size suits which room

• Living room: an 8x10 rug holds the front legs of a sofa and both flanking chairs on pile, and the low height keeps a coffee table from rocking.
• Bedroom: a 6x9 rug covers the walking sides of a queen bed with wool underfoot in the morning.
• Entry and hallway: a runner rug takes the traffic because the knotted pile is short and tightly packed.
• Kitchen: a 2'x3' mat from the small rugs fits in front of the sink without fouling a door swing.

Caring for hand knotted wool rugs

Vacuum with the beater bar off or raised, so the suction lifts grit out of the base instead of chewing the pile. The low profile on most of these also lets a robot vacuum cross without snagging a fringe. Blot spills with a dry cloth rather than rubbing them in; wool's natural lanolin buys you time on most spills. Rotate the rug once or twice a year where sun falls. None are machine washable, and only a few are rated for outdoor use, so keep them under cover.