Over the past five years or so the Internet has dramatically changed the way we spend our hard earned money, would you of even thought of buying a rug without feeling its texture say ten years ago? The answer is probably no.. But is buying on-line really any different from say a catalogue or a leaflet, the answer is no – you still look at a picture and order over the phone, all the internet has done has made it easier to view millions of rugs or any other item for that matter with a few clicks of a mouse, you have the option of finding the best deals and even buying from a different country.

So I think we all agree the net is hear to stay and is defiantly the way we will be buying in the future, so what are the down sides of buy a rug on-line.

The first and probably the most popular reason is the fact you cannot physically see the colour and feel the texture. We combat this problem by sending out samples of pile in the post, this eliminates colour and texture problems, we also offer easy returns, all the customer has to pay for is the return cost which on average around £8.00, it would probably cost you this much in transport costs trawling around shops and department stores and more than likely ending up empty handed.

The second issue is entering card details on-line or over the phone to someone you have never met. This is mentioned from time to time when we are taking card payments.

This is not really a problem for the customer to be concerned about. All card payments are covered by the issuing bank and non face to face transactions will be refunded back to the customer in the event of any fraud, please see Distance Selling Regulations for information on on-line protection for consumers.

Apart from the above two issues which we have covered all the other aspects of buying on-line are positive and enjoyable.

Christmas is less than 10 weeks away and we have just had our first frost, floors are becoming colder and colder so now is the time to think about children’s bedrooms. We all want our children to feel warm and cosy while in bed or playing in their rooms.
One of the best ways to transform a child’s room without re-decorating is with the placement of a rug, a simple rug can add warmth and colour to a room, themed Disney rugs can can add the finishing touches to a particular character or themed look,  old favourites such as , winnie pooh and Mickey Mouse never look dated.
Children’s rugs can also be entertaining and you child can interact with rugs like hop scotch designs and road rugs, I know from personal experience how a simple road rug can keep a child entertained for hours. Educational rugs like ABC and 123 can also add that learning development to a room.
If cute and soft is more appropriate, we now stock a new range of Nursery rugs in designs such as Cheeky Monkey and Little Lamb, older children generally perfery bright and funky like our Festival and Retro range.
Over the next few weeks we will be adding some new ranges which include a range aimed at teenagers and a shaggy range for kids!!

Disney Rugs

Nursery Rugs

Budget rugs are an easy way to alter the way your decor looks, this can be done regularly as they are low in cost. Budget rugs can be used to cover scratches and imperfections in your floor as well as making your floor look more attractive. If you are not in a position to spend hundreds on a rug a budget rug might be your only option. So what are cheap rugs? and are they worth buying as the name itself suggests cheap. Are budget rugs low in quality as well as low in price? Should I really buy a low cost budget rug? Well for all these questions we might not have all the answers, but you only have to look at our selection and you soon realise cheap does not necessary mean low in quality. We have named them not because of the cheap low quality they are made of but because of the cheap price point. Most budget rugs looks stunning and are extremely hard-wearing, the use of man made fibres which have improved so much over the past decade adds to the neat, crispness of a budget rug. The old saying ” you get what you pay for ” does apply to a certain degree as budget rugs don’t have the character of a handmade rug or the dense texture of a wool shaggy rug. Cheap rugs like all other rugs come in many colours and size options, from modern to traditional. We can bespoke most wool rugs to your rooms layout and size but this is not the case with our budget range as they are mostly woven on fixed weaving looms. Due to the low cost incorporating two cheap rugs into one room is a feasible option and this layout can look stunning. If you live in an apartment or a second floor a budget rug can also act as a sound deadening barrier between you and your underneath neighbours.

We believe that pure woollen yarn still makes the best rugs and carpets. The nature and elasticity of high quality wool gives high resilience and wear properties. Wool fibres are covered in a natural thin membrane which inhabits water penetration, so providing a natural stain resistance. Wool by its very nature offers excellent flame retardant values, so is ideal for fire side rugs, wool is also less static than most synthetic yarns so it does not attract dust or aid the growth of dust mites or bacteria. Wool is also a natural by product so it is environmentally friendly and abundant in many rug making countries.
Most wool rugs are handmade, due to the nature of a natural yarn woollen rugs are usually full of character and the odd imperfection only adds to this. Woollen carpets and rugs will shed loose fibres especially when new, this is the nature of a multi filament yarn.

Over the last few years rugs made from viscose are becoming more and more popular, viscose is commonly thought to be synthetic but it is actually made from cellulose which is made from plant matter, chemicals are added so it is not entirely organic. Viscose is not as hard wearing as wool but it does reflect the light to give a dramatic silk like sheen at a fraction of the price of real silk.
Our Grosvenor rug collection is a new range made from a mixture of wool and viscose, this plain collection is stunning in the flesh but a nightmare to photograph!! We have also launched a new range called Bellagio which is made from 100% viscose, this collection features cut and looped pile, this gives a modern appearance and texture to a plain self coloured rug.

The credit crunch has effected most people in one way or another, spending is now more calculated and as a result we have added many new ranges to our huge cheap rug section.
So what does a so called ‘cheap rug’ offer in terms of quality, texture and durability?

Quality
Most rugs in this category are made from polypropylene and are machine woven on Wilton weaving machines, just like a Wilton carpet!.. So are they hard wearing? The answer is yes, woven rugs especially machine woven rugs are extremely hard-wearing, polypropylene under normal use is very hard wearing and should last many years if cleaned properly.

