Dear Jean and Richard, We recently went rug shopping and were overwhelmed. Are there really differences in quality that mirror the prices? –Oliver R., Leicester

Richard: Dear Oliver, who wouldn’t be overwhelmed!? Turkish, Oriental, Persian, Indian—handmade, machine made, and some with a combination of both. It’s a good question, but unfortunately, there’s no simple answer. As I’m sure you have concluded from shopping, there is quite a range of prices. And you probably deduced from dramatic sale prices, there’s often quite a markup as well. But there are real differences and price justifications.

Jean: Richard and I often make special buying trips just for rugs because there are so many options. Some experts in the field can look at a rug and identify the source—sometimes down to the specific village responsible for weaving it. Choices of patterns, dyes, and techniques reflect generations of handed-down experience in the craft. But exercise caution—it’s fair to say many of the traditional patterns used in Eastern rugs can be at odds with our Western sense of design.

Richard: Well, they can also complement them. But I’ll admit that the intricate patterns you see in some of the weaves are a struggle for a non-professional to work with the streamlined simplicity of contemporary design. To simplify basic quality levels, we might use three categories—hand woven, hand tufted, and machine made. The most expensive is the hand woven, of course. Not only are they beautiful, they age well and can last a lifetime. You can verify these by parting the pile to find the actual knots tied at the base of each tuft.

Jean: You can also clearly see the pattern on the back. And there definitely are a lot of wonderful cleaner, simpler designs and styles today, in a variety of price points to simplify your choice.

Richard: Hand-tufted rugs are mid-range, quality products that are not painstakingly hand knotted, but constructed using an electric tufting gun to secure the tufts. Finally, machine-made rugs coming mostly out of China and India are the most affordable, and depending on the nature of their use, sometimes the most practical. If the use is temporary, or your budget is tight, they can still have a nice look. Maybe that’s the solution if your animals sometimes leave you “gifts” on the rugs like Jean’s…

Jean: Not stepping on camouflaged Greyhounds, Cavaliers and cats lounging on my rugs are my main animal concerns. And we forgot to mention Dhurries, a great hand-made—yet affordable—alternative. These are flat, woven rugs usually with a geometric design, and generally in paler colors. But they’re not quite as soft for pet beds.

Richard: Speaking of flat, be sure when you are making your final decision that you view the rugs flat on the ground and from all sides. There is a darker and lighter side which can make a big difference depending on where you’re standing. Any good rug dealer will not mind you spending the time inspecting it before you purchase, and by all means ask to take it on loan since things could change drastically when you place it in your home.

Jean: And when you go shopping for a rug, be sure to take your paint and fabric samples with you. They don’t have to match perfectly, but the rug should complement them. Just like I want to complement Fancy, Mary, Lucy, and Buzz for looking so fabulous on our new hand knotted den rug!