Archive for April 2009

UPDATE (30/11/2009): SINCE THIS ARTICLE WAS PUBLISHED 'RUGMARK' HAS BEEN RE-BRANDED AS 'GOODWEAVE'.

Rugs, as with many other goods manufactured in poorer countries, are often made by children against their will, in poor conditions. Here we look at the problem of child labour in the rug industry, what is being done to try and prevent it and how you (the consumer) can contribute just by making an informed decision when purchasing a rug.

Child labour is a very large problem in the rug industry, especially in the poorer parts of India, Pakistan and Nepal. Children are employed at a young age (sometimes as young as 4 years old) and are forced to work in very poor conditions. This can lead to health problems such as spinal and hand injuries and also respiratory effects. The right to do school work is also taken away from these children as they spend the majority of their childhood in labour, weaving rugs. 42 percent of children in the rug industry have never even attended one day of school. The maximum wage is the equivalent to 90 pence per day and children normally work at least eleven hours a day, seven days a week.

Often it is the case that these children are the victims of debt bondage. This means that they are forced to work of debt incurred by their parents. This debt is usually the equivalent of just a few pounds yet the children will work the majority of their lives to pay it off as they are charged for shelter, food and are held responsible for any imperfections in the carpets they weave.

One of the major initiatives which aims to stamp out child labour in the rug industry is called RugMark, a global, non-profit organization established in 1994. Its objectives include bringing an end to illegal child labour in the rug industry, ensuring these children get an education, and ensuring workers (including adults) have acceptable working conditions and are paid a fair wage.

When an exporter or importer of rugs wishes to join the RugMark initiative they must first agree to the following:

• None of their rugs will be produced by illegally employed children;
• Fair wages will be paid to all adult workers;
• Permit random inspections of their manufacturing premesis without prior notification;
• Inform RugMark of every sale of  rugs carrying the RugMark label.

RugMark then charges all exporters and importers a licence fee to allow them to use the RugMark label. This money is then used to fund the RugMark programme. Each label contains a unique serial number allowing it to be traced back to exactly where it was manufactured.

RugMark has been very successful, almost 6 million rugs carrying the label have been exported worldwide. As well as this over 3000 children have been rescued from illegal labour, and a number of welfare & education initiatives have been established. However there is still a lot more to be done.

Modern Rugs is an official RugMark retail partner, you will find us listed on the RugMark website. We stock an extensive range of RugMark products and we are committed to helping RugMark suceed in its objectives.

So what can you do as the consumer. Simple; when purchasing a rug which has been made in India, Pakistan or Nepal make sure it has the RugMark label. Here at Modern Rugs you will find hundreds of RugMark label rugs for sale at our online shop including our kids rugs. If you would like to check that a rug on our website carries the RugMark label before purchasing feel free to call us on 01388 663738.

This entry was posted on April 25, 2009 at 3:39 PM and has received 2324 views. There are currently 0 comments.

Choosing a rug is sometimes not quite as easy as it sounds, especially when you are faced with such a huge selection in different colours, materials, sizes and styles. This article guides you through the basics of choosing the perfect rug for your room making sure you get it right first time.

How do you go about choosing the perfect rug to add that finishing touch to your room? There are many reasons for buying a rug; the important thing is to buy the right one for your individual needs. Therefore first step is to identify your objective. Do you want it to be dynamic and vibrant to make a real statement, cosy and soft to add that little bit of luxury, durable and hard wearing for those heavy traffic areas, trendy and funky for the modern chic pad, traditional and classic for that cultured look, or just as an accent colour to your design scheme. Once you have identified your objective the next main points to consider are, size, colour, design and quality.

Size / Shape
When designing your room take into account the position of the furniture and where you would want the rug to go. Measure the area; maybe even mark it out with string to give you the visual effect. Many people guess the size they think they need only to have to change it once they lay it out on the floor, after finding it is either too small or too large for their room.

The standard shape for a rug is a rectangle, this is quite logical as most rooms are also rectangular meaning they offer the best fit. However there can be other instances where a different shape can be a better fit. As well as rectangular shapes Modern Rugs also offers squares, circles and hall runners to fit other spaces in the home. For example a circular rug can be perfect for under a small coffee table as a focal point.

Rugs tend to be manufactured in a variety of set standard sizes which will suit most spaces in the home. However sometimes you may have a certain space where you would like to lay a rug but the standard sizes on offer are not a good fit. It is therefore useful to bear in mind that Modern Rugs offers a made to measure service on many designs. Although the custom sizes can take a longer to arrive and cost a little extra they can sometimes be a better option than buying a standard size that does not look right or fit the space properly.

Colour
Again go back to thinking about your objectives here; do you want something calm and understated that will blend in with a neutral décor? Or do you want something brighter and more vibrant to make more of an impact? Whilst neutral colours such as white, beige, brown and grey rugs have always been popular and still are, rug manufacturers are becoming much more daring with their range of colours. This is due to the fact that more customers are now looking for bold colours such as orange rugs, lime green, purple and cerise pink. These colours make a great focal point in a room and can accent a colour scheme perfectly.

One of the best things to do when designing and decorating your room is to buy your rug first, then decorate the rest of your room around it. However this is not always possible and often the rug is one of the last things you will buy to finish the room off. When this is the case it can be a bit more difficult to get a rug to match your existing decor. Sometimes it is best not to try and match exact colours; there are so many different tones of the same colour it can be difficult and if you do get it wrong it can ruin the look that you are trying to achieve. The best way to avoid a colour disaster is to use the rug as an accent colour if at all possible, to compliment your colour scheme rather than match it. For example if your colour scheme was black and white a bright red rug with other accessories such as scatter cushions or throws can look stunning as an accent colour. Another tactic is to go for a rug which contains several shades of similar colours so it can blend with the overall colour scheme. In general stronger colours such as reds, pinks and greens are more difficult to blend than neutral colours such as whites, creams or beiges.

Design / Style
There is a bigger selection of rug designs and styles today than there has ever been; from plain designs to bold patterns in both contemporary and traditional styles. Again buying your rug first and then planning the rest of your room around it can be the best tactic when it comes to choosing a rug style. This way you have total freedom of choice and can choose your favourite rug designs without having to worry about it not fitting in with an existing décor. However if you are looking for a rug that is to fit in with an existing décor there are a few tips we can offer. Many people make the mistake of putting too much pattern in a room making it look much too busy. If you already have strong patterns in your room (for example in your wall paper or curtains) a plain or understated style of rug can be the best choice. This also works vice versa; if your room is mostly plain sometimes a bold patterned rug can look fantastic giving the room a stylish centre piece. Bold Floral and Damask patterns are very popular and in fashion at the moment.

Another factor to consider is the current style of your room; is quite contemporary or more traditional. If it is contemporary then a contemporary rug is the obvious choice, however sometimes a traditional rug can fit in quite well if done right and is a great way of adding some class and sophistication to a room. If your room is more traditional then a traditional style of rug is certainly the best choice, a contemporary rug rarely works well in this setting. However you must consider the style of traditional rug of which there are many. European style traditional rugs tend to give a touch of class and elegance to a room whereas styles such as Afghan, Persian and Tribal tend to give a more cultured ethnic look. Finally, another style for you to consider are shaggy rugs which can be plain or patterned. Due to the increased popularity of shaggies there is now a very large selection available to customers. They are ideally suited to lounges and bedrooms as these are the rooms that people want to make comfortable and relaxing. Because of their thick deep pile shaggy rugs can certainly help to achieve this.

Quality / Price
Rugs can range in price from £30 to over £1000, or even more than that if you consider unique silk and antique rugs. With rugs you get what you pay for, as with most other things. But depending on your situation you may not need the best quality rug made from the most lavish materials. So the first thing to do is access what quality you will need based on the purpose that you want the rug to serve. So you may want a rug as a showpiece for your floor, or on the other hand you may just want something to protect your floor and give some additional cushioning. 

There are 3 main materials which are used to make the majority of today’s rugs; wool, acrylic and polypropylene.

Wool has been used to make rugs with for hundreds of years and is still one of the most popular materials to make them with. Out of the three materials wool is the most expensive. Most of the hand tufted wool rugs on sale today tend to be made in India whilst most machine woven wool rugs are made in Belgium. Hand tufted wool rugs usually have a very thick pile which is soft to the touch and are ideal for when you need something which is luxurious and high quality. Viscose is often added to hand tufted wool rugs as a design accent as it creates a shimmering effect. Examples of this type of rug can be found in our popular ‘Matrix’ collection. It is also worth thinking about maintenance; hand tufted wool rugs tend to be a bit less stain resistant and a bit more delicate than a polypropylene rug. Loose fibres also come off the rug in a process called ‘shedding’ meaning they need to be vacuumed or brushed down quite often. However if maintained properly a hand tufted wool rug will still last for a great many years. Machine woven wool rugs have a thinner pile yet are less delicate and have less ‘shedding’ than a hand tufted wool rug but still have the same soft feel. They are a good choice for when you require something which is luxurious and high quality but also hard wearing and easy to maintain. Thinner piles are useful if you plan on putting the rug under something such as a table, or if you will have a door opening onto it. You can see our ‘Serabad’ traditional range for examples of machine woven wool rugs.

Acrylic is a synthetic fibre which replicates the look and feel of wool. The majority of acrylic rugs today are made in China. Whilst acrylic rugs have a thick pile and a soft touch generally they are not as thick or soft as a wool rug. They are however easier to maintain than a wool rug with virtually no ‘shedding’ and they are significantly less expensive. The ‘Infinite’ acrylic range features rugs in this quality. Recent years have also seen rugs produced using a material called ‘fine acrylic’ which is a step up in quality terms from standard acrylic. These have a slightly thinner pile than standard acrylic rugs yet they have a very soft silky texture and a slightly shimmering appearance. They are priced at a similar point as entry level wool rugs. Also like a wool rug there is some shedding so they do require a bit more maintenance than a standard acrylic pile. For an example of this quality see our ‘Kudos’ range.

Polypropylene is another synthetic fibre that rugs are made with, most of these rugs are currently produced in Belgium. Polypropylene rugs usually have the thinnest pile compared to wool and acrylic. Whilst many budget rugs (e.g. our Visiona range) are made from polypropylene you will also find some mid range priced rugs made from this fibre (e.g. our Galleria range). The difference in price is reflected in the quality, density and feel of the polypropylene which can vary quite significantly. Polypropylene is the most very hard wearing and easy to clean of the 3 materials meaning that these rugs are suited to areas which get a lot of heavy use.

Of course there are a variety of other materials that rugs are made from such as rayon silk, jute, sisal and leather to name but a few. These rugs are aimed at more niche markets but are well worth considering if you want to try something a bit different from the norm.

Final Word

Hopefully this article will have helped you in how to go about choosing the right rug for your room. If you’re still a bit unsure of what to choose it is always worth getting a second opinion. This includes family members, friends or even ourselves. If you give us a call we are happy to offer you any further advice, after all it is our goal to see you matched with your perfect rug!

This entry was posted on April 10, 2009 at 8:45 PM and has received 257 views. There are currently 0 comments.