Texture
This depends on the range but generally there are two types of pile in this category which are normal BCF polypropylene and heat-set polypropylene. Both are made from the same fibre but heat-set rugs have a wool like texture and are normally softer to touch and are of higher quality.

Durability
All our cheap rugs can be spot cleaned and even scrubbed with a soft brush (Do not clean shaggy rugs via brush scrubbing) and hoovered with an attachment on the end of a vacuum.  Given these simple cleaning methods and the use of an anti slip underlay and the vast majority of rugs will offer great value and last a lot longer than some of our more expensive collections, you are more likely to redecorate before the rug shows signs of wear!

Our cheap rug section is packed full of gorgeous designs and eye catching colours, choose from contemporary, plain and traditional collections. Some of our most stunning designs are in this category and at very keen prices, it is hard not add one to your wish-list.

There is no better way to capture the mystery, culture and history of the orient than in an oriental rug. Oriental rugs add to your decor but even more importantly they ooze with character and culture.
Oriental weaving dates back to the 5th century BC,  a rug was found in nearly perfect condition in the burial chamber of a Scythian Chieftain in the Pazyryk valley in Siberia. The rug was preserved in ice and is now over 2500 years old.
Rugs from this era were almost certainly woven by wondering nomadic tribes using basic makeshift looms, they would use wool from there wandering herds of sheep,  rugs would be woven in basic floral patterns, the influence of surrounding flowers, animals and religious belief would also feature.
Oriental rugs were first woven for trade in areas like Persia, Egypt, Turkey and the Caucasus, Marco Polo discovered some of the earliest Oriental rugs whilst travelling in Persia (Iran). Rugs were woven not only for keeping warm but they were used for trading and even paying taxes, in these early times rugs were regarded more valuable than money!!
Rugs woven in China and Tibet in this era would usually feature symbols of Buddhist and Taoist religions, India learned the art of weaving from Persian weavers, eventually developing a style that accustomed the tastes of Mogul Emperors.

This traditional art of hand making oriental rugs is still carried on today and is still sought after by many collectors and dealers, modern times and furnishing habits and the wide range of machine woven rugs have channelled the oriental rug market into a niche market but importers are still investing into stock and for the time been the supply is still available.

Over the last decade modern apartments and houses have been the way forward for most building company’s and household renovators, you only need to drive close to a city centre and the the skyline is  awash with trendy apartments and high rise living accommodation.
Most new build apartments are open plan and as a result are very bright and airy, neutral walls and high gloss kitchens are generally the norm and the expression less is more is usually the case when it comes to furnishings.
One of the best ways to add some colour and personality is with a modern rug, whether its neutral and easy on the retina or funky and full of bold and brash colours the result of simply adding a rug can transform you décors overall appearance. A once sparse and cold looking interior will now ooze with warmth and texture, a once bare floor is now inviting and cosy.
Large modern rugs usually work well in open plan apartments, even combing two different rugs in the same room can look ultra chic and stylish.
So whether your looking to add some colour or making a living space into a home, a modern rug should be on your shopping list!

Modern Rug

As the dark cold nights and cold mornings approach the need to warm your floors with a rug starts looking more favourable, if like me the thought of standing on a cold floor once getting out of bed is not a good start to the day then now is the time to look for a rug for the bedroom.
Small bedside rugs such as shaggy pile rugs are ideal to sink your toes into, not only are shaggy rugs comfortable to stand on they also add warmth and character to your interior.
We have seen a rise in customers ordering three sheepskin rugs for around the bed, two double skins for each side and a single for the bottom of the bed, this layout looks stunning and would add that warmth and cosiness to your favourite room.
If contemporary and glamorous looks are important a sparkle rug would look great in a modern room, this type of rug would also add a little sparkle!!

Over the last few weeks we have added quite a few new ranges to our ever expanding range of rugs, many of our new collections are very exciting and we hope they will be just as popular as our already established ranges.

If  your in the market for a traditional rug check out our new Da Vinci range which is made in seven different options in a wide range of sizes, this collection is extremely hard wearing, the pile has 500,000 tufts per square metre!! A welcomed addition to our popular traditional rug category.
Another addition is our handmade Ziegler collection, Ziegler rugs are some of the finest rugs money can buy, each rug is hand knotted and originates  from areas around Pakistan and Afghanistan, we have an agent that can source most sizes and colours so please contact us with your requirements.

Our cheap rug section has seen the addition of our Monaco range of rugs, this collection is available in high fashion colours, the designs are stunning and size range from small fire sizes to large room size rugs. We have also added the following collections to this category:- Esprit, Sienna, Vitality and Americana.

Our new exciting children’s rugs are already selling well, the Nursery collection is made from super soft fibres and are ideal for new additions to the family, for the older child’s bedroom check out our Retro Funky collection, designs include  Union Jack, Guitar, City cab and London bus, each rug is easy to clean and represents excellent value for money.

The dark nights are approaching, the warm weather seems ages ago, the barbecue is back in storage, the school summer holiday’s are coming to an end, so is it really time to think winter. I would say nearly!
The idea of spending a lot more time indoors is becoming reality, so its time to start thinking HOME.
The odd beam of sun shows up dirty windows and dust and last years interior seems 10 years old.
So is it time for a complete re-decorate or a simple spruce up?..
Either way a new rug would be a welcome and relatively easy way to totally transform your decor, bright contemporary rugs can add colour and completely alter the look of your room. Plain rugs can add a subtle and easy on the eye shade change or a shaggy rug will add comfort and warmth